King Cooper Declares Rebellious Alamance Speedway ‘Imminent Hazard,’ Orders Facility Closed

RALEIGH – In a fit of petulant indignation that the citizens of Alamance County continue to defy his orders by holding well-attended races at the Ace Speedway, Governor King Roy Cooper has declared the facility an ‘imminent hazard’ to public health and ordered the facility closed.

From the News & Observer:

“[…] Gov. Roy Cooper ordered an Alamance County speedway that’s violated his executive orders against mass gatherings closed immediately, declaring the venue an imminent hazard.

In an order issued Monday night and obtained by The News & Observer, Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen said Ace Speedway could open again if it presents a plan to adhere to state guidelines and that plan is approved by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The speedway’s next scheduled night of racing is June 19.

The order said Ace Speedway must notify the public by 5 p.m. Tuesday that its upcoming race schedule and other events are canceled until June 22. The speedway’s website and Facebook page had not yet done so as of noon Tuesday.

An email sent by the N&O to Ace Speedway’s father and son owners, Robert and Jason Turner, for comment on the order was not answered Tuesday morning. […]”

The owners of the Ace Speedway, for the life of them, cannot figure out why other racetracks in North Carolina, that have also been holding races with fans, are skating by while Ace is targeted for enforcement of the executive edict.

Or why other businesses and entities are exempt from outdoor crowd restrictions, while they are not.

Or why the governor, who asserts his administration’s approach is based on ‘science and data,’ continues to demand social distancing obedience when the WHO says asymptomatic spread of the virus is “very rare.”

It’s almost as if none of it makes sense, unless this is merely a power-hungry hissy fit by our elected governor.

Here’s to encouraging a crowd of 10,000 or more at the next Ace Speedway race on June 19, to let Cooper know that we don’t anoint kings in the Old North State.