Published: April 25, 2008 11:13 pm            

Talladega race expected to increase hotel, business traffic

NASCAR fans on Friday were not racing to Cullman, which is traditionally a popular pit stop for aficionados of the sport on their way to the Talladega Superspeedway.

However, Alicia Wier, a front desk clerk at Sleep Inn, said Friday she expected the empty parking lot of the hotel off of Interstate 65 to be filled up by today.

Workers at other area hotels near the interstate’s 310 exit also said they expected to have few vacancies today because of races at the track less than 120 miles from Cullman that will host the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday as well as the Aaron’s 312, a NASCAR Busch Series race, Saturday.

Kalleigh Drake, the tourism and recreation manager for the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce, said the race is not the biggest area tourism event, but it does increase the number of area hotel customers.

Also pumping up the local tourism industry this weekend is a high school baseball tournament taking place in Cullman, Wier said.

Because of the increased demand for rooms, several area hotels raised prices for the weekend.

Dave Lawson, a 72-year-old Indiana resident who was staying at the Holiday Inn Express hotel Friday, said he was told the price of his room would have been about 50 percent more had he not secured his room in advance.

“My understanding is tonight and tomorrow night would have been $150,” said Lawson, who said he got his room for $99 per night.

Wier and other area hotel employees said business is usually high on the weekends. So, it will be business as usual this weekend according to a guest service agent at Comfort Inn, Robin Tanner.

“We’re always pretty busy around here,” Tanner said.

However, Tanner added she suspects hotels may not fill up as much as usual on race weekends because of the current cost of filling up gas tanks.

“Usually by this time we’re pretty full,” Tanner said Friday.

Nonetheless, Tanner did not let her prediction keep her from making copies of a map she drew for customers who are Talladega bound.

She said motorists may be able to save time by taking the road less traveled — Alabama Highway 157 to Alabama Highway 278 East — instead of going through Birmingham.

She said those taking this route will go about 40-45 miles before they turn right onto Highway 77, which leads to the superspeedway.

        

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