Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway will continue its popular Cruise Nights.
The track announced Thursday that the weekly event will start up again on Wednesday, June 7 after a two-week hiatus. The Speedway says new procedures and security will be in place to attempt to correct some of the issues that have been surrounding Cruise Night.
Lancaster Police told 2 On Your Side’s Kelly Dudzik that they arrested security guard Gary Marino on May 10 after video showed Marino punching a man riding a motorcycle without being provoked.
In another incident, driver Tyler Morris was body slammed by a security officer in a video that was posted to Youtube.
“We feel very confident going forward that Cruise Night will now be a much better experience for everyone involved,” Track president Tim Packman said in a statement. “In the past few weeks, we have heard from many families who said they quit coming here on Wednesday nights because they didn’t like the atmosphere. That pained me greatly because the number one thing we want is for families and patrons of all ages to have a good time while at Lancaster National Speedway. You have been heard and we welcome you back."
The track has hired a US Security Associates, Inc. to patrol Cruise Nights, as well as other Speedway events. The track says that there will be a minimum of 10 security guards on duty at Cruise Nights.
“The guards of US Security are either military and/or law enforcement trained and have Homeland Security clearance,” Packman said. “We appreciate them becoming part of our team and have full confidence in them.”
In other changes, all vehicles that enter the infield areas of the facility will now be charged an Oval Access Fee of $5, per vehicle for each time entrance. The vehicle will then receive a ticket that will be a free pass down the dragstrip to Grudge Race.
Wednesday Cruise Nights will continue to have free general admission for anyone that wishes to enter the facility through the main entrance.
“We have received multiple messages and phone calls the past few weeks from people wanting us to continue Cruise Night,” Packman said. “We enjoy having everyone come out to our facility. However, we are no longer going to stand for a few select individuals through recent years who have chosen to come here and damage our property or cause problems. We have repeatedly asked for that not to happen, and now we are taking measures to make our customers feel safe and protect our property.”
For more information on the changes to Cruise Night, visit LancasterSpeedway.com.