Re: Editorial, "Raceway a part of Mission"
I appreciate your meditative approach to your last editorial. As per your poll results though, 91 per cent would disagree that the noise from the raceway is objectionable. Here are some points I would like to share with your readers.
First of all, Elly's non-factual comments regarding noises at night are not accurate at all. Actually, at the Friday Night Street Legal Races, a decibel reader is brought out to make sure that the cars running those nights are not above the legal noise limit. (Last weekend I asked to get some test runs in on a Friday night and was told that because of my lack of mufflers I would not be permitted to do so.) This year has also been very hard for the drag strip as four bracket races were rained out, which means loss of revenue, given that they leave the lights on for us hopefuls and still try their darnedest to prep the track in between sprinkles.
I agree that these last few weekends have had noisier cars, pushing more power (some with upwards of 4000hp!) but they typically only run six seconds at a time (five if we're lucky!). As for the environmental concerns, some cars run on E-85 gasoline, It's a mix of traditional gasoline and ethanol and works great in high compression racing engines, while others use less traditional fuels such as alcohol or bio fuel.
We care as much about our environment as anybody else, and we want to maintain the beautiful picturesque atmosphere in Mission. We have responsible dumping stations for our oil and antifreeze, which are then taken and recycled as well as beverage container recycling which is maintained daily.
I would also like to remind your readers that without Mission Raceway, we wouldn't stop racing. When I was young, I remember a street race that took place on my block, as I played outside with my younger sister. The cars were travelling at such a rate of speed that one of the cars lost control. The raceway is a safe place where we are accountable for our own safety. People spend countless hours prepping, cleaning and maintaining the track, making sure it is safe for not only for the racers themselves, but the spectators that enjoy the sport.
So for the eight per cent who find the track "objectionable" let me ask you this. Why haven't you come down here to see what the fuss is about? I spend thousands of dollars in your community doing what I love! I would give anything to live in your beautiful city. It's a good time, and we aren't here for a long time, so you might as well enjoy it.
Elena Edwards and Juergen Kuerten, I invite you to come down and we will show you what our racing family is all about. Any race you want, I'll buy the ticket. Just please don't take away my "happy place." I love it too much.
Jessica Wind
Chilliwack