Whether you're into auto racing or not (I'm not) one can't
help but notice the different reactions to two proposals to bring
professional racing to New York City. Actor Paul Newman wants to
bring the Grand Prix to Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park and, aside
from Rep. Anthony Weiner, the public reaction has been one of
excitement. Nascar, on the other hand, has been getting plenty of
opposition to its proposed track in the Bloomingdale area of
Staten Island.
I've never been a fan of auto racing of any kind. Aside from the
suspenseful car chase in the film "The French
Connection," the ubiquitous chase scenes in most action
films leave me yawning. But I have met quite a few surprising
fans of the sport in the New York area. One of my former bowling
league partners was an Italian woman in her '50s who looked
forward every year to her family's trip to Daytona. Another was a
co-worker at Air Canada, a lovely elegant young woman who
acknowledged to being a Nascar groupie. Their rapturous
descriptions of the sporting event always left me somewhat
befuddled because I'm not much of a fan of loud noises,
unpleasant motor oil smells and the possibility of witnessing a
horrific crash.
But it was my brilliant stepson, Bill, who made me realize that
my ignorance had a lot to do with my disdain of the sport. I had
told him that I couldn't understand the point of a bunch of cars
going round and round in circles. What was the point?
He clicked off a very impressive list to answer my question.
"First of all," he said, "auto racing has led to
advancements in tire grip, wear, and safety. For example, the
development of the tire that lets you drive limited miles even if
the tire is punctured instead of shredding. It has also led to
major advancements in braking technology from antilock brakes to
longer lasting brake pads; seat-belt advancement, including the
five-point harness used in all baby seats today; crumple zones in
vehicles, which absorb more of the impact reducing the whiplash
effect on drivers involved in crashes, and major advancements in
aerodynamics which result in better gas mileage for our vehicles.
And that's just a few."
Whew. I stood corrected about it being a dumb sport. So how dumb
are our local politicians about the prospect of Nascar coming to
the Big Apple? I'm not going to name names because I happen to
know and like my representatives, but I just don't understand how
shortsighted they can be about the track. All I hear are
complaints about the traffic and congestion when the earliest
race would be years away. That should be plenty of time to come
up with a solution that would satisfy any objection to the racing
complex, particularly if International Speedway Corporation is
willing to cooperate with the expense.
Richmond County is the fastest growing county in the entire
state. Traffic is already pretty awful but still not as bad as in
Queens. Even without the Nascar racetrack, the borough's traffic
congestion is likely to increase. How I wish we had community
leaders with vision instead of political insecurities. Has anyone
considered a monorail from the ferry along Richmond Terrace or
any other innovative mass transit solutions? All I hear from the
elected officials is "over my dead body," when it comes
to Nascar.
The bottom line to be considered is that the area is going to be
developed, whether for housing, a new mall or industry. The tax
proceeds derived from the new tenants will be a fraction compared
with what Nascar would bring to Staten Island because Nascar
brings in huge revenue from across the nation. Richard Nicotra, a
local entrepreneur who owns the Hilton Garden Inn, is a very
smart man who built his hotel near the Bloomingdale area where
the IDC wants to erect the racing track. A Hampton Inn is nearly
completed because the smart money knows that Nascar is coming.
For heaven's sake, even the Scientologists will be debuting a red
Taurus " Dianetics" entry this Saturday at the
Irwindale Speedway in California.
The Bloomingdale site for the Nascar track in Staten Island is
quite vast and mostly undeveloped. Some opponents of the track
claim that there would be a negative environmental impact on the
wetlands, while proponents insist that the wetlands are just
breeding grounds for nasty disease-spreading mosquitoes. This is
a legitimate issue that needs exploring, not outright
condemnation without the facts.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn is crowded and developed to the max, yet the
idea of Paul Newman and the Grand Prix plan is so ... romantic.
Let's see now. Newman is a liberal Democrat while most Nascar
supporters are Republicans.
Now I get it!