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Popular 'Yello Belly' drag strip's Dallas County permit may be at risk

Dr. Elba Garcia, Dallas County Commissioner District 4, listens to a presentation during commissioner’s court Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Dallas.
Yfat Yossifor
/
KERA
Dr. Elba Garcia, Dallas County Commissioner District 4, says complaints against the Yello Belly drag strip have been numerous. It is located in the part of the county she represents.

A popular Dallas County car-racing drag strip is in danger of possibly losing its permit.

Loud music, cars and crowds at Yello Belly have prompted complaints in recent years.

Speakers on Tuesday urged county commissioners to take action.

Legacy family owners renewed the permit for Yello Belly Drag Strip last September, shortly after commissioners sought legal guidance about it.

That permit expires Oct. 3.

Former Irving City Manager Mark Zeske used to go there as a teenager.

He said he loves it and was an auto-racing journalist for decades, but oversight has gotten lax.

"They're just too loud at the wrong times. And consequently, they really need to be held accountable."

Grand Prairie Police chief Daniel Scesney said officers recently responded to an active shooter call at the race strip.

"As you can imagine, that was a pretty large response," he said. "What it turned out to be was people just shooting at the back of the property. The owner felt that our response was excessive."

He said the owner has stated that law enforcement is not allowed on the property.

The strip is located in an unincorporated area between Irving and Grand Prairie.

That area falls within Commissioner Elba Garcia's district.

"The complaints in the last two years have been numerous," she said. "We want to be sure that we're fair to everyone and we will work for that."

The unincorporated area is also near Commissioner John Wiley Price's district.

"We're somewhat contained," he said. "And I don't know how we deal with it, but I've heard it and it's been put forward that we have this authority. There is a containment to where we are, so while we empathize and continue to try to work through it with our colleagues, we're contained as well.

Got a tip? Email Marina Trahan Martinez at mmartinez@kera.org. You can follow Marina at @HisGirlHildy.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.

Marina Trahan Martinez is KERA's Dallas County government accountability reporter. She's a veteran journalist who has worked in the Dallas area for many years. Prior to coming to KERA, she was on The Dallas Morning News Watchdog investigative and accountability team with Dave Lieber. She has written for The New York Times since 2001, following the 9/11 attacks. Many of her stories for The Times focused on social justice and law enforcement, including Botham Jean's murder by a Dallas police officer and her subsequent trial, Atatiana Jefferson's shooting death by a Fort Worth police officer, and protests following George Floyd's murder. Marina was part of The News team that a Pulitzer finalist for coverage of the deadly ambush of Dallas police officers in 2016.