‘Viability of the track’ at risk

EPPING — The New England Dragway will continue to operate as usual for the upcoming race season, at least for now.

The Select Board unanimously voted Monday to remove a proposed update to the town’s bylaws regulating motor vehicle racetracks from the March Town Meeting ballot. The proposal received heavy pushback from the track’s owners at 290 Exeter Road, who said the new rules would “directly affect how the Dragway operates and go far beyond reasonable governance.”

Town Administrator Jake Roger said the new rules, like requiring more police details and adequate ambulance service as determined by the police and fire chief, are part of “a routine update of the ordinance.”

“There are no changes, or should I say negative impacts to the racing season, hours of operations, or noise levels,” said Roger. “It was basically just updating the document. The current bylaws were written back in the 70s.”

Other changes included restricting the sale of beverages with an alcoholic volume of more than 16%. The update also increased fines for violating the ordinance from $100 to $1,000.

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Dragway attorney: New rules would have major impact on track

Christopher Branson, an attorney representing the New England Dragway, outlined their concerns about the proposed updated bylaws during a public hearing Monday.

“We’re concerned about any new regulations that would create any new substantial burden to the track… this is a … break-even proposition… any additional expenses, different than what exists now, could be extraordinary to the viability of the track,” said Branson. “We’re concerned that the bylaws, as drafted, go far beyond what the authorizing statute allows.”

Branson was referring to wording in the proposed bylaws which included the regulations of other events, such as exhibitions or performances at the Dragway, that are not related to racing. He said creating bylaws for non-racing events is inappropriate as the town can only regulate “motor vehicle race events” according to town statute.

“These bylaws need to be clear and definite so that they can get enforced consistently so that fairness is served,” added Branson. “We certainly appreciate the amount of effort that has gone into this… Our concern is that there’s room for improvement on that, and there still is.”

Paul Lorenti, president of the New England Dragway, explained that the track is owned by more than 200 shareholders who do not profit from it. Instead, any profits are reinvested to maintain a quality facility for the community to enjoy.

“There’s no animosity with us. We just feel strongly about that racetrack,” said Lorenti. “This is a place where they (shareholders) make no money. It’s just a place that they want to give back, and people can race safely – get off the street and race there – and families come with their kids and enjoy the races that we give them.”

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Select Board, racetrack owners to work on new bylaws

Select Board Chair Joe Trombley noted that the town has been working on updating the bylaws for over a year to make the process clearer.

“Is there anything specific in the new bylaws language that doesn’t allow you to improve this process?” he questioned.

Lorenti noted that some of the wording in the proposed bylaws is “very vague.”

“For instance, the police chief can decide whether we need a detail on overnights – That would be detrimental to us. It would cost us so much money,” he replied. “There was something in there (bylaws) that said the fire chief could decide whether our ambulances were adequate, if not, we would put the town’s ambulance in. That would be detrimental to us as well. We have all qualified top-notch safety crews… Some of them are chiefs in surrounding towns, and some of them are lieutenants.”

As a compromise, representatives from the New England Dragway offered to collaborate with the town over the next year to develop bylaws that satisfy both parties.

“We know our business, we know how it’s running,” said Lorenti. “We can give insights to you on what’s good and what’s bad about the changes in the bylaws. You guys don’t know our business – You don’t know how to run (the business), it’s difficult to set up bylaws when you’re taking a broad view.”

Following approval from the Select Board, attorneys from both the town and the New England Dragway will draft a new bylaw proposal. Both sides will provide updates to the board every two months, with the goal of presenting the new bylaws to voters at the March Town Meeting in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: New England Dragway fights new town bylaws: Future of track at risk