Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 12, 1992 TAG: 9201120091
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
PROMOTER WANTS TRACK BARRIERS REMOVED
Promoter Whitey Taylor wants to remove most of the concrete barriers around the track at Roanoke's Victory Stadium if he is permitted to hold stock car races there this summer.Taylor will ask City Council to permit him to use a raised asphalt bump around the inside of the track instead of concrete barriers to prevent cars from spinning onto the football field.
City officials required the barriers last summer to prevent cars from damaging the grass field and stadium. Barriers were required on both the inside and outside of the track.
Taylor said Friday that a 10-inch asphalt bump would prevent cars from running onto the grass. If cars spin out, the promoter said he would pay for any damage to the field.
Barriers would still be used to protect the stadium's fountain and the National Guard Armory, he said. Guardrails would be used on the outside of the track to prevent cars from banging into the stadium wall.
Gary Fenton, manager of parks and recreation for the city, said the barriers were required because city officials thought they were needed to protect both the stadium and field.
Fenton said the need for them was demonstrated during the races on Labor Day when a car spun out and narrowly missed a flagman standing alongside the track. The flagman was standing in an area that was protected by a large rubber tire instead of a concrete barrier.
Taylor will ask council to allow him to have weekly Friday night races from Memorial Day to Labor Day. He was permitted to have races there on a trial basis last summer on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day.
Several council members have said they are inclined to allow races again this summer, but some are reluctant to allow them on a weekly basis.
Taylor said weekly races are needed to attract larger crowds and generate more interest among spectators. Paid attendance steadily declined for the three races last summer. On Memorial Day, 3,506 people paid to see the races. On July 5, the paid attendance was 1,953, and on Labor Day, it dipped to 1,342.
The first year of racing generated $11,403 for the city, far less than what Taylor predicted before the races. The net to the city was about $7,675 because officials spent $3,728 on overtime for hourly employees to help get the stadium ready, oversee the races, clean up afterwards and cover other expenses.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING