Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 5, 1991 TAG: 9102050421
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Council rejected Taylor's request on a 4-2 vote in 1989, but two members who opposed it - Robert Garland and James Trout - no longer are on council.
Taylor, who owns the Franklin County Speedway, has proposed a series of three races at the stadium this year with the first on Monday night of Memorial Day weekend.
He said Monday that he probably would seek council's approval at its Feb. 25 meeting.
Vice Mayor Howard Musser and Councilman David Bowers, who favored a trial race two years ago, said there seems to be more sentiment now for a test.
Councilmen James Harvey and William White replaced Garland and Trout, but neither would commit himself on the issue Monday, saying more details were needed.
"If he can bring in something that will benefit the community and he can ease concerns about safety and other issues, I am willing to listen," White said.
Harvey, a former stock-car driver, said he doesn't know how he would vote until he sees Taylor's plans.
"I don't have any problem with the concept, but I do have a problem with the type of cars he runs on the track," Harvey said.
Unlike most speedways, the stadium track is flat and race cars won't stay on the track in curves unless they are designed for it, he said.
"Unless the cars are built up for a flat track, they could end up in the fountain, fences and all over the place," he said.
Harvey also questioned whether the races would attract a lot of fans if the cars are muffled to reduce noise as Taylor proposed before.
Taylor's plan is similar to his previous proposal when he asked permission to use the stadium for races on the Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day weekends.
Taylor said he will continue his programs at Franklin County Speedway and he wants to use the stadium for only three major events a year.
He plans races that would attract cars and drivers locally and from nearby states. "It would be like the Super Bowl of Saturday races" in a multistate region, he said.
Taylor predicted the races would attract 25,000 spectators, filling the stadium, and be an economic boost for the valley.
"We could fill up every motel and hotel in the area three times a year," he said.
Two years ago, Taylor estimated that stadium racing would produce several hundred thousand dollars in tax revenues for the city each year.
He said auto racing is the top spectator sport in the country and would provide entertainment for residents who don't attend concerts, plays and other cultural events.
In rejecting Taylor's request two years ago, council members said the races would conflict with the master plan that calls for the stadium and the complex to be used only for athletics.
Councilman Beverly Fitzpatrick Jr. said then that the city has spent more than $3 million to develop the complex at South Jefferson Street and Reserve Avenue.
"I think this is a policy decision on the sports complex, not a decision on racing," he said.
City Manager Robert Herbert recommended rejecting the request.
Herbert said racing has been an economic boon to many cities, "but the question here is whether the stadium is the appropriate place for races."
South Roanoke residents opposed the request because they feared it would disrupt the neighborhood.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB