Pacific Raceways opened 51 years ago. It was built where it is because of its distance from the population in the surrounding areas. You are the ones who moved next to it. The track didn’t just spring up in your back yard like a weed one summer morning.

As for the increasing noise and traffic, what do you expect? This is like complaining about aircraft noise after moving next to Sea-Tac Airport. It’s like moving next to the dump, then complaining that it smells. You made the choice.

The expanding use of the track had to be expected. With growth in population comes growth in use of a facility like this. I am willing to bet that between the spectators and event participants, you will find there are hundreds of thousands of people who go through the gates at Pacific Raceways each year. How is it fair to deprive all of these people of their enjoyment just to satisfy the few people who chose to move or build a home next to the raceway? Not to mention take away the jobs and income that the raceway provides?

Let’s not forget all the good Pacific Raceways does for the community, too. Already this year, they have held benefits for events such as the disaster in Japan and area hospitals. They also provide a safe place for people to race their cars. I wonder how many more kids per year will die while racing out on the public highways if the track isn’t allowed to expand or is forced to scale back?

If I chose to move next to a racetrack and then decided it was too loud, I think I would still be willing to deal with the noise knowing how much good it was doing for the community. I might even move, maybe out in the deep woods somewhere. Then I could complain about the cougar that keeps killing my cats.

– Brian Riddle