pburke
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I'm not sure what changed, but 15 years ago, we (the hardcard CART shooters) used to meet with the track on Friday morning and have a chat with the top guys from the racing series to discuss where we needed holes. There was little debate over where these holes would be allowed and where not, as we all understood where the high risk spots were. Then somebody took a wire cutter and the holes were created. This was a very common practice on temporary courses, as very few of them created holes in the temporary fences that were put up differently each year. On permanent tracks, this was generally not an issue until some new fences showed up and then the holes were cut. Example is pit lane exit at Road America, where the hole did not exist the year this fence appeared. It was there for race day on the same race weekend.
As for cars clearing the fence, that has always happened with or without holes. I have no recollection of anything happening where there was an 8 inch slot in the fence.
I remember cars or parts of cars clearing the top of fences, sometimes with catastrophic results for the audience (Michigan, Fernandez wheel), other times just for the driver (Laguna S, Gonzalo Rodriguez), and sometimes what could have ended badly was just spectacular to look at with no consequences (Carpentier Laguna Seca). It always triggered some changes to the track, except I think the fence in Turn 4 where Carpentier did his vault over the crest never changed, as the reason for the car going high was the bouncy tire stack and bumpy gravel trap. I'm sure that has been changed right after the incident, but the photo hole right where his car landed is still there.
Cars going up in the air at superspeedways has been a recent problem, and they are changing the cars now to reduce that risk, as they can't really get the fences any higher unless the wrap the whole track in a cage. I never understood why grandstands were put in corners and exit areas on the outside of those corners, as it is simple physics to understand where debris is most likely to go. I would never sit there as a paying customer, nor use a photo hole. I have done it a few times, but the scary nature of being in the direct impact zone will soon trigger your sense for self preservation. It is a rush having 25 cars go past you just a few feet away at 220mph in lap one, but unless you are a Darwin candidate, you won't do this very often, hole or no hole in the fence. There are spots at race tracks you just don't hang around for very long if you understand how hard these things can hit.
Down at Canada corner, they've now graded the entire inside of the track to complete the trail that begins at the Carousel and now connects where the old Mitchell bridge was, but it's still closed off to the public, because the fence separating it from the track isn't up yet. I can only assume it will mess up the view down into that area completely, just like the outside has already been changed forever with the fence they put up last year.
They've also cleared brush and some trees where nobody is watching (why?), so shots like this one (possible from general admission) on the front straight just before the bridge at pit in are no longer the same, as you now have a parking lot in the background.
Juan Pablo monochrome
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