NBC: Safely Steering the Need for Speed
In 1958, John Bandimere Sr. had a vision for a speedway and followed it through, purchasing 100+ acres of land on the outskirts of the Mile High City well before it become an international destination. 2023 marked the 65th anniversary of Bandimere Speedway, a track that bears his name and is still family run. Sitting 5,800 feet above sea level, the NHRA-sanctioned facility is home to more than 130 events annually and hosts more than 550,000 racers and fans each year.
Keeping more than half a million spectators and drivers safe is a top priority for the Bandimere family. In 2016, a relationship with National Barricade Company (NBC), a Centuri company, was forged based on their shared safety-first mentality. For eight years, NBC has provided site-specific control measures including directing traffic, managing parking areas, implementing traffic patterns to ensure patron safety, and guiding pedestrians.
“I’m incredibly proud of our partnership with the Bandimere Speedway team,” said NBC Operations Director Don Krieger. “It takes real collaboration and a shared commitment to doing the right thing to put on continuous events where people can have fun without compromising their safety.”
The speedway has been a trailblazer and has also undergone significant transformations and modernization in its history, including technology that continues to set the standard for drag racing timing with a track that features an all fiber-optic systems. Bandimere Speedway also features a proprietary ‘Track Cooling System’ that is unique to drag racing, and state-of-the-art track equipment including a proprietary tire rotator tractor, the same used by the NHRA.
Despite all the advances, what has not changed is the commitment to safety.
“National Barricade Company has provided the highest level of professionalism and work ethic throughout our partnership. During our first season together, Don Krieger assisted with our traffic patterns and provided materials to expedite our permitting process.,” said Larry Crispe, an executive team member in Operations at Bandimere Speedway. “Successfully managing large scale events requires so many parts coming together at the right time and I could always rely on NBC to complete their part. Our facility is unique and offers challenges unlike other facilities. Don and his team mastered our issues without complaint or objection, elevating our customer experience to the highest level. On more than one occasion, NBC went above and beyond to ensure our success.”
Crispe continued, “Our customers appreciated the ability to exit the facility through an efficient traffic pattern that was completely different from the entrance traffic flow. NBC managed the reset of the roads without needing direction and always at the right time. Knowing NBC cared about the safety and efficiency of exit for our customers allowed us to maintain focus on the internal workings of our event. We appreciate the partnership we have forged with Don and his staff over the years.”
Beyond marking a milestone anniversary, 2023 was also a pivotal year as it was the final one at the speedway also known in the NHRA as Thunder Mountain. The motorsports legacy will continue as the family is currently completing the sale of the land they are on now and purchasing a new home. The NHRA drag racing legacy is poised to thrive in Colorado and NBC is looking forward to the continued partnership.
