A few matters related to the Stuart Speedway were discussed at the recent Stuart City Council meeting.

Resident Laura Weber spoke on hers and Alicia Geil’s behalf, who was absent, requesting the City place two stop signs at the intersection of North Adair and 4th streets, located south of the race car track. Weber said that speeding on North Adair Street between Northwest 2nd and 7th streets has been an issue for years and now that there are two daycares close within the area she’s afraid of the risk of a child getting struck by a vehicle. Speedway Owner Mike Van Genderen suggested he could direct the semis that travel to Stuart on race nights to take the north gravel road into town instead, which the Council seemed in favor of.

The Council also continued discussion of noise complaints about the speedway that was brought up at their May meeting. Van Genderen explained that because of the COVID-19 shutdown race car drivers were wanting to practice on the track, and since there was a limited number of people allowed on the track at one time, this led to several nights a week that the speedway was making noise as opposed to the typical weekly race night. Van Genderen said that since the last Council meeting there have not been any night practices, and he stressed that the situation inflicted by COVID-19 would not be repeated. He mentioned the race season should be finished around the end of August.