Help preserve dirt track racing! We are looking to you all for your help!

Highland Spdway

Highland Spdway

Moderator
The Highland Speedway comes under fire every year for the noise on Saturday nights from some residents of Highland. Especially from some of our neighbors that are in a close radius to the speedway. Realtors don’t tell them about the racetrack and often do not show houses on Saturdays during the racing season because of this. This year is no exception to the rule, and we are again under attack. It comes in the form of irate phone calls to the speedway, letters, complaints to the city, and this time on a public form called topix.com.

We are looking to you for your help and support. Even if you are not a fan of the Highland Speedway this could happen at any racetrack with residential areas nearby. We would like to get as many supporters and positive comments that we can posted on this forum. If you come to Highland Speedway post what else you do in Highland when you come to visit; do you fill up your gas tank, go to Wal-Mart, do you go to eat at a restaurant, even drive thru. It all is positive revenue for the city of Highland and a valid reason to keep the track alive! If you do not frequent the Highland Speedway any positive stories from your racing experiences, friendships, family bonding, life lessons, etc. Anything positive that you can share would be great.

Normally we do not respond to these types of attacks but this one has gotten pretty intense. We would appreciate any help that you could give to us. Please keep all comments positive and clean. No foul language please. We are often referred to as rednecks, hicks, idiots, dirt bags, derelicts, etc. We want them to look like this not us! You can post positive comments at the following website http://www.topix.com/forum/city/highland-il/T4IS76OFP0ML6K90T . Please sign your post with your real name. This will give all of our comments validity and these people will know that we are real and stand behind our comments. It will keep them from thinking it is one person using different screen names.

This is a sport that we all love. Let’s not let a few people ruin it for everyone. A huge thank you to the Highland Speedway Promoter, Scott Kuhn, Track Manager, Sue Zobrist, and all the track officials, workers, and volunteers that put in their time each and every week to bring racing to the Highland Speedway, despite all the criticism we receive! Countless hours go into preparations each week to bring you racing on Saturday night. Thank you in advance for your support from everyone at the Highland Speedway!
 
I'd care about Highland if they still had the original classes Late Models, Modified, Sportsmen, and Bombers; not a watered down verson of each class. I also miss the SARA days tell me 1 year besides the first were they had a low car count. They feel the need to water down and have 6 classes to fill the pits cause they can't do it with 4 anymore. I don't wanna hear the pro 4s are a beginner class I've seen many people start out in the bombers long before the hornets so we really don't need them. IMO

Mike Hawke
 
Couldn't you work with the neighbors (anyone within 2 blocks) and give them 2 free lifetime passes into the races (not pits)? Why start a ***** fest?
 
My out look is the Track has been there for many more years than that sub divison and most of the neighbors that live around the track. Its bogues that the city or the fairboard would even considering listening to these ppl complain because its 1 night a weekend and the most of them are gone or have to put up with it for 6 hrs tops since the curfew is 11 oclock. Not to mention all the revanue the town of highland would loose out on not only for a regular night of racing but the big shows as well. It would hurt the restaraunts, bars,hotels,fresh food,and gas stations. I mean it would take alot away from everyone. As for it bein a dump thats just hog wash cause ive been to some run down tracks and highland is far from a dump and as for promoters go there really isnt anybody ever gonn be good enough o run a track to meet everyones expectations and for there drivers. The highland speedway is a fine track ran by great ppl who do make bad choices sometimes but they are all human just like all of us and that gives no reason to try and shut down the track. My family has been apart of racing for over 28 yrs cause thats how old i am and been apart of highland that long as well. I really don't hope that the city and the ppl at the track don't even let them ppl that complain make them even consider anything stupid like shutting down the track or it will be dooms day for HIGHLAND,IL.
 
Look on line and do a little reading about what happened to Rolla Speedway in Rolla MO. That track was open less than 10 years, was built before the houses existed yet was shut down due to noise complaints. What's weird is that they have a fair there with concerts, truck pulls, mud runs, demolition derbies but NO racing.
 
How long has Highland Speedway and the Fairgrounds been there? Many more years than the housing development of turns one and two. I was amazed a few years ago to see those houses there. Too bad for them. The track was there first and if they don't like it then they should not have bought there. They need to come to the track and support it. The track creates revenue for the city for one thing and that is a good thing. Leave the Speedway alone.

Belle Clair has gone though the same thing a few years ago, but that has backed off for the past few years. Thankfully.

Long live dirt track racing on matter where it is.
 
Being there first does not mean anything when you get a collision of like-minded people fighting you. People get moved by force when their home in the way of a new road, is that right or wrong?

Being "grandfathered" is a better way to approach it. Something that was already established (like property set back on a old house). The track is a long time operating business with employees. This is likely to get a more positive response from the people in charge of making the decision that could kill Highland Speedway.


We look at racing from a perspective of fun, action, competition... people who are not into racing, or why it even exists. When they think of fun, action, competition think golf, baseball. To them the roar of the engines we love, is obnoxious, loud, abrasive, and it's got to stop. People move under the approach / departure of an airport, and will complain about the noise... do you think that is stupid? They do not, they may have had made a bad decision, but it is not the way they think, because they are the center of the universe, and I want the noise to stop! You can't change these people's minds.

You need to get MORE people on your side, talk with community leaders, publicize the good things the track does for the local area, charities, business, kids off the street, you get what I mean.


Save a race track... Good luck,


JP
 
That track has been there for well over 50 years I believe. I'm 38 and have been going since I was a newborn. That track
has been my second home during the summer. Both my sister and I went to watch my father and our brother race, my husband raced there until this year because they got rid of his class, all 3 of my kids have gone since they were little. It's great fun, my family is all together and we love it. Beats spending 50 bucks for a movie for a full family....All I can say is I'll post my opinion on topix to help this track out. I don't worry about my kids going to Highland Speedway every Saturday or for special races... at least they aren't sitting at Northtown or the Lake drinking and driving. People need to give it up. It's not every day and it's a freakin weekend.

JMO

Brenda Melton
 
I posted mine as well, don't make it there often, but nice to have a Sat track up north
when it rains in the south
 
All of us at the Highland Speedway would like to thank you for all of your positive comments. Your comments have helped out more than you could ever know. The neighbors have quieted down and are not complaining as much. It is back to the normal concerns and complaints. The city does have people that look at these public forums to find out what people are talking about and your support has helped out tremendously. For the record, to our knowledge the city has never wanted to shut down the race track. However they do listen to the citizens and their concerns and complaints. Thank you again for all of your help!
 
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