Oval-track auto racing eliminated from state fair

Fair officials say the events at the elevated oval dirt track cost more than they make. They plan to continue quieter, less dusty events including motocross, demolition derby and the "How Tuff is Your Truck" challenge.

The races, which started in 2005, fall under a conditional-use permit issued last year by the City of Palmer. Responding to public concerns, the permit limits days of operation to fair time only and also limits noise to 70 decibels.

The races last year brought in $27,000 in revenue, and cost $25,000 to $26,000 to operate, according to fair general manager Ray Ritari.

But the track costs $20,000 a year to maintain, and officials would need to spend another $45,000 or more to make safety upgrades because of the sprint and stock car races, Ritari said. He personally noticed little rocks flying off the track.

"When you add up all the outgoing and incoming, it's pretty definitive that it's not the way we want it to be, in addition to the noise and dust that impact not only our neighbors but also our own fair operations," he said.

Race supporters say the fair's decision reflects unfair stereotypes that racetracks make bad neighbors despite track supporters efforts to respond to all concerns, said Jackie McGahan, a Kenai-based racing veteran who helped create the track.

The city's permit hamstrung the track as well, McGahan said, by limiting racing days enough that managers couldn't justify the cost of improvements such as sound walls that could block noise and flying rocks.

"It's just overwhelming, the bias that there was towards the racetrack," he said.

The fair's Union Field Raceway with a scenic Chugach Mountains backdrop represents one of few dirt tracks in Southcentral, and its central location draws competitors from Kenai to Fairbanks, McGahan said. The fair races pay more prize money and draw bigger crowds, which makes for a lively atmosphere but also gives racers more eyes on the names of sponsors plastered on their cars.

Fifteen sprint and maybe two-dozen stock cars drew crowds of more than 6,500 in just two days this year, according to McGahan.

Last week, the city's planning commission approved the fair's request to eliminate oval track racing from the list of permitted uses, said community development director Sandra Garley.

The fair board will finalize the decision at its Dec. 11 board meeting, convened to discuss the fair's budget, Ritari said.

Find Zaz Hollander online at adn.com/contact/zhollander or call 352-6711.