Full Throttle

Citing violations of state safety codes at Cochran Motor Speedway following the death of a race fan this past weekend, state officials closed the facility Wednesday until further notice.

The investigation came about after Cynthia Nobles, 43, of Danville, was killed and four others were injured during a race Saturday night when a tire and part of an axle flew from a race car and landed in a section of the pit area where there was no fence between the race cars and spectators.

Nobles died Monday at The Medical Center of Central Georgia from her injuries.

State Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner John Oxendine said Wednesday the track doesn’t meet safety codes.

“We are taking the position that we believe there were violations of state regulations,” he said. “We’ve ordered (the track) closed until further notice. … There shouldn’t have been anybody in that area. There was no barriers or fencing of any type.”

Oxendine said the track would have to apply to reopen and present a case to his office. He added that the track could face some sort of punitive action, but citing the ongoing investigation, he declined to be specific.

“A disciplinary action is very highly probable,” he said. “I’ve turned it over to my enforcement staff to take the appropriate action.”

Track officials already had issued a statement before the investigation that this weekend’s race would be canceled out of respect for the victims and their families. But after Oxendine’s ruling, other races on the schedule are in doubt.

A few weeks ago, a boy and his mother were injured by flying debris at the track, but nothing was reported to Oxendine’s office, he said.

Winford Johnson, the track’s promoter, said everyone who enters the pit area signs a legal waiver of liability and indemnity agreement. The waiver tells the signer that he or she “assumes full responsibility for risk of bodily injury, death or property damage” while in the pit area.

Johnson said the track’s management is working to address issues raised by Oxendine’s investigative team. He said a fence is in the process of being built in that area and should be complete by next Thursday. The fence costs $15,000, he said.