Lincoln Aldermen reach compromise on request to extend curfews for Lincoln Speedway special events

 

[April 06, 2023] 

At the Monday night voting session of the Lincoln City Council, the first 50 minutes of the evening was dedicated to the discussion of and vote pertaining to the Lincoln Speedway and four special race dates in the 2023 season.

As had been suggested at the committee of the whole meeting the week prior, Adam Mackey representing the Lincoln Speedway was in the Chamber and had asked to address the council during the public participation portion of the night.

Mackey was invited to the speakers table and spoke for a while about the importance of the racetrack curfew extensions for “a couple of nights out of the season.” He began by noting that in the seven years he has represented the racetrack, there has not been a time when the races needed to utilize all 90 minutes of the extensions that is it currently given. He said that track managers work hard to see to it that the races end as close to on time as possible and do a good job of it.

He went on to speak specifically about the upcoming special event on Thursday, May 11th.

[The race is on a school night so the mandated curfew is 9 p.m. with the option to use on 30-minute extension which would mean racing would have to conclude at 9:30 p.m.]

Mackey said the May 11th race is a huge race, bringing in racers from across the country. He noted that NASCAR cup series driver Kyle Larson was slated for last year but couldn’t make it. However, he is on the guest list again this year, and Mackey is hopeful that will happen this year.

He said this huge race with someone like Larson coming in is one of the races that helps keep the racetrack going. He said it brought in a lot of people to the community and to the race.

He said the managers strive to get the race done on time, but there are unforeseeable situations that can arise, a crash that tears up the catch fence can mean a lengthy delay as the repairs to the fence have to be made before the race can continue.

Mackey said on that special night, the track only hosts two racing divisions where that typically there would be four or five divisions, so yes they do trim back the race to get it done on time. Even so, it still brings in big crowds.

Mackey said that one question he heard was why the races can’t start earlier. He said in spring and summer if the race starts before 6 p.m. there will be issues with keeping the track in good condition. He said that the track dries out and has to be sprayed down and in the end that can cost even more time at the end of the race because of the water delays.

Mackey said there would be 2,000 people in the grandstands and another 500 in the pit area.

When Mackey concluded, Alderman Tony Zurkammer said it was still a bit confusing as to what was being sought. He said he was concluding that the ask was for an extension of the curfew PLUS the ability to use the extra 30 minutes of assigned extensions.

Mackey said yes, that was correct. The length of the race could potentially go to 10 p.m. at the latest, if the curfew is extended to 9:30 p.m. and the extension is utilized.

Alderman Steve Parrott said that in the May there would be no issue of the sun drying out the track, so he saw no reason why the race could not start earlier. Mackey said he understood what Parrott was saying, but that an additional concern was the time needed for racers and fans to leave work and still get to the track.

Parrott said he couldn’t imagine those people would not take off work earlier to come to the race.

Parrott asked about the report that the race would be televised. Mackey said yes, the race is televised and sponsored by Flo Racing/Flo Sports. Mackey said last year was the first year, and the sponsorship permitted a $20,000-plus purse to the event. He went on to say that yes it is well viewed, seen across the country and even world-wide.

Alderman Kevin Bateman said that he was in the spirit of compromise going to amend the original motion on the agenda to give the curfew extension only for the Thursday night race.

He also commented about the drying of the track. He said that it would be good for everyone to understand that it is not the sun that dries out the track, it is the heat of the cars. Mackey said under perfect circumstances it could be that the track would stay in good shape, but he added, it is not a perfect science. He noted a race that started early last fall in October, thinking it would be okay. But it wasn’t. The track dried out too quickly and too frequently and it forced the race to go longer than anticipated because of the water breaks.

Alderman Rick Hoefle asked about comments he was hearing that if the council doesn’t cooperate the track will leave town. Mackey said no, that was not correct. He said it does happen in other communities, where track managers just get tired of the fighting over the races and they decide it isn’t worth it. Mackey said that had not been the case here. He said the city has always been good to work with.

Bateman asked Mackey to confirm that when the timeline is tight, the managers do shorten the number of laps in a race. Mackey said yes, they did. He noted it was a special circumstance, there had been a wreck and other delays which forced the managers to make the decision to decrease the number of laps in the final heat.

Alderman Wanda Lee Rohlfs asked if the extensions were necessary for that night. Mackey said that the 30-minute push back on the curfew would more than likely be all the managers needed. He said again, not knowing what could happen during the night, it could run longer if there are crashes and safety hazards that had to be addressed during the event.

