Published: August 15, 2007 10:25 pm         

WHEATFIELD: All eyes on burnout pit

Health department, media, officials attend controversial event

In attendance at the Shredd & Ragan Cruise Night at The Summit Wednesday were local and state officials, numerous media outlets and the Niagara County Health Department, all for the controversial burnout pit.

The health department was there to monitor and test the air quality under the new parameters which include only four vehicles burning their tires for no more than 45 seconds each. Results of these tests, which were not immediately available, will determine if there will be another burnout pit on Wednesday.

“We’re trying to make some changes and go back to the way it started,” said Ted Shredd, radio DJ for 103.3 The Edge.

Shredd said the burnout pit started out with hot rod cars burning their tires but not to the point of popping them.

“Then it became more people with regular cars came in just to burnout their tires,” Shredd said. “It seemed to be entertaining.”

On Wednesday, the burnout pit was held at about 8:15 p.m. and included only four vehicles taking turns spinning their tires in a cage until the organizers of the event sounded an air horn to stop them.

Each burnout appeared to last less than 20 seconds, one was stopped once because the car was sliding inside the cage. But there was smoke produced even by the limited burnouts.

Some people watching the burnout pit expressed their disappointment when the vehicles were stopped after a certain period of time.

“I’ve seen burnout pits that go for longer,” said Rob White of the Town of Tonawanda. “What do we have here in Niagara County — Ransomville Speedway and the NOCO plant on Grand Island. They create smoke and fumes. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

Patrick Bevelock of Buffalo said he has attended the cruise night before and that he feels a limited pit is better than no pit at all.

“There was a lot of people coming when this (cruise night) first started and now this is like a quarter of the people,” Bevelock said. “There are a lot less people here because of the controversy.”

Shredd said that attendance had gone down considerably without the burnout pit, but cited false media reports as the cause.

“We struggled because many of the television stations reported that (cruise night) wasn’t happening,” Shredd said. “A lot of people thought the entire event had been shut down not just the burnout pit. So people are starting to come back.”

At the event were many families with small children.

“I’m kind of on the fence about it,” said Christine Altman of Niagara Falls, who was at the event with her four sons, ranging in age from 2 to 10. “I wouldn’t want to live near it. I feel bad for the residents.”

Altman said that she keeps her sons back from the burnout pit because she is concerned about safety.

“I don’t want my kids up close because there are flying tires,” Altman said. “When they blow up they really blow up.”

Wheatfield Supervisor Timothy Demler was in attendance as well as Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte, D-Lewiston, who sat with neighbors on Brookhaven Drive to watch the event.

“I came because ... one of the neighbors asked me to come down and see it for myself,” DelMonte said. “I hope it continues in this toned-down version like it is tonight.”

But neighbors who have been very vocal about their concerns with the smoke and fumes from the burnout pit say they felt Wednesday’s event did not truly represent how it normally is.

“How can (the health department) get a true test if they are only running less than 20 seconds?” asked Art Humpartzoomian of Brookhaven Drive.