Tired of living near a noisy race track? Too bad – this North American state law says they were there first.
The US state of North Carolina has passed a law that will protect race tracks and other motorsports venues from ‘nuisance complaints’ from residents and developers who seek to have them shut down.
Governor Josh Stein has allowed House Bill 926, which includes the “Right to Race” provision, to be entered into North Carolina law.
It protects motorsports venues and race tracks from complaints raised by property owners who “arrived after a motorsports facility had legally established development rights and received all necessary permits and approvals to begin construction and operate.”
According to a press release published by SEMA (the Specialty Equipment Market Association), the United States attributes $US69 billion ($AU104 billion) of economic revenue annually to motorsport, with North Carolina said to contribute $U3.8 billion ($AU5.7 billion) of this.
The law prioritises this revenue, and the support of almost 20,000 jobs in North Carolina alone, over “unreasonable, NIMBY-generated (Not In My Back Yard) nuisance complaints.”
Many Australian motorsport venues have been increasingly pressured to reduce noise from events due to the encroaching position of residential housing developments. Facilities often impose noise limits on competitor vehicles to meet regulations.
In 2019, Wakefield Park (now One Raceway) in Goulburn had to restrict the volume of events based on a judgment handed down by the Land and Environment Court, following court proceedings initiated by nearby residents over noise complaints.
In all cases, the motorsports facilities had been established before the residents moved in, with the council then allowing homes to be built closer to the tracks.
At the time, Motorsport Australia Chief Executive Eugene Arocca noted, “I'm concerned, Australia-wide, that you try and find a location that's away from homes, then [the] council allows homes to be built within a close proximity."
With over 20 years of experience in digital publishing, James Ward has worked within the automotive landscape since 2007 and brings experience from the publishing, manufacturer and lifestyle side of the industry together to spearhead Drive's multi-media content direction.
