Politics & Government

Racing Advocate: Accidents Avoidable, If Strip Sited In Calverton

Marty Johnson III says Sunday evening's crash in Bridgehampton was avoidable.

One motorsports advocate passionate about bringing a drag racing strip to Calverton said a Sunday crash in Bridgehampton could possibly have been avoided.

Marty Johnson III, founder and CEO of the Long Island Motorsports Association, who has been lobbying for a at Enterprise Park at Calverton, would like to see a similar to what once existed in Bridgehampton and Westhampton.

Johnson believes if such a facility existed, accident such as Sunday's police say, decided to challenge a Ferrari driver to a race, would not end in tragedy.

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The driver who challenged the Ferrari was airlifted to the hospital, according to authorities. “The one car took off in front of the other car and wrecked,”  Sgt. John Boden said, adding the Ferrari driver had no interest in racing.

The man, who sideswiped a tree with his Honda, suffered minor trauma, but he was medevaced to Stony Brook University Medical Center via Suffolk police helicopter as a precaution because of a head injury, Boden said.

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Johnson said a drag strip would help motorsports enthusiasts have a place to go. "Fortunately, no one was killed," he said of Sunday's accident. "However, when the area has a huge motorsports history and there is nowhere to practice the sport, the temptation of these incidents will increase. When people are held from their pursuit of happiness for too long, eventually even the person walking that fine line will stray."

Long Island, Johnson said, was the "birthplace for motorsports, which still has the the largest motorsports presence, yet people that are in the position to do the right thing with the power they have continue to ignore it and let this danger continue."

Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter has said one option for EPCAL could include a with a quarter mile track. But he added that the bottom line is that before any future use can be discussed, the subdivision process and environmental review by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation must be completed first.

But Johnson hopes to convince the town board to allow for a temporary strip. He said ignoring the need could result in tragedy. "Studies show this is a problem," Johnson said. "But nothing is done to help. Millions will be spent to study a salamander; your life isn't as important as that of a salamander."

Johnson believes accidents such as Sunday's place an additional burden on police and rescue units that would decrease if a drag racing facility was created.


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