Nebraska bill seeks to protect race tracks from nuisance lawsuits

COLUMBUS, Neb. (KLKN) — For decades, the roar of engines has been part of life at U.S. 30 Speedway.

A new bill has been introduced designed to protect existing race tracks from public or private noise lawsuits.

“Racing is very popular, but it is a noisy sport,” said Bobby Lincoln, owner of U.S. 30 Speedway.

Currently, people who file those complaints have the power to shut down facilities that have been part of Nebraska communities for generations.

“We’ve been lucky here because we don’t have any close neighbors,” he said. “But we did racetrack 25 years ago in Nebraska because of subdivision moved in, and they all got together and ended up getting the race close because of the noise. That town has no race track to this day.”

The bill would grant immunity from these claims, provided the track existed before the surrounding land changed and was not a nuisance at the time.

At U.S. 30 Speedway, Lincoln said this bill could mean the difference between staying open and losing a way of life.

“I grew up in racing, I was probably not even a year old when I went to my first race,” he said.

Lincoln said that race tracks support hundreds of jobs, from drivers and crews to local businesses that see traffic on race nights.

“That’s less money in the town, you got to remember we’ll get 1,000 people out here on Thursday night, they all come through Columbus,” he said.

Others argue the bill could limit neighbors’ ability to speak up about noise and traffic.

With a vote approaching, tracks across the state are asking supporters to contact their lawmakers, hoping the roar of engines continues for years to come.