ry ▁during ▁the ▁de cade ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁The ▁nick name ▁" S nake ▁Pit " ▁was ▁co ined ▁som etime ▁in ▁the ▁early / mid - 1 9 6 0 s , ▁and ▁appeared ▁in ▁print ▁at ▁least ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁periods ▁of ▁rain , ▁the ▁area ▁usually ▁became ▁over wh el med ▁with ▁mud , ▁and ▁mud ▁wrest ling ▁was ▁commonly ▁observed . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁race , ▁the ▁area ▁would ▁be ▁l itter ed ▁with ▁can s , ▁bott les , ▁and ▁in ordinate ▁amounts ▁of ▁tr ash ▁and ▁abandoned ▁belong ings . ▁Bon f ires ▁and ▁burn ed ▁cars ▁were ▁also ▁noted . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁management ▁allowed ▁cars ▁to ▁fully ▁park ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁as ▁an ▁early ▁effort ▁to ▁sett le ▁the ▁crowd ▁by ▁reducing ▁available ▁capacity . ▁Occ asion ally , ▁the ▁row d iness ▁was ▁reported ▁as ▁less ▁tum ult uous , ▁such ▁as ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁when ▁many ▁in field ▁revel ers ▁instead ▁storm ed ▁the ▁f ount ain ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁Speed way ▁museum ▁to ▁cool ▁off ▁from ▁the ▁hot ▁day . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁a ▁fatal ity ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁after ▁a ▁Je ep ▁f li pped ▁over . ▁Ar ound ▁that ▁time , ▁track ▁management ▁decided ▁to ▁take ▁deliber ate ▁steps ▁to ▁cur tail ▁the ▁revel ry , ▁and ▁make ▁the ▁in