FALLS VILLAGE — Acknowledging the place-holder legislation she submitted pertaining to local control of auto racing was vague and confusing, state Rep. Maria Horn, D-Salisbury, told a crowd of about 200 people Thursday the bill has been withdrawn.

The meeting regarding Lime Rock Park was organized by town resident Judy Jacobs and held at the Falls Village Emergency Services Center.

The proposed legislation called for the control of auto racing hours to come under local rather than state authority.

“The bill was assigned to the Transportation Committee, and I can say they and I won’t raise it,” said Horn, who began her first term last month. “It’s a dead letter.”

She said the state in 1995 gave towns the ability to set times of auto racing operations. Since then, all tracks could race on Sundays. But at Lime Rock, Sunday racing was banned through an injunction that dates back to the late 1950s.

Last year, the Salisbury Planning and Zoning Commission amended its regulations to give it jurisdiction over allowable times for racing. The park filed suit and the case is now before the state’s Supreme Court.

Horn said she wanted to open a conversation because there are people concerned about Sunday racing, but she had no intention of following it up until the court case was settled. The Lime Rock Citizens Council was formed several years ago and has been given intervener status for the lawsuit.

Skip Barber, the track’s owner, disagreed with Horn when she said towns have no say on Sunday bans.

“The ruling says local rule can take over for state regulations,” he said. “It’s only a change for Lime Rock if the injunction changes.”

He said the park needs Sunday racing on the large spectator weekends because it already lost the Memorial Day event.

The park is seeking the option of having five Sundays of unmuffled racing, but Barber said it only plans to use two of them. The extra three days will offer flexibility if needed. It also seeks to have some muffled races on Sunday, Barber said. By moving around the schedule on the long weekend events, “there won’t be one minute more of noise,” he said.

Barber said this schedule seems to scare neighbors who think the park is going to expand, but the crowds are smaller, there is less traffic now and the park is open fewer days. He added there is less noise on both muffled and unmuffled days.

Brittany Sherwood, who along with her husband own Tents Unlimited in Torrington, said the park is one of its largest clients and supporters.

“If you allow the Planning and Zoning Commission to regulate it, it may become a small-town issue,” she said. “I hope the injunction gets lifted. The events held allow them and us to be more profitable.”

John Sweeney, a contractor who works at the park, told Horn legislation is needed to help businesses.

“This bill is about overregulation and should not go through,” he said. “I will fight tooth and nail to see this doesn’t go through.”

Resident Denny Jacobs said Lime Rock Park is so much more than a business.

“What everyone is nervous about is that if the Planning and Commission can regulate times of businesses, it can happen to all of us,” he said. “Without Lime Rock we’d be devastated. We’d be done. If he needs a couple of Sundays, give it to him. Represent us, Maria.”

Glen Royals of Royals Garage in Torrington said his business has held many charitable events at the park, raising money for worthy charities. Those could be in jeopardy if the track’s hours affected attendance, he said.

Resident Peter Oliver asked Horn about the impetus for proposing the legislation.

“Who were you approached by?” he asked. “I don’t understand the concept that more regulation is necessary.”

“This is not a proposal to add more regulatory authority to the track,” Horn responded. “It came from people concerned the court ruling will take away all town regulations. They question why Sunday should be treated differently than any other day.”

One man told her, “You need to be honest. You’re only three weeks in office. Why not pick up the phone and talk to the parties involved?”

Horn agreed she should have done that, but said she had just started her term and was faced with a Jan. 18 deadline to propose bills.

When pressed about who pushed for a bill, Horn said the Salisbury Board of Selectmen approached her, as did several individuals.

Wendy Anderson, a Lime Rock resident, said Sunday racing would negatively affect Trinity Church and Music Mountain, so the ban should not be changed.

Barber told the crowd if the park loses the ability to hold large spectator weekends, it won’t go away. He’s made arrangements for a trust to take over the park when he retires, but it would be scaled back, resulting in a loss of jobs, and hotels and restaurants suffering.

“You’d get the worst of everything — cars going around and no revenue,” he said.