Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 246 - Motor Vehicles
Section 14-164a. (Formerly Sec. 29-143). - Motor vehicle racing.

(a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle in any race, contest or demonstration of speed or skill with a motor vehicle as a public exhibition except in accordance with the provisions of this section. Such race or exhibition may be conducted at any reasonable hour of any week day or after twelve o'clock noon on any Sunday. The legislative body of the city, borough or town in which the race or exhibition will be held may issue a permit allowing a start time prior to twelve o'clock noon on any Sunday, provided no such race or exhibition shall take place contrary to the provisions of any city, borough or town ordinances. The person conducting such race or exhibition shall provide for first-aid and medical supplies and equipment, including ambulances, and the attendance of doctors or other persons qualified to give emergency medical aid, police and fire protection, and such other requirements as will eliminate any unusual hazard to participants in such race or exhibition or to the spectators. Smoking or carrying a lighted smoking implement shall be prohibited in any area where fuel is stored or transferred. Each facility, other than a motor cross racing facility, where racing is conducted shall contain restricted areas which shall be posted with notice that only persons with the appropriate credentials may be admitted to such restricted areas. Areas of the facility subject to this requirement shall include, but need not be limited to, the pit area and pit lane, track, media area or areas and any other area that is unprotected from participating vehicles.

(b) No minor under the age of sixteen years may participate in motor cross racing, except that a minor thirteen years of age or older may participate in such racing with the written permission of the minor's parents or legal guardian. If weather or track conditions are such as to make such race or exhibition unusually hazardous, the person conducting such race or exhibition shall cancel or postpone the same or may require the use of tires of a type manufactured for such adverse conditions. No person shall conduct or participate in any motor vehicle race or contest or demonstration of speed or skill in any motor vehicle on the ice of any body of water. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a motor vehicle with a motor of no more than three horsepower or a go-cart-type vehicle with a motor of no more than twelve horsepower, when operated on a track of one-eighth of a mile or less in length. Preliminary preparations and practice runs, performed after eleven o'clock in the forenoon, on the date designated in the permit and prior to cancellation or postponement, shall not be construed to constitute a race or exhibition within the meaning of this section. No preliminary preparations or practice runs shall be performed before twelve o'clock noon on Sunday. For the purposes of this subsection, “motor cross racing” means motorcycle racing on a dirt track by participants operating motorcycles designed and manufactured exclusively for off-road use and powered by an engine having a capacity of not more than five hundred cubic centimeters piston displacement.
(c) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, concerning mandatory safety equipment for vehicles that participate in any race or exhibition conducted in accordance with the provisions of this section. Such regulations shall require any equipment necessary for the protection of drivers.
(d) Any person participating in or conducting any motor vehicle race or exhibition contrary to the provisions of this section shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(1949 Rev., S. 3727; 1953, 1955, S. 2020d; 1957, P.A. 213, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 359; 1963, P.A. 432; 1971, P.A. 384; P.A. 73-672, S. 1, 2; P.A. 75-404, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-254, S. 50, 62; P.A. 85-298, S. 1, 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13, S. 13, 21; P.A. 94-189, S. 27, 34; P.A. 98-182, S. 3, 22; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 84, 131; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 37; P.A. 04-199, S. 11; P.A. 05-218, S. 41.)
History: 1961 act added regulation of tires; 1963 act added provision re preliminary preparations and practice runs; 1971 act increased application fee from $20 to $35; P.A. 73-672 replaced commissioner of state police with commissioner of motor vehicles and substituted “other person” for “state police officer”; Sec. 29-143 transferred to Sec. 14-164a in 1975; P.A. 75-404 increased application fee to $50 and allowed racing to take place after noon on Sunday rather than after two o'clock; P.A. 84-254 amended Subsec. (a) to periodically increase the fee from $50 to $177 as of July 1, 1993; P.A. 85-298 amended Subsec. (a) to define “motor cross racing” and to permit a minor 13 years of age or older to participate in such racing with written permission; June Sp. Sess. 91-13 deleted obsolete fee increases in Subsec. (a), inserted new Subsec. (b) to require the commissioner to assign an inspector to each race or exhibition, charge a fee for the services of the inspector and made technical changes, relettering former Subsec. (b) as (c); P.A. 94-189 amended Subsec. (a) to exclude go-cart type vehicles with a motor of no more than 12 horsepower, when operated on a track of one-eighth of a mile or less in length from provisions of section, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 98-182 amended Subsec. (a) by adding a provision allowing a start time prior to twelve o'clock noon on any Sunday with the approval of the local legislative body, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 decreased application fee to $75 and made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, effective July 1, 2001; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 eliminated former Subsec. (b) re assignment of inspector to motor vehicle race or exhibition and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as new Subsec. (b), making a technical change therein, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provisions re permit obtained from Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, to delete provision re permissive regulations by commissioner as to conditions for race or exhibition, to require person conducting race or exhibition to provide medical and other safety protections, to provide restricted areas to which only persons with appropriate credentials shall be admitted and to prohibit smoking in any area where fuel is stored or transferred, designated portion of existing Subsec. (a) as new Subsec. (b) and amended same to require person conducting race or exhibition to cancel or postpone race or exhibition due to hazardous conditions or to require use of tires manufactured for adverse conditions, added Subsec. (c) requiring commissioner to adopt regulations re safety equipment and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (d), effective June 3, 2004; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “other than a motor cross racing facility” and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2005.
Subsec. (a) is prohibitory in nature and does not preempt town zoning regulations restricting hours of racing activities on any day of the week or hour of the day, or regulations prohibiting such activities altogether. 335 C. 606.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes