SEMA is fighting to save America’s local race tracks

Race tracks across America are under threat. Every few months there is grim news of another minor road being bulldozed in favor of Amazon warehouses or apartment buildings. It all seems pointless, especially when even iconic tracks like WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca are under fire.

But one organization is trying to implement change at policy level with an ‘anti-nuisance law’. SEMA, the same group that hosts the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, has slowly built a political presence to represent the auto parts market.

Now, SEMA has a dedicated political affairs department, including a political action committee (PAC) with access to lobbyists to help advance SEMA’s agenda. Fortunately, SEMA’s agenda aligns well with what enthusiasts want, including protecting race tracks.

Karen Bailey-Chapman, SEMA’s SVP of Public and Government Affairs, spoke on this topic earlier this year. She told me Engine1: “This is going to be a state law that affects everyone… for a country park, a drag strip, something like that.”

Most numbers are victims of complaints about ‘nuisance’. This is especially true as the homes move further and further away from towns, surrounding tracks that were once in the middle of nowhere. Drag strips and local tracks are the main victims of this.

“The major highways don’t really have a problem,” she says. “They’re Mom and Dad’s drag strips.”

Photo by: DW Burnett / Motor1

“This is going to be a state law that affects everyone… for a country park, a drag strip, or something like that.”

These annoying complaints can lead to various things. At best, restrictions on noise and activity will be imposed. If that doesn’t work, residents can sue to have restrictions imposed by the county or city, or to condemn the track entirely.

A big enough complaint could lead to bigger actions, such as environmental assessments. Or if there is enough financial turmoil, developers will start circling like hawks in an attempt to acquire the property.

Of course, the legal mechanisms are much more complicated, but that is the simple truth. It usually starts with complaints. Using its PAC, SEMA is trying to introduce state-level legislation to protect existing racetracks from these complaints. If the trail existed before residents, the proposed laws will essentially protect it.

“We’re looking at solutions that we can model and replicate in different states. That’s the anti-nuisance law, law.”