Motor Vehicle Races

County legislative bodies are authorized to provide the times, dates, and conditions under which motor vehicle races may be conducted, and establish any other rules relative to the regulation and licensure of automobile race tracks that the county legislative body deems prudent and advisable. T.C.A. § 55-22-102.  Special provisions for motor vehicle races in tourist resort counties are set out in T.C.A. § 55-22-105.

The county clerk is required to verify that anyone conducting a motor vehicle race in the county has met the minimum insurance coverage requirements set out in T.C.A. § 55-22-101(a), and the county clerk thereupon issues to the applicant confirmation that the requirements have been met.  T.C.A. § 55-22-101(c).

This law does not define “motor vehicle race.”  While T.C.A. § 55-22-102 does mention “automobile race tracks,” the Attorney General has found that because the legislature repeatedly used the broader term “motor vehicle,” it did not intend to limit the statute’s requirements to automobile races.  As used in this law, “motor vehicle” should be interpreted in its broadest sense, which would include any self-propelled wheeled conveyance not running on rails.  Op. Tenn. Att’y Gen. 17-20 (3/21/17).