An unidentified fan made it all the way to the top of the catchfence in Turn 4 at Richmond International Raceway, bringing out a caution during Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400.
RIR spokeswoman Aimee Turner said the unidentified fan was arrested by Henrico County police and charged with disorderly conduct and being drunk in public.
The fan sat atop the fence while the 42-car field zoomed underneath him at speeds upward of 120 mph.
Asked how the fan got past security to climb the fence, Turner said the track will “review safety measures with Henrico (County) police and NASCAR.”
Fan security and safety is the responsibility of each individual track on NASCAR’s circuit, according to the sanctioning body.
Turner said officers were stationed along the fence in front of the grandstands.
A video shows the fan atop the fence, which is cordoned off from the pedestrian walkway by riot fencing or yellow cord, with track security or police officers dotting the area. The fan is on the fencing for at least two minutes and gestures toward the crowd and officers watching him.
The caution lights did not come on until after the climber had begun his descent.
Police officers surrounded him at that point, handcuffing him and escorting him out of the track.
The catchfence is a barrier between the track and the fan stands, in place to help protect fans from debris and to prevent cars from leaving the track if they should become airborne during an accident.
