After a desert racing tragedy last weekend that left scores of spectators dead and wounded in California after a truck rolled off course, the news media has glommed on to the idea that racing on federal land, like the Bonneville Salt Flats, may be reckless and under-managed. The good news to come out of the Utah news report that we’ve linked to below is that the SCTA has gone above and beyond what is required of them and runs a tight enough ship that the Bureau of Land Management is on their side.
When we heard the tragedy in California happened on federal property our heart jumped into our throat. There are scores of people who would love to see the end of federal land being used for racing, and this would be the perfect scapegoat incident to use in that crusade.
It appears that the BLM has different managers across the country and the one assigned to the Bonneville area, who appears in the story we read, is more than happy with the 1,500-foot buffer between the racers and fans on the salt.
That’s great news, but we’re sure we have not heard the end of the issue of racing on federal land. If it comes to a fight, have your brass gearhead knuckles ready, we may need them.
Source — KSL.com — Spectators and Racing: How Close is Too Close?
