"Right to Race" laws - PBS news piece

I doubt the manufactures want to add any more liability to themselves. 

Good for those states implementing that law. I live in Georgia so I hope it passes. We have a lot of those small tracks.

The entire Industry and sport needs a huge wake up call regarding this problem.Luckily things have actually improved in the last 20 years when land closures were more common.

I'm not sure what the industry can do.  I think the biggest issues are noise complaints and the land is more valuable for other uses.  Either way the sport is too niche and not enough money to solve either of those problems.

 The industry is going east because it’s cheaper. Sad what is happening to Southern California.  Less people are riding here because people barely make it by, the tracks look packed but it’s mainly because of the limited times, 2 days a week?  Wtf.  Not long ago the tracks were open every day sun up to sun down.  I would love to live in the middle of Oklahoma again, but I know I would get so damn bored.  California is perfect weather and so many riding spots (IE: Glamis, Ocotillo Wells, Beaumont) let alone all the natural foothills. Look how they are cracking down on E bikes.  lol.  It’s like the movie Idiocracy.  I would only move east if I was a professional.  Not sure I could handle that weather again.

The linked video is specifically about track issues in western Virginia.

Yeah that made it even more worrisome for me!  

My rant is me venting to myself really.  

So, what you're saying is if let's say Yamaha give a track money, they could be facing liability issues in the case of something happening?

In your wonderful world of litigation, quite possibly. 

15 years ago my area in Ohio had all kinda places to ride.

4 tracks within an hour of me. Had all kinds of places we could trail ride bike, quads, and SxS.

All 4 tracks are closed now and gone.

Oil and gas came in and either ruined the riding spots with pipe lines, damning up the hollow for water, or property owners worried about getting sued. So we are down to very little riding area's. 

If I knew then what I know now, I would of tried to start a club. We lost 1 riding area to out of towners that leased (my favorite riding area) we had for 50 years for hunting. People was offroading in this area in the 1960's before I was born. Gone now, between oil/gas and the hunters. 

Land of the Free.😛

Land of the Freemasons and home of the Tax 

Liability insurance prices have skyrocketed or NLA closing tracks.

We've lost even more... bremen, ICR, x-track, copperhead, blue ridge etc and so on. 

I know for a fact x-track was shut down primarily because of noise (they had a water truck so dust wasn't a thing). It was right when 4-strokes emerged in the main classes. 

They are bringing high rents with them

I was a Thursday night regular at Bremen.

Health insurance is the biggest problem in USA for all sports IMO

Thursday night gang..i can't remember the girls name to my right but she always won every race she was in. I could keep her in sight for a few corners then I was on my own lol 

Also loved ICR's night races

ICR

It passed here in SC! 

The main issue I see if motorsport isn't seen as a sport - it is entertainment to most people. Even though most motorsport requires a lot and as much training as ball sports and athletics. Especially for dirt bikes, which has the generally poor reputation amongst regular people i.e. just bums causing trouble.

The catalyst to track closures is often these people then somehow moving in proximity to tracks... either buying an existing property or developed property. And then whinging to their local Council to close tracks. Those laws are good (shown in the video), and should protect anyone, even people operating within reason on their own property.

The third longer term issue, which I think is largely American, is a culture of litigation i.e. I'll sue your ass! In Australia, suing someone is extremely expensive... you want a decent return. Before court, you'd be looking at $20k. The no win no fee lawyers will only take slam dunk cases too. But the culture of litigation is increasing, currently around defamation right now.

So... lack of awareness of the good aspects of motorsports (i.e. sport not entertainment), NIMBYs and litigious culture mean people go after easy targets... which are tracks which are not very profitable in the first place, let alone able to pay for court cases.

Lastly, from within the sport is families who go after tracks when their loved ones get hurt. More could be done to ensure people who swing a leg over their bike understand the risks. I have been riding with some physically unfit mates wondering if they will keel over. Also, people at tracks sending it without much training (and I ain't Jett Lawrence myself!). 

Ultimately, if everyone took responsibility... for their choice to ride, their choice to buy a place next to a track etc. it wouldn't be an issue.

It burns my ass when a track has been around for decades, people know it is there. Then decide to live next to the track and hate the environment the track makes noise, dust, crowds, etc. Then do everything they can to shut the track down. That does not just belong to moto. Have seen it with oval tracks and drag racing also. Englishtown NJ drag strip, people moved around it and the strip ended up with a curfew, the cars could not run after a certain time. Bullshit the track was there before the people moved in, they knew what was there before doing so. You don't like the noise from the strip, don't buy and move in there. This is the land of the free, but I understand there has to be a limitation to that. As in can not harm another. But do not move next to an established track and then get it shut down. As you are harming the owners lively hood, the racers enjoyment/living. 

Through the years, the french federation bought tracks. It now owns 31 and uses its means and connections to keep them open and running.

Maybe that's something that could inspire the AMA.

That area in particular is a good example of that problem, my in laws live just south of there, and every trip out there, there are new condos being put up, new houses being built further out from Harrisonburg. I talked to the local dealer asking if there were any places to ride, and they said there are no tracks within 2 hours, and besides a couple private home tracks, the county had somehow put a stop to any open to the public tracks from existing.