Support Rolling Thunder Racetrack
Saturday, May 31st, 2008For Immediate Release: Ararat, Virginia, May 31, 2008
Tom Perry has called for the Patrick County Board of Supervisors and the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce to endorse the Rolling Thunder Raceway in Ararat, Virginia, as a positive for the county. Perry says, “There many lies and sensationalized stories going around about the racetrack. We have started a petition and have collected over 1,000 signatures in one week from 21 states supporting the racetrack. Gary and Alesia Nester have done everything legally correct to start the business. The racetrack runs one night a week, Friday, and races are over between 11 and 11:30 p.m. The racetrack supports first responders such as the Ararat Fire Department and Rescue Squad with a half and half drawing each week. Civic groups such as the Dan River Park and church groups such as Trinity Christian Church raise money every week at the track. There is no alcohol allowed inside the gates of the track and two Patrick County Sheriff’s Deputies are present at each race. Over twenty people are employed each week and the influx of tourist to Patrick County over 1,000 at each race is interjecting much needed money into our local economy.”
Sign the petition online http://www.gopetition.com/online/19488.html
“And I guess that’s why they call it the blues Time on my hands could be time spent with you Laughing like children, living like lovers Rolling like thunder under the covers And I guess that’s why they call it the blues” –Elton John, Bernie Taupin and Davey Johnstone
There are lots of people singing the blues about the Rolling Thunder. Some of the lies and comments are unbelievable to me. So, again I write in defense of the racetrack. Many people like to look down their noses at racing. They stereotype people as dumb southern hicks that can’t read and/or who are drunk reliving the days of bootlegging. Well, all those who buy my books at the Rolling Thunder Raceway must be reading because most of my books don’t have just pictures to look at. The racetrack raises money for the local emergency responders. It breaks down during this year as $500 x 28 weeks = 14,000/2 = 7.000 each to Ararat Fire Dept and Ararat Rescue Squad respectively, which is a lot of money for both that they would not have otherwise. The Nesters do not have to do this. The racetrack allows church groups to set up at the racetrack to raise money such as Trinity Christian Church and gives free tickets to church groups to attend races. The racetrack supports civic groups such as the Dan River Park and I too have given proceeds from the sales of my books to the Dan River Park from sales at the racetrack. Neither the Nesters nor I have to do this. The racetrack brings on average 1,000 people every Friday night to Ararat, Virginia, which becomes over 25,000 people in the course of a racing season. Tell me what brings that number of TOURISTS to Patrick County? Nothing does except maybe the Blue Ridge Parkway. The racetrack employs twenty-two people interjecting over $50,000 in salary into the local economy each racing season. I cannot imagine anything in Ararat generating that level of economic stimulus. The noise. The Noise. THE NOISE! My parents live one mile as the crow flies from the racetrack. I know this because if I walk down the back yard and keep walking I will come out on the Ararat River directly across from the Rolling Thunder Raceway. On a Friday night it sounds like a neighbor is mowing his grass. It does not shake the windows and effect their house or their life in anyway. I know of only ONE night, the first night that racing went past midnight. It is usually completed between 11-11:30 p.m. on a Friday night. Mr. Logan and his compatriots, all five of them, who have threatened lawsuit, prove the term that the squeakiest wheel gets the grease. The local newspapers are sensationalizing the story and getting only one side of the truth so far, which is another reason the internet such as this blog will put them about of business one day. Don’t you love it when an outsider moves into Patrick County and starts telling us how it is going to be? Herman Logan is sensationalizing and monopolizing the truth about the Rolling Thunder Raceway. Logan and his cohorts including Ann Anderson last week in The Enterprise for one claim the Sheriff was going to “haul people away” from his “public meeting” that was apparently not public when he realized that more people are against him than for him. Well, Sheriff Dan Smith was out of town the night of Logan’s meeting in Virginia Beach. It is my understanding that the Sheriff has told several people he had no knowledge of the meeting and is neutral in the racetrack situation. The Nesters pay the Patrick County Sherriff’s Department for two deputies every Friday night to patrol the track to make sure it is a family atmosphere and that to preclude any behavior detrimental to enjoying the races. Mr. Logan needs to remember this is not a police state it is The Free State of Patrick. Racing is a part of the Southern culture from the days of moonshining and bootlegging to the big business that is NASCAR. When a family starts a business and does everything by the book not to mention bringing jobs and tourists to Patrick County they deserve better than this. The Nesters are raising money for the local fire and rescue squads, church groups and civic groups such as the Dan River Park. I am not aware that Mr. Logan and his friends are doing anything but complaining about their selfish needs. Mr. Logan has a right to his opinion and to file all the lawsuits he wants, but he better remember there are more of us against him than for him. Logan and his friends can’t monopolize one thing though. Gary Nester can file counter lawsuits, which might make him a big landowner on the mountain very soon. What the racetrack does do is bring jobs and tourism to Patrick County in economic downtimes. It is bringing an infusion of money into Ararat every Friday night. If you don’t believe me try to fill up with gasoline at the Ararat Grocery on a Friday night. Gas is cheaper in Virginia than in North Carolina due to the state taxes, so many visitors are taking advantage of the opportunity. There is no zoning in Patrick County. There is no noise ordnance in Patrick County. There is racing in Patrick County and I think it is a good thing for Ararat and for Patrick County, Virginia, The Free State Of Patrick. The Rolling Thunder Raceway in Ararat, Patrick County, Virginia, started in 2007 is being threatened by a nuisance lawsuit. The owners of the track followed all legal and environmental requirements in starting the privately owned business. They support the local community by allowing civic and church groups to raise money at the weekly races on Friday nights from 6 p.m. until midnight. They employ twenty-two part-time persons and donate each week to first responders in the rescue squad and fire department. I support the Rolling Thunder Raceway in Ararat, Patrick County, Virginia. It brings tourism and an influx of monetary funds at dire economic time in Patrick County. Below is the petition in two formats that you can print out and collect signatures or sign the online version. The petitions in support of the racetrack have garnered over 1,000 signatures. The online petition that I started a week ago has 439 as I type this on Thursday. People from 21 STATES (Texas, Oklahoma, California, Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Michigan) have signed the online petition including 31 from Ararat Virginia to go with the 600 signatures collected at the track and local stores. I think that speaks for itself.
Patrick County has a long racing history from the Wood Brothers to Rolling Thunder.
Read more about that here http://www.freestateofpatrick.com/pcracing.htm
Sign the petition online http://www.gopetition.com/online/19488.html
