Legislation (A.B. 3425) that sought to unreasonably restrict the hours of operation of motor vehicle racetracks in New Jersey has been withdrawn from consideration by the State Legislature. The bill would have prohibited the operation of racetracks located within a one-mile radius of residential housing before 11:00 a.m. and after 10:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, tracks could only have operated between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. These time restrictions would have made operating any race facility nearly impossible.
The measure represented an attempt by a small group of New Jersey residents to silence racing without regard to racing enthusiasts and would have imposed a statewide, one-size-fits-all approach to racetrack control which ignored the significant economic and recreational benefits these facilities provide.