Bloomsburg gets fairgrounds racetrack nixed for now
BLOOMSBURG – Auto racing was once a staple of community fairgrounds across Pennsylvania, but an attempted revival in the only town in the state has been nixed for now.
Bloomsburg Town Council has been fighting the Bloomsburg Fair Association in court, attempting to shut down auto racing at the fairgrounds racetrack due to noise concerns.
According to the Fair Association, a hearing was held last week on the matter and today, Columbia County Court ruled in the town’s favor, preventing racing “until such time as the Fair can show that racing can be conducted within the confines of the 65-decibel level as established by the Town’s amended noise ordinance.”
“The Fair is presently considering its appellate rights in relation to this Order, and will continue to pursue damages against the Town for its losses in relation to this temporary shutdown of racing operations,” the fairgrounds wrote in a press release. “We ask you to be mindful of the fact that the Injunction Order issued today is only Preliminary, and the Fair will continue to litigate this matter in the Courts and fight for justice in the face of the Town’s odious and unfair treatment of one of our area’s most cherished organizations.”
Other fairgrounds in eastern Pennsylvania regularly host auto racing at their dirt racetracks.
In Gratz, Dauphin County, flat track motorcycles race their track in April and Figure 8 racing is held during the fair in the fall.
Meanwhile, the Kutztown Fairgrounds in Berks County is home to Action Track USA, a popular dirt track where NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch raced earlier this summer. The amount of racing events the fairgrounds can hold a year, however, is limited by borough ordinance due to noise concerns.
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