Motor sports task force meets, sets priorities

BY MATT OLBERDING / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Jan 04, 2007 - 12:16:37 am CST
Faced with having to issue a report in less than two months, a group tasked with evaluating motor sports possibilities in the county wasted no time getting down to business Wednesday.

With some members yet to be appointed, the motor sports task force met for the first time and charted a course for its very short future.

The nine voting members present Wednesday quickly decided the No. 1 issue should be whether there are places in the county big enough to accommodate a motor sports facility and meet all current and proposed county regulations. The group also named two other priorities: determining demand for motor sports facilities and looking at the potential economic, social and environmental concerns that would go with them.

The group needs to determine, “Where we’re going to have it ... Does it make sense ... And how we’re going to do it,” said Russ Bayer, a local businessman and task force chairman.

The members decided to form subcommittees to begin meeting next week to examine those three issues in more depth.

The group also decided it should look at several forms of motor sports and not limit itself to drag racing because there is a proposal to build a drag strip in northern Lancaster County.

Faced with making a controversial and unpopular decision on Greg Sanford’s plans for a drag strip along U.S. 77, the County Board put the proposal on hold and formed the task force.

“We have to kind of keep that in the back of our mind, (but) that’s not our issue,” said Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jeff Maul, an advisory member of the task force. “We need to look at motor sports as a whole.”

Bayer agreed.

The task force, which is slated to have 13 voting members and four advisory members, tentatively plans to meet again as a full group Jan. 24. It is expected to issue a report to the County Board by March 1, something Bayer acknowledged may be difficult.

“Certainly we’ll deliver something by March 1,” he said. “I’m not sure what it will be.”