Neighbors at Odds Over Felton Speedway

Organizers are calling the track the "New Era to Dirt Racing" (Source: Silo Speedway)

FELTON, Del. - While a local company gears up for a brand new race track, nearby neighbors are raising their concerns, arguing that it will negatively impact their businesses. The speedway, which will be called the "Silo Speedway," was already approved by Kent County on Oct. 29. But now the owner of an adjacent vineyard has filed for an appeal of the decision to the Board of Adjustments. The board has scheduled a hearing for Thursday in Kent County. 

"It's going to ruin my business," said Pete Pizzadili, from the Pizzadili Vineyard. "My weddings are going to be done."

Ron Faison, the owner of Delaware Auto Exchange, owns the property, and is the organizer of the speedway. He said that the appeal was frustrating because in his eyes the project will be enjoyed by a lot of people across Delmarva. 

"I just hope it turns into a place where families can come and enjoy themselves," he said. "We're making affordable racing for the families in a place that they can come to every year." 

The speedway would be open nearly every Friday night from April to October. The track would be a quarter-mile long, which is smaller than many other speedways in Delaware. The cars would also be smaller, with four-cylinder engines or smaller. 

For Faison, he said it's about spreading his family tradition to other racers in the area. 

"It's a part of our family life," he said. "We've been doing it since my son was five years old." 

Pizzadili said that the vineyard hosts in between 25 and 35 weddings per year. He said the noise and dust generated by the speedway, would "destroy" his business. 

"How would you like.. (to be at) your daughter's wedding," he said. "And to be sitting there having dinner, and all of a sudden, you have cars going all around at full speed. Dust, noise, and God knows what else." 

Pizzadili Vineyards is joined by other businesses like Seafood City, which have also voiced opposition to the track.  

Faison said that he has already purchased "hundreds" of trees, which he will put around the track, in order to act as a buffer between the speedway and the businesses. 

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