The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota is no doubt one of the biggest and most iconic motorcycle gatherings of the year. In our ever changing and competitive world of live events, officials continue to search for way to keep it growing.
The drag strip being on shaky ground and unlikely to hold an event this year is not a positive.
This past December the Sturgis City Council voted to move forward with a five-year deal with American Flat Track to implement an A-M-A street racing event on the last Sunday of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
The goal is to build a 6-block racetrack, starting at Sturgis’s rally point on Main Street.
In an effort to be transparent the City of Sturgis posted the following on their website, letting residents know they have a say in the matter.
To help Sturgis residents better understand the decision to host a street race during the last weekend of this year’s 84th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the city is releasing documents related to the race agreement.
The documents, which are posted on the city’s website and available in paper form at City Hall, will give residents insight into what the contract involves and what changes were made after the city signed the letter of intent and before signing a host agreement for the race.
The city wants residents to have all the necessary information before they head to the polls for the Sturgis Municipal Election on April 9. On the ballot, residents will decide whether to reject the contract for hosting the race.
“By providing this information of the full administrative process, the city aims to ensure that everyone can make a well-informed decision when they vote,” said Sturgis Mayor Angela Wilkerson.
Will Sturgis say Yes to this new race?
Although there are worries that shutting down the streets for a day could negatively impact local businesses, one tattoo shop owner isn’t necessarily concerned.
“I don’t know that it would directly affect my business, especially if it’s the last day of the rally, which is kind of your discounted T-shirts and final shopping attempts. It may disrupt a little bit of that, but what would concern me more would be, say the preparation which would maybe happen on what Saturday or overnight, which wouldn’t be so bad, but Saturday, it would definitely deter from Main Street,” said Rosini Gypsy Tour Tattooing Owner Chuck Shaffer.
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