Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Saturday
Security Increased at Daytona 500
Aired February 15, 2003 - 16:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The grim specter of terrorism hangs over the festivities leading up to tomorrow's Daytona 500, NASCAR's biggest race of the year. And CNN's Mike Brooks is live at Daytona International Speedway with more on the security precautions there.
Mike, how many people are actually in one enclosed space there?
MIKE BROOKS, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, this is an immense complex that takes up over 480 acres. And they're expecting over 200,000 people here at the Daytona International Speedway tomorrow for the race.
Now, law enforcement officials have been fairly mum. They will not talk about any of the security preparations, but we've been able to find out that they, over the past two weeks, law enforcement officials have and first responders have received over 480 nerve agent kits. Now, these are antidote kits that, in case there is an attack against this facility, with sarin, VX, any other nerve agent, that first responders can use to protect themselves.
Now, yesterday we spoke to some race fans and the race fans said that they were a little concerned that maybe the speedway hadn't done enough to let them know what to do in case of an emergency.
It's been fairly quiet, though, Carol. Yesterday, there was one arrest for criminal mischief, someone slashed a number of police car tires on the infield area here, and there was an arrest in the stands today for drunken -- for intoxicated fans. What the exact charges were they did not say.
So it's been fairly quiet on the rowdiness front. But police are preparing and hope for a quiet day -- Carol.
LIN: Yes, a lot to look forward to. And we also hear that they're going to give out free beer if Rusty Wallace (ph) actually wins the Daytona 500 tomorrow.
BROOKS: And I know a lot of people are -- a lot of people are hoping that, Carol, for the first win for his No. 2 Dodge.
LIN: All right, so it may not be terrorism, just a lot of fans drinking beer that we'd have to worry about tomorrow. Thanks so much, Mike, reporting live from Daytona.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 15, 2003 - 16:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The grim specter of terrorism hangs over the festivities leading up to tomorrow's Daytona 500, NASCAR's biggest race of the year. And CNN's Mike Brooks is live at Daytona International Speedway with more on the security precautions there.
Mike, how many people are actually in one enclosed space there?
MIKE BROOKS, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, this is an immense complex that takes up over 480 acres. And they're expecting over 200,000 people here at the Daytona International Speedway tomorrow for the race.
Now, law enforcement officials have been fairly mum. They will not talk about any of the security preparations, but we've been able to find out that they, over the past two weeks, law enforcement officials have and first responders have received over 480 nerve agent kits. Now, these are antidote kits that, in case there is an attack against this facility, with sarin, VX, any other nerve agent, that first responders can use to protect themselves.
Now, yesterday we spoke to some race fans and the race fans said that they were a little concerned that maybe the speedway hadn't done enough to let them know what to do in case of an emergency.
It's been fairly quiet, though, Carol. Yesterday, there was one arrest for criminal mischief, someone slashed a number of police car tires on the infield area here, and there was an arrest in the stands today for drunken -- for intoxicated fans. What the exact charges were they did not say.
So it's been fairly quiet on the rowdiness front. But police are preparing and hope for a quiet day -- Carol.
LIN: Yes, a lot to look forward to. And we also hear that they're going to give out free beer if Rusty Wallace (ph) actually wins the Daytona 500 tomorrow.
BROOKS: And I know a lot of people are -- a lot of people are hoping that, Carol, for the first win for his No. 2 Dodge.
LIN: All right, so it may not be terrorism, just a lot of fans drinking beer that we'd have to worry about tomorrow. Thanks so much, Mike, reporting live from Daytona.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
