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St. Petersburg braces for noise
By Times Staff
Published March 28, 2005
ST. PETERSBURG - Roger and Mary Ashley can tell you how loud is loud.
They heard it - and felt it - outside their front door two years ago at the Waterfront Park condominium complex off First Street S. That's when the city staged its first major grand prix race on a track that runs through downtown. As the barricades go up for next weekend's three-day Honda Grand Prix, the Ashleys know what to expect. Their jalousie windows will act like paper towels trying to plug a flood. Television and radio will be futile.
"The noise gets pretty bad," says Roger Ashley, a former General Motors test driver. "But I think it's a good deal."
The Ashleys are racing fans. To them, booming engines and excessive speed are all part of the attraction.
Grand Prix events begin Friday morning and end Sunday night around a boomerang-shaped track that runs along First Street S, stretches around Central Avenue, comes down Bayshore Drive and turns a runway at Albert Whitted Airport into a straightaway. Tickets start at $25. About 60,000 spectators are expected for a host of activities that include a family game area, daily airshows, Wynonna Judd singing the national anthem and a concert by Good Charlotte.
But while some downtown residents and businesses can hardly wait for the green flag to drop, others are ready for the cars to zoom out of town.
"We're just devastated by it," said Yvonne Turner, co-owner of the Bayfront Tower Hair Design, whose front door opens onto the track. Turner said the race hurts her business for about two weeks because of the track barricades that squeeze out parking.
Complaints have come from businesses and condominiums on the track, including the Bayfront Tower condominiums and Northern Trust Bank. The Florida Orchestra canceled its Saturday night concert at the Mahaffey Theater. And some businesses, including Turner's salon, plan to close Friday because of the hassle.
Still, the problems appear to be fewer than during the city's previous three race events, said City Council member John Bryan. He thinks the race promoter, Andretti Green Promotions, has done a better job of keeping everyone involved and informed.
He suggests residents should keep the event in perspective. "It's only three days of noise," he said. "This doesn't go on all the time."
[Last modified March 28, 2005, 09:17:00]
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