TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Automotive enthusiasts in Twin Falls are proposing a new, industry-standard drag strip to provide a safe and legal environment for local racers.
Thomas Tillotson, who owns a performance automotive shop, and the crew from the South Hills Raceway met with the Twin Falls County Commission on Monday to outline their vision. The group wants to lease 70 acres of county land for a 660-foot drag strip, complete with a start tower, bleachers, and concessions.
WATCH | The vision for a South Hills speedway drag strip—
For the past six years, Tillotson and his friends have hosted drag races on Saturdays on a dead-end county road south of Twin Falls, with the county’s blessing. However, the road is crowned in the middle, and a fresh chip-seal last summer increased the risk of vehicles veering off the road into the borrow ditches on either side.
"Drag racing is a sport just like any other sport. Unfortunately, in the Magic Valley, there’s nowhere to perfect our sport, so what South Hills raceway is trying to do is bring a playing field for that," Tillotson said.
"We’ve seen an increase in attendance over the last six years... both in racers and spectators, and so with that increase, you know we as a group agreed that the need for a track was evident," Tillotson said.
Tillotson noted that a new track provides a legal and safe environment for racers to test their vehicles instead of using city or county roads, which is something he has seen frequently over the years.
"We were getting ready to shut down the races for the night, and a entire group of over 30 illegal street racers show up on that same road, and we opened the race's right back up and helped accommodate them. With doing that, they showed up every other weekend when we were throwing races, so yes, it is having a great effect on them and giving them a place to perfect their sport," Tillotson said.
Staff Sgt. Matthew Eden of the Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office has participated in Beat the Heat, an outreach program that pairs law enforcement with aspiring drag racers, for 15 years.
"Street racing has been a big problem, and in the history of this country. It started back after World War II, when they got back from the war" Eden said.
"Basically, Beat the Heat is in law-enforcement drag racing. It’s a way to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. We find those who like building cars or bikes, and that’s just that adrenaline of going fast, and then we try to show them that there’s proper ways to do it where you’re not endangering your neighbor and or yourself," Eden said.
Monday's informational meeting ended without a decision. Several things still need to fall into place before the South Hills Raceway plan can move forward.
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