9/22/2011
GARY HUFFENBERGER
Staff Writer
Next year there will be motor vehicles going more than 200 mph in the city of Wilmington and the drivers won’t even have to worry about speeding tickets.
The Clinton County Port Authority on Wednesday approved the East Coast Timing Association’s (ECTA) proposal to hold four or five land speed racing events on the southern runway at the Wilmington Air Park, which the Port Authority owns.
The Port Authority board’s vote was 5-0 to go forward with the proposal, with one member, Ed Kuehn, absent.
ECTA co-owners Joe Timney and Keith Turk presented a Power Point presentation and answered questions.
The air park’s southernmost runway currently is not being utilized.
The racing events are expected to be a boost for the local hospitality sector such as hotels and eateries. Debbie Stamper, the executive director of the Clinton County Convention & Visitors Bureau, has estimated a $2 million annual economic impact on the local economy for a five-event season.
ECTA has held its one-mile land speed racing events for 15 years at an airfield near Maxton, N.C. Due to a change in the lease agreement there, they needed to find a new location.
The Power Point included a letter from the editor-in-chief of Hot Rod magazine. He said due to Wilmington’s centralized location in the eastern half of the United States, he would bet the attendance of riders and spectators at the racing events will increase “dramatically” compared to Maxton, N.C.
Local resident Rob Jaehnig of Life Impact was instrumental in working with ECTA on the Wilmington Air Park prospect.
Spectators for the ECTA racing events usually sit in their own lawn chairs in a designated area. Jaehnig said the air park runway is raised and the grassy areas are slightly lower, making for a good vantage point.
The racing vehicles consist of a variety of types and sizes, the top speeds of which range from 75 mph up to 240 or 245 mph for the most high-powered models.
The first event is anticipated for spring 2012.
The admission price for a spectator is $10.
