Miami residents have approached the courts to intervene.
A group of angry Florida residents is not happy about the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, scheduled from 6-8 May 2022.
This group of Miami-based Karens claims that the Grand Prix would cause severe disruption and physical harm to residents in Miami Gardens. The Hard Rock Stadium will be the epicenter of the Miami International Autodrome, which is a street circuit designed to provide the feel of a permanent racing circuit.
The Miami Herald reported that the ‘Super Karen’ behind this lawsuit is Miami-Dade County Commissioner Betty Ferguson.
The judge hearing the case gave the group an April 19 deadline to provide evidence that could lead to an emergency hearing, which might lead to the cancellation of the Grand Prix.
There’s little evidence to suggest it will happen, as the group seems to have missed the deadline. To date, it has only submitted one piece of evidence: an engineering firm’s report that claims the cars will produce 97 decibels and that you’d be able to hear them 2.5 miles from the stadium.
To put that in perspective, a ticking watch is 20 decibels, while city traffic inside an average car is between 80 to 85 decibels. A subway car is 100 decibels, and fireworks are between 140 to 150 decibels. The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 can go up to 99 decibels, while the previous-gen Porsche 911 GT3 RS can take it up all the way to 108 decibels.
We have an entire list of cars almost as loud, if not louder, than an F1 car.
Thankfully, judge Alan Fine lived up to his name. According to Motorsport.com, he was not convinced by the argument and said that people could avoid damage by simply staying in their homes or investing in some earplugs.
“There are a number of different ways to avoid the potential harm – one, of course, is to wear earplugs, that’s one,” said Fine. “Two, to leave.”
This is not the first time the race made it to the court. After the race was approved by the Miami Gardens City Council in April last year, it was dragged to court because the race was allegedly racist, as it took place within a 70 percent black community. A judge threw that case out of the court as well.
It looks like the Miami GP will go ahead, but we have to wonder if similar cases will come up with other US-based events like the forthcoming Vegas Grand Prix.
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