THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 15, 1994 TAG: 9412150456
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
The roar of engines and the smell of burning rubber could soon invade the serene neighborhood of Dayle Acres.
And resident Tony Rogers welcomes them.
While most neighbors' hearts sank when told that a half-mile speedway was planned across the street, Rogers' raced.
Residents throughout Dayle Acres, Shoulders Hill and Berwyn have been mounting opposition to the track proposal since it was first announced one month ago. They're worried that their rural life won't be the same, once the starting flag is dropped.
For the 55-year-old Rogers, a retired sheet-metal supervisor with a major need for speed, a speedway across the street is icing on the cake.
``I don't see any negatives,'' he said. ``I could put up with that. It don't bother me. I used to live near Oceana. They can start building it tomorrow.''
Rogers, you see, shares his home with seven cats, three dogs and more than 5,000 model racing cars of every shape, size and color. His garage is crammed with miniature racers of every ilk, some hanging from the rafters in plastic bags, some still in their boxes.
His living room is equally full.
Two flagpoles outside his home are adorned with a total of seven NASCAR flags.
``I'm a dedicated Ford man,'' said Rogers.
``I was into this big time, but then I went into it hog-wild.''
Rogers said his passion for the sport grew after he lost his wife to cancer last May.
``Even if there was no parking over there, I'd let them all park for free in my yard.''
Residents and racing fans alike will gather at Driver Elementary School tonight at 7 p.m. to discuss the proposed track and the adjoining 684-acre Northgate Industrial Park with city officials.
Joe Baldacci Jr., the promoter at Langley Raceway, announced in July that he wanted to bring the racetrack to South Hampton Roads. At the time, Baldacci said he would move his operation from Langley to Suffolk for the 1995 season if Suffolk officials approved his plan.
Baldacci has declined to discuss his plans since making the announcement.
Baldacci's proposals stalled last month after he and developers withdrew a rezoning request for the industrial park. As a result, the Suffolk Planning Commission deferred ruling on the track until next week, when plans for the industrial park will be resubmitted. Planning officials have said that the racetrack is contingent on the industrial park.
The Suffolk City Council is scheduled to consider the racetrack on Jan. 4 if it passes muster with the planning commission.
The proposed track would be a half-mile oval surrounded by seating for about 7,500. It would be at least a mile from the intersection of Nansemond Parkway and Shoulders Hill Road, two-lane roads that wind through predominately rural sections of Suffolk near the Chesapeake border.
Residents opposed to the track have the Suffolk Police Department on their side. The department is opposed to the track, according to a staff report, because studies show the current roads cannot handle the volume of traffic the track would generate.
Few people are as worried as William H. Sears and his wife of 11 years, Murtie, whose home is across the street from the proposed track's entrance.
Traffic streaming into the raceway, and noise, are the couple's main concerns. Even with no track here, traffic is still a problem.
``Sometimes,'' William Sears said, ``you can hardly get out of the yard. If the track were there, that would be quite disturbing.''
Residents say that most of the current traffic problems are caused by shoppers driving from Suffolk to the Chesapeake Square Mall near Churchland. Nansemond Parkway is a direct route to the mall, allowing residents to bypass the area's interstates.
Virginia Outlaw, 73, has had family living in the area for 47 years. She is convinced that Nansemond Parkway would have to be widened to accommodate the traffic. And she's not sure what effect the park and track will have on wildlife, which she has seen diminish over the past several years.
``If it goes through, I'm not moving,'' she said. ``But I just don't know. It would bother me.''
Meanwhile, Tony Rogers plans to show his support at tonight's meeting.
``You ever been to a NASCAR race?'' Rogers asked. ``You gotta go. You gotta be there. You smell the rubber; you hear them blow the tires. And the colors! You need to go just for the colors.''
``I want it,'' he added, ``I definitely want it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
William Sears...and wife Murtie
Tony Rogers...
Color map
by CNB