'Right to race' laws seek to shield local racetracks from noise and nuisance suits

The useful part

That's prompting some state legislatures to protect what supporters call the "right to race." Digital reporter Tim McPhillips traveled to a track in Virginia to learn more. Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. Part of Washington, D.C., is being transformed into a racetrack for this weekend's IndyCar race around the National Mall.

How it works

• I mean, you can watch big dogs on TV, but this is where it all starts right here.
• My dream is one day to work in NASCAR somehow, whether that's as a driver maybe or as a crew chief.
• Similar bills have advanced or been introduced in 12 other states.
• Digital reporter Tim McPhillips traveled to a track in Virginia to learn more.
• It's race day at Shenandoah Speedway, like it is most Saturdays in the summer.

What to take from it

With no right-to-race law on the books in Virginia, Lilly sees one thing, future risk. They got shut down because somebody had more money than they did. Stepfon Hawkins Jr., Race Fan: I'm thinking about getting back down myself, honestly.

Example or evidence

• If the farm next to us sells and they build 300 houses there, then that immediately puts us in a critical position.
• Chris Lilly, Promoter, Shenandoah Speedway, I will say it's definitely going to be one of the most scenic tracks I think you will go to.
• Shenandoah Speedway, opened in 2005, sits in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, tucked behind a cornfield like something out of "Field of Dreams." Chris Lilly grew up racing here and now manages the track.
• That loss can be especially significant in a lot of these smaller towns or rural areas that have already lost other institutions.

Details worth keeping

The event has sparked plenty of controversy, but, across the country, smaller local racetracks are at the center of a very different debate, one that's prompting some state legislatures to protect what supporters call the right to race. Chris Lilly: I answer every e-mail, every phone call, every text. To event day race director to crash responder.

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