When Mackey had finished, the next two people to appear during public participation was Kathy Schmidt and Dawna Lolling.

Schmidt said she had intended to start with a letter written to her by Ms. Lolling but she had another piece of information she wanted Lolling to share first.

Lolling said that the Lincoln School District 27 Benchmark testing is going on that week, with that following Friday being the last day of the testing. She said it was important that children get good rest on that week, and that she sends her kids to bed at 8 p.m., so the race is disruptive.

Schmidt said that she had walked throughout the community talking to constituents about the races and she had collected 78 signatures of those opposed to the extension of the curfews.

Lolling was asked to read the letter she wrote to Schmidt. In the letter she said she had lived in her home near the racetrack for the last ten years, since before the races started. She said that her children have asthma and have to have breathing treatments after every race, cannot play outside in the summer and she cannot have the windows open. She said that no one around the fairgrounds likes the races and “dreads its unstoppable and full of pollution return.”

When Lolling was finished, Bateman commented on her statement that no one likes or wants the races. He said he had talked to people in the area who do want the races and do spend their time outside during the race times watching the races from their front year.

Bateman said that the Logan County Fair is also a dusty and loud time of the year. Lolling said that the fair was one week a year, and the races are constant. Bateman said that the track used to do more than 20 races in a season and is now down to only 12.

Alderman Steve Parrott said that learning about the benchmark testing for District 27 was a big deal.

Rohlfs confirmed that with the extension of the curfew the race would be set to end at 9:30 p.m. and the extension would be another 30 minutes.

Bateman said the 30 minutes would be only if needed and that Mackey said the 9:30 p.m. end time was a goal.

Parrott said he still felt that the races could start earlier on those specific special event nights. He said he felt like people could do it, it would just be a matter of getting them used to the idea of it. He said his concern was for the prep and the drying of the track.

Parrott asked what time dirt tracks in Georgia start their races. Mackey said most of them start later such as 8 p.m. start times. Mackey did note that a lot of the southern dirt tracks are not in residential areas such as Lincoln is, so they don’t have curfews and do run later.

Parrott said that was a key point, those tracks are not in residential areas.

Rohlfs went back to the testing at District 27. She wondered if anyone knew what the Friday testing schedule would be. She said that in her experience, that last day of the testing would not be as heavy as other days. She said a lot of times the last day is not nearly as full. She said she wished she knew more. Lolling said the school had not yet released a schedule.

Rohlfs said she hated to delay a decision for the racetrack, but she would like to know what that week is going to be like at the schools.

Discussion was concluded and Welch said that because the topic was in the forefront in everyone’s mind, it would be good to move the voting item to the top of the voting agenda.

The item was moved and removed from the table. In the motion to remove the item from the table, six aldermen voted yes with Rohlfs choosing to abstain.

Next there was a motion made to approve the agenda item as presented. That motion was made by Alderman Sam Downs and seconded by Bateman.

The agenda item read; “Approval of thirty-minute time extensions for the Lincoln Speedway on Thursday, May 11, 2023, Sunday, June 25, 2023, Friday, September 29, 2023, and Saturday, September 30, 2023.”

Welch asked for discussion and Bateman moved to amend the original motion to include only the Thursday, May 11th race and delete the other three dates from the motion. Downs offered the second.

The floor was opened again for discussion. Parrott said he would not support the 30-minute extension, though he would have supported starting 30 minutes early.

Zurkammer said he appreciated the compromise being offered. He said he was much more comfortable with voting in favor of one night over all four dates.

Hoefle said he appreciated the input from Lolling and Schmidt and said he was sorry that Lolling had to be the one to represent the school district. He added that he felt the school district should have come forward when all this began.

Rohlfs said that she would hope that next year, there be a little more information provided about the testing if it should fall on the same week as this particular racing event.

With no further discussion, Welch called for the vote. Aldermen voting to support the amendment included Bateman, Downs, Kathy Horn, Hoefle and Zurkammer. Those voting against the amendment were Parrott and Rohlfs.

Next Welch called for the vote on agenda item 9E “as amended.” The result was the same with Rohlfs and Parrott voting against and the others voting for. It should be noted that there are currently only seven members on the city council. After the primary election Ward One Alderman Rob Jones resigned. The seat will be filled in May by Robin A. McClallen.

[Nila Smith]