Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 22, 1991                   TAG: 9103220882
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

RACE IN ROANOKE, BUT NOT WITH WHITEY

Yes, residents who live near the stadium worry about the noise level. A hospital is nearby. Still, if the cars can be muffled, the racket might be tolerable for, say, three holiday evenings in the year.

Yes, there may be parking problems and other negatives. But the only way to find out if the idea is workable is to give it a whirl. If the first race leaves the track in an unacceptable state, that could be the last race.

Auto racing is a popular spectator sport, enjoyed by all sorts of people. It would be nice to see the old stadium used more frequently. And if occasional stock-car races drew crowds of fans, some of whom might stay overnight in area hotels and patronize local restaurants and shops, that'd be fine. The Roanoke Valley could use the business.

Moreover, City Council should consider the entire community's wishes and not just those of one neighborhood - in this case, affluent South Roanoke, which understandably doesn't want auto races in its front yard.

So what's the problem?

The problem is with the particular promoter who's asking City Council to let him run races at the stadium: that flamboyant freewheeler of Franklin County Speedway fame, Donald "Whitey" Taylor.

Like the other Donald (Trump, not Duck), Taylor is a dealmaker. The major differences between the entrepreneurs seem to be that Taylor has a better sense of humor, has never cottoned to the hoity-toity, and has never pretended to be anything other than what he is: a huckster.

Taylor's escapades and outrageous gall are often amusing. Who else would deck himself out in a slick black tuxedo and jaunty straw hat to go to the Franklin County Board of Supervisors to protest a proposed raceway tax?

Who else would invite the supervisors to judge his next wet T-shirt contest, and would be so thoroughly insulting that the board's chairman would angrily break his gavel trying to restore some semblance of decorum for the public meeting?

Who but Taylor would seriously propose that a checkered flag be flown over the Franklin County Courthouse to celebrate the area's heritage of fast cars and bootleggers?

Trouble is, not all of Taylor's antics are funny. His history is rich with lawsuits and run-ins with authorities. He seems not just to invite controversy but to relish it, as good for whatever he's promoting at the moment.

Some Roanoke City Council members and others may see in the racing dispute an opportunity to reap populist hay. But this issue doesn't pit average Roanokers against a South Roanoke elite. All residents have an interest in whom their municipal government picks as, in effect, a business partner. Who will sign the papers and assume the liabilities for stock-car racing at Victory Stadium?

Taylor says his plans would be the sweetest economic plum for Roanoke since it changed its name from Big Lick. That's doubtful. In any case, his modus operandi suggests City Council ought to flag this proposal - red, not checkered - and remain leery of racing into this venture with him. Taylor's deals too often have proved good for nobody's business but the lawyers'.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING