Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 26, 1993 TAG: 9308260009
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LON WAGNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
Authorities agreed Wednesday to let Taylor finish the racing season at Franklin County Speedway, but only after he agreed to take steps to put the brakes on illegal drinking at the track.
"They can have one in their column," Taylor said. "They won one. I'll concede."
In order to continue racing at the Callaway track, Taylor agreed to:
Put a fence around the track's spectator area, separating it from the parking lot.
Hire more security people, and instruct them to aggressively enforce state Alcoholic Beverage Control laws.
Develop a plan by Nov. 1 to comply with Health Department regulations for food service. Franklin County prosecutor Cliff Hapgood said Taylor's food operations are in compliance, but he previously had been cited for violations.
After agreeing to make the changes, Taylor said the authorities' July 31 raid at the track was overkill. County deputies and Alcoholic Beverage Control Department agents did not have to swarm into the speedway and arrest 56 people in order to make their point, he said.
"They could have done all of this without the hassle and the big smoke and the hoopla," he said.
Undercover agents sent to the speedway Saturday night reported that some people still were openly drinking, but that much of the out-of-control behavior that prompted the raid had abated, Hapgood said.
"The blatant drinking was more under control," he said. "Generally, things showed somewhat of an improvement. I'm hoping that's due to a change in attitude about alcohol consumption."
Sheriff W.Q. Overton and Hapgood said the fence separating the track from the parking lot will give Taylor's security people a means of preventing alcohol from being brought into the spectator area.
The fence, which must be installed before racing season next year, will provide a setup something like the one at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium, Hapgood said. People might be able to drink in the parking lot - albeit illegally - but then would have to pass through the gates to watch the races.
"And you have a tailgate party out there," Taylor said, pointing out the flaws at Lane Stadium, "and everybody gets drunk before the game. Then they get a flask, put it in their coat and come on in."
Hapgood said no setup would be foolproof, but he said the actions Taylor agreed to take should at least eliminate the rowdy drinkers.
"I realize that I can't dry it up completely no matter what I do," he said, "but we can try."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB