Pala traffic

Just got out about 15 minutes ago.  What a shitshow!  

We made it out though the main entrance in no time. 

I did hear that the parking lot filled and the closed the parking. People got turned away! 

Total shitshow. Been coming for years it was all time horrible.

Vowed to never come back for the day ever again, we’re camping next year 🤙

Hahaha, you say you'll never do it again but you will.  2.5 hours just to get to the road from the upper lot today!!!

I decided to skip the second motos and left during the intermission, watched the rest at home. It was so packed today, which is awesome, but getting out of there is awful for a normal crowd. 

There are going to be quite a few unhappy people who paid for tickets only to be turned away because the parking lot was full. Something’s going to have to change for next year — or we need to get the event back to Glen Helen.

I heard a rumor today that the track may be closing down anyway to make way for a golf course. So this could be a non-issue for future national races, but it really sucks for us locals to lose the track.  I heard the announcer at the track today say “Pala Resort, Casino, and Golf Course.”  There’s no golf course so I thought it was odd. Then later heard the rumor. 

We left San Diego at like 10:30 because I had to work this morning, 3 hours to get in… got to watch the last few minutes of the first 250 moto. Packed as shit but we had a fun day, but it took 1:30 to get to 76 from the upper lot on the way out. 
Never again.

The last time I went to Pala for the National it took 2 hours+ to move like 40 feet while trying to exit the parking lot.  I figured the only way I’d go back would be if I was camping or just left 5-10 minutes after the 2nd 450 moto started. 

With the price increases and fees, 2 hour drive from Hollywood, nightmare parking situation afterwards, etc. I decided to do 40 miles on my bike this morning and watch the race on Peacock while recovering from almost dying on the 40-mile bike ride, lol. 

We left before the 2nd 450 Moto and there was already a line developing behind us when we were turning onto the 76. Glad we left when we did after reading other comments here. A few years back we were told by a factory mechanic to stop by the pits after the 2nd 450 moto and we’d be given something signed by their rider. When we got to the pits, we were told they are now closed to the public! What a bummer, we then reluctantly head to the parking lot where it took 2 hours to get to the 76! Nightmare!!

2+ hrs from the freeway. Ended up just parking along the road and walked that last 3/4 mile. missed the first 250 moto and 1/2 of the first 450. Lots  of people still behind us that missed more. Spectating views sucked. The whole experience sucked. NEVER AGAIN. Bring back Glen Helen.  

Me and my dad left around 8, we didn't get there until after the pits closed. We bought pit passes and couldn't even use them. It took 2 whole hours to go 2 miles on the drive in. The drive out was bad too, people being idiots and cutting lines, not much structure until people started directing traffic. I've gone to every national here since the end of 2022 with the exception of 2024, this is the worst it's ever been. I truly think it's because Haiden racing 450’s, or even people wanting to see jett back.

Having been to every Pala National except one. This one was off the charts. Never has there been this many people. Was 3 to 4 times the normal crowd.  I got jammed in traffic on the way in and showed up at intermission. Waited a bit to leave and went out the main entrance in about an hours time. Never showing up late and will plan to chill at the car until the crowd leaves or just camp. 

Surely hope the golf course rumor is false. No way in hell the other tracks can handle the overload or are near as much fun. Sad days ahead of that’s true. 

The golf course rumor has already been debunked; it's going on another piece of property that the tribe has already planned out.

We turned around after waiting almost 2 hours.  Made it home to catch the first 250 moto. We were less than 2 miles away and GPS was still saying it would take almost an hour to get to the gate. Absolute shit show.  So glad we didn't pre pay for tickets.

For what it's worth, this is what my Google AI came up with:

Thanks. I know they run the Pala Mesa golf course and have been upgrading it, but this was the first I’ve heard of a new golf course.

I went the first 2 years they had it at Pala and the parking/traffic was so bad I’d swore I’d never go back. Not unless they brought it back Glen Helen. 

15 years later I’m back because my little one was begging to go. Same shit 15 years later.  It took 2.5 hours to get out of the parking lot to the road. I won’t be back again unless it’s at Glen Helen. 

Was it fun? Hell yea!!!! Great day of racing. Will I be back? NOPE. They can keep their BS SMX league fee they tack onto the ticket too. 

3 hours to get out

F'ing pathetic Mr Coombs, and whoever else runs this shit show.

Fuck you Coombs

Took us three and a half hours to get from the freeway to the casino. Ended up parking in a field kind of next to the skate park and rode our bicycles in just before the first moto took off. They were not prepared at all for this big of a turnout. I can't imagine how annoyed the locals were today. Absolute piss poor job by whoever runs this circus. Don't think I'll be back next year. BRING BACK GLEN HELEN FOR FUCK SAKES. 

Pala parking has always been a shitshow, but blaming MXSports and Coombs is a stretch…

Glen Helen had a shitty wait in traffic too 

Yea, but Glen Helen was at least a nice facility. Pala is basically a track in a big dirt parking lot...it's not even a decent place to camp. 

What do you suggest they do? I mean, the road from the 15 to the track is real shit and has buggerall to do with MXSports of Davey.

lol, if you can’t blame the promoter that chose the venue who do you get to blame??

The venue itself, c’mon… 

Yeah, you had to figure out the cheat codes to get in and out of Glen Helen in a reasonable amount of time. But at least it was really close to the major freeways, and you could also park at the nearby amphitheater and walk or take a shuttle.

Traffic is always bad leaving the venue.  Everyone is leaving at the same time.  This is difficult to solve without widening the 76.

The first year the national was at Pala was just as bad.

I told one of the workers that they need to fix this.

He said the problem was that there were just too many cars.

I don't buy it.  There are 3 routes feeding the parking lot.  One from the east, one from the west, and a route coming from Temecula that feeds into the 76 not far from the track.  It shouldn't take that long to process that many cars.

The problem has to be in how they're processing cars as they come in.

Did they have only one credit card machine?

What they need to do is direct incoming cars into 5 -10 lines, each with a working credit card machine and staff.

Once each is processed, direct them to park.

If this is not the bottleneck, then figure out what it is and solve it.

I guarantee I can solve this.  If someone from Fox is interested, have them PM me. I live in North San Diego, and I'm glad to help.

I have other productive suggestions for the track as well.