A recent Deseret News article regarding Bonneville Raceway, its management and that of West Valley City brings to mind a litany of rhetorical questions and observations.
Auto racing in the Salt Lake Valley has been entertaining for the public. As a sports and entertainment franchise, its contribution to the public rivals that of baseball. Apparently, the Deseret News has been oblivious of this.Had the headline read "West Valley City is anti-business," Bonneville Raceways owner Tom Carn's comments could have been a small part of a very comprehensive and revealing article advocating the position of hundreds or even thousands of small-business operators in that part of the Salt Lake Valley. Instead, your slant on the article insinuated that the raceway purveys a less than stellar entertainment product.
I reserve the right to be a constructive critic of Tom Carn. However, as someone who has been self-employed all of my adult life, I appreciate and respect the challenges of running a capital-intensive enterprise that provides relatively few opportunities to open the turnstiles. If West Valley City had the panache of its big sister to the northeast, the relationship between the city and the racetrack promoter might resemble that of Salt Lake City's involvement with Franklin Quest Field and the Salt Lake Buzz.
To me, the high point of an evening spent racing at Bonneville Raceways comes when the event is over. The multitudes of largely sober race fans replete with exuberant offspring alight upon the pit area. I give away hundreds of posters particularly suitable for coloring and autographs to these marvelous children and truly enjoy the interaction with the general public and their appreciation for our activities.
The Deseret News and West Valley City are remiss in their attitude toward this community asset and its vast potential.
Jack Murphy
President
Utah Super Midgets