Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

I’ve seen this on fb. If I wasn’t gonna be out of town I’d ride over from Cincinnati to support circle city.

Circle City hasn’t taken the necessary steps to play nice on this.

This isn’t a case of a historic track that people moved next door. Most of the residents have been there a long time, before the track.

The track needs to:
1. Ensure races end earlier, especially work nights.
2. Institute a muffler rule.

You are 100% correct.

Who doesn’t have a muffler rule?

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Eldora, THAT

When I raced with MTS we had a muffler rule for all nights. Going back to pavement racing, I havent seen one night were they tell us to run mufflers. I remember in the early 2000s Berlin raceway telling sprintcar teams to quiet down or load up. I just got a set of Borla mufflers for my car even though its not a rule.
Nick Landon
Feather Ruffler Engineering

Paragon and Putnamville also do not require mufflers. I don’t think gas city does either.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

I can remember back in the mid-90s when Hartford Speedway reopened as a dirt track. They actually had a curfew - 2300 hours I believe. Along with that was a local noise ordinance that had to be obeyed.

Now these guys knew that going in but continued to impinge on both. Bad blood between them and the city was made. It actually got to a point where a town council woman took a decibel meter to the track, marked off the proper distance, and measured the noise. This incident led to even worse things when the owner approached her and her young teenage son, who was actually holding the meter, and a physical confrontation occurred. But that is not the point. The point is, as noted above, if you do not play by the local rules, you will not be playing much longer. If mufflers are what it takes, by all means get mufflers on the cars.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

There are all kinds of stories of tracks with HARD curfews. From fines that doubled every time the curfew was exceeded to stories of the promoter being hauled away in a police vehicle.

For every track that does not have a hard curfew enforced by the local authorities, you should have a soft curfew that you enforce yourself. You should also run the track as if you were about to face a $1,000 fine if the races are not over by your curfew.

Finally, when it comes to mufflers, we should ask our friends out west. I always wear earplugs when I go to the races. I was at Ventura and the cars were about to push off for the first time. I put my earplugs in like I normally would and the person next to me gave me a strange look. I had never heard such a quiet race car in my life. I soon took out my earplugs and could actually hear the entire PA system during the race.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

I am of the opinion there is nothing they can do to make the neighbors or the other fair folk happy.... they don't want racing there...period...end of story.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

To a degree, what you state is true. Now, having said that, a track CAN “be a good neighbor” and run mufflers, have an “absolute” (NO racing, not a start the last race by) curfew, hand out passes, have “goodwill” events etc. Adversarial positions by track owners/operators will almost ALWAYS end up with the track losing, either in the short term or long term. Working with the locals has a lot higher probability of getting more people on your side. It is more work, but it at least has more possibilities.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Ventura was in extreme danger of being shut down several years ago and would have without the efforts of Jim Naylor and the "Save Ventura Raceway" action group. In addition to mandating specific mufflers, Jim removed the roof from the granstands to eliminate the "bandbox effect" of reflecting sound back to the hillside across the freeway, added a sound-absorbing wall along the backstretch and instituted a curfew and earlier start times. Without those extreme measures that racy little joint would have just been a memory. Here's hoping Circle City takes this seriously.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Timeline help: When did Circle City Raceway open under their current configuration? 2019?

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Probably right around then.

Before that though,it was called Mid America Speedway,and they ran motorcycles there but not every week from memory. I went there a couple times for something to do after the regular season in Indiana ended. They'd have a race around Halloween,and thats the one I went to.

I didnt add it to my speedways visited list till last year though when I went to the USAC sprint race late in the season.

We ran tqs there about 3 times a year back then, really dusty and rocky then, Gary Lee was the promoter then for the MTQRL.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

I spoke to the promoter about it in May. He said they are getting along with most of the people fine. He said there is one older couple who is doing most of the stirring, they live 2.5 miles away, and they have a lot of money. They were done early all 3 nights I have been this year.
As for a curfew, I think every track should have one. Sure, things like fence repair, ambulance delays happen, but if you run an efficient show, you should be able to still be done in a reasonable time. I feel a track should try to get over in 3.5 hours from first green until last checkered flag. That is about the average person's attention span.
I would have no problems with mufflers either. It may even help the sport grow in the long run.
I really like Circle City, and wish them luck.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Cannot wait for the results of the township meeting tonight.

On a sidebar, I have never come away happy from a township here in SW Michigan. Too much $$$ passed around under the table.

Facts of Indiana Midget Week 2023...show advertised as a 630pm EST start. First Midget pushed off at 725pm EST. 55 minute late start. Midget race car part of the show ran fairly efficiently and ended at a decent hour of 1018pm EST. However an entire Crown Vic show was yet to run and ended at 1130pm EST. That is not a job well done nor efficient full show when your having the trouble your having with nearby neighbors. Start nearly an hour late, end just before midnight on a weekday/work night.

Do I like the track, absolutely. Have they done a phenomenal job in removing rocks, absolutely. Will I be back, absolutely. Is 1130pm a good thing when your having trouble with neighbors, absolutely not. Are they causing problems and creating problems theirself, absolutely. Is it good for the track and racing in general, absolutely not. Hope Sprint Week still happens at the track.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

I live and work in Indianapolis. I know people who live out there. Their biggest complaint, it was never used that much. They were "OK" with the six to eight shows, now it is every weekend.

when I visited the track for Midget Week there were a lot of new homes going up..... I personally think they are done and will be forced to stop.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

My first experience with racing was out in California at Hangtown (now Placerville) Speedway. Not only was it the track were I saw my first race, it was also the first track where I worked. I don't believe that we had muffler rules at first in the 70s (I remember being able to hear the track from our house, eight miles away on a quiet night), but we had to have the last feature started by 11:30 PM. Personally, I think that curfews are important to keep fans in the stands. Down here in the Houston area, there are no curfews (and few muffler rules), and I have been shooting at tracks as late as 0200 (or later - earlier?) in the morning, and this is for shows that started hotlaps around 6 or 7 in the evening. It is no wonder that 4 area tracks have shut down. Many a night there were fewer than a couple of hundred in the stands. As far as mufflers? I mean, yeah, we all like the raw sound of power, but if it takes putting a muffler on to keep racing, it only makes sense.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Sounds like nothing happened. There was a large showing of racers and fans. The agenda was changed to Jake Brake Noise. Maybe this gives them time to make some adjustments.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Jake Brake noise is more irritating, and almost impossible to stop.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

It's clear Jake doesn't use brakes, So what's the problem? :)

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

But hay we will spend Thousands of $ to put up sign that says Do not use Jake brake.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

We all know those signs do little, but it is even deeper to keep drivers from using them. I handle Energy Industry (and Marine) insurance claims. Everything from big deep water projects, subsea pipelines and equipment. . .to over the road drilling and fracking vehicles. Some years ago, I did one up in Michigan where a frac support truck ran off of the road because he used his Jake brake and underestimated the effect. Of course the company had a policy of no Jake brake use. . . guess they should have disabled it. . . .

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Pardon my ignorance, but whats a "jake brake"?

Rather than discuss it on here, just Google jakobsbrake.
Bob

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

It's when a semi gets off the gas then sounds like it's hurling chunks

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Jakebrake Sounds like me after beeeans and coornbread

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Using the compression of the engine to slow the vehicle. Makes a noise like no other. Kenny Wallace makes that sound every time he talks, Probably all his fault.

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

:5:

Re: Emergency meeting tomorrow
 

Thanks