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Scott Knisley
Mill Hall
I saw the Clinton County Fairground/Speedway boards met. The speedway posted on their website: RaceSaver Sprint Cars and Limited Late Model Divisions shall have mufflers installed for the 2025 race season.
This puts them in compliance with their IMCA Sanctioned Muffler rules for the loudest cars. There are muffler rules for the other race cars, like 4-cylinders, that only require a stock original muffler, but they chose not to require them. Maybe because they are not as loud.
Again, nobody I know wants to shut the track down. Just to quiet it down. Unfortunately, there are a handful of instigators, who hear what they want and embellish untrue facts for online recognition. There have never been any statements made by me to cancel the Truckers 4 Hope event or tractor pulls. Never a mention by me about too much dust being emitted either, as these misguided cyberbullies spew out.
Thankfully, since my last letter in The Express, more reasonable citizens are responding in a positive way, including racers, to the real facts specified for the new muffler rules on the Speedway Facebook page. One respondent summed up the muffler rule for race cars the best..."A muffler does not cost much more than taking a family of four to McDonald's for dinner."
I commend the Clinton County Fair Board for considering the citizen's concerns as reasonable and wanting to be a "Good Neighbor." The township citizens and homeowners within an 8-mile radius of the speedway will also appreciate the changes. The Fair Board is also replanting the removed evergreen bushes, required in the township ordinance, as a sound barrier.
Hopefully, if the Speedway Board sees that this minor, inexpensive modification to reduce noise levels does not impact car performance and race fan attendance, as some state, they might consider implementing the rule of mufflers be required for all race cards, as adopted by the Port Royal and Selingsgrove Speedways.
Finally, I feel bad that the Lamar Township Supervisors and my neighbors had to endure the disrespectful behavior of some race fans during and after the October township meeting. All parties involved wish the speedway a successful 2025 season.
(This letter is being published ahead of the next Lamar Township Supervisors meeting that will be held on March 4. Residents are invited to attend the township meeting to learn more on the topic.)