Help Save the Spa Fancorchamps Track

Discussion in 'Motorsports Chat & Race Preparation' started by Nathan, Oct 21, 2009.

  1. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    Seems like every day brings something new in Formula 1, and lately none of it's been good. Now we hear that our absolute favorite track on the calendar, Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit, is on the brink of having its license stripped for – get this – 17 years.

    Why? Because residents didn't appreciate that high-octane wailing brought on by the F1 circus, so the local Council of State instructed the circuit to conduct an environmental impact study. From the sounds of it, someone tried to get the study done the night before it was due, because the Council found it "seriously inadequate and incomplete." Instead of issuing a simple detention, the Council said "No race for you!" until, *gulp,* 2026.

    Thankfully, Spa's director, Pierre-Alain Thibault, now says that "the situation has changed" since the original noise complaint was filed, that the circuit has worked with residents and lowered the decibels. Next year's race is provisionally scheduled for August 29, which gives Thibault a fair bit of time to talk to residents and challenge the Council's actions. A day's wrangling has given the circuit some breathing room to address all of the legal issues before it is officially closed, but it looks like they gotta lotta 'splainin' to do before they can guarantee a 2010 race. For the sake of F1 race fans everywhere, we hope Eau Rouge isn't taken from us.

    Sign the petition to save Spa... Pétition pour le circuit de Spa Francorchamps
     
  2. Dr Obnxs

    Dr Obnxs New Member

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    Laguna has some serious noise limits...

    for all but a few days a year. Turns out that people who bought homes near the track (long after the track was there) complain about the noise! What, they didn't know where they were living? At least Laguna has some days a year when there is no sound limit, but for the rest of the time, it's one of the easiest tracks to get black flagged at. I was getting a guest ride in an MC12, that's legal for the street and it was black flagged!

    If the track does get hit, I'm sure the very same citizens will lament the loss of race induced revenue.

    Matt
     
  3. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    It's like the people in my neighborhood. The community is bounded on one side by active RR Tracks maintained by BNSF. People living at that end of the communuity are always complaining the trains are too loud and that the house shakes. Hello people...didn't you look at the entire area before buying? So much for due diligence.

    BNSF recently worked with the City of Plano to make a no horn crossing, however, this area is where 2 counties and 3 different incorporated cities all share a boundary and a major Farm to Market road is less than a mile away. That crossing will not be changed to no horn. At night with the windows open I swear the engineer lays on that horn at times. Doesn't bother me, I knew what was around me and I looked at the long term plans for the empty lots before I decided I would stay in this inherited house.
     
  4. Steve

    Steve Administrator
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    I was thinking about this back when the news first broke (about a month ago, I think) and I bet it's much like Matt mentioned re Laguna Seca; new residents are the culprits. People do this sort of thing all the time now. I recently read about the residents of a bunch of new houses built near a pre-existing loud, busy freeway suing their local municipality into putting up noise barriers...and the barriers ended up costing more than the houses!

    Spa would be a huge loss for F1! I'd much rather see Monaco go away than Spa.
     

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