STERLINGTON – A district judge has ruled that racetrack owners have no right to unbridled interruption of bucolic neighborhoods around them.

Union Parish Dist. Judge Wayne Smith, in a suit by 59 residents against USA Speedway owners, said while the court was not unsympathetic to the plight of the defendants, it was “abundantