If the Rural Municipality of Ritchot approves several amendments to a conditional use application, the race tracks West of St. Adolphe may become a lot busier.
Beverly and Derrick Weiss who own Victory Lane Speedway Ltd. have applied to the municipality to amend their current conditional use agreement.
The application includes a change in race dates to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with Sundays being slated as rain dates. The application also requests an amendment to allow for motorcycle races as well as demolition derbies.
At the public hearing there were arguments for both sides of the request for amendment.
Aime Chaput, who lives south of the speedway opposed the Sunday change because he felt it should be quiet on that day. He also raised issue with the lack of proper fences on the south side of the operation.
Nearby farmer Paul Campeau told council that he will tolerate the status quo but he objected to any changes.
“More racing days and more racing types will be more inconvenient and an added risk for residents in St. Adolphe,” Campeau told council.
The Weiss’ have owned the speedway for eight years.
Derrick told council that the changes would significantly improve operations at the track.
He explained that a change in race days would accommodate racers that have come in from the United States; especially the request to make Sundays a rain date in the event that Saturday’s race was rained out. He added that the same track would be used as the one to hold motorcycle races and demolition derbies so it would not be a completely new venture.
The RM of Ritchot council closed the hearing but did not make a decision on the matter. Councilors decided that they would gather more information from all parties, and involve the municipal compliance officer so that council could reach a consensus.
