Laguna Seca in California has become the latest circuit to face a threat to its activities from locals.
A group of residents known as the Highway 68 Coalition has brought a legal action alleging the venue is exceeding the amount of track activities permitted by the region’s zoning restrictions.
The track held CART IndyCar races until 2004. It joined the current IndyCar calendar five years ago and the series is due to return in June. IMSA and other series also visit the 3.6-kilometre permanent track.
However, Highway 68 claim the land it sits on was not approved to be used or rented out for driving and racing cars. Although they acknowledge these activities have been permitted as a “legal nonconforming use” since 1985, they believe such use must not “intensify” over that period.
In their submission to the Superior Court of the State of Monterey, Highway 68 argue the use has increased over the past three years compared to the period between 1971 and 2021. The locals state this has led to an increase in noise levels, traffic and potentially on-site pollution.
Highway 68 are seeking an injunction to prevent racing at the circuit and stop it from being rented out. Besides the national and international series which visit the venue, it is in regular use as a ‘track day’ venue.
Other permanent racing circuits around the globe face difficulties in their relationships with the communities surrounding them. Noise, traffic and pollution are common causes for complaint and it’s typical for circuits to face limits on how often they may hold events which exceed certain noise levels.
Last year the Imola in Italy was fined after exceeding a limit on noise when Red Bull ran an F1 car at the Emilia-Romagna venue the previous October.
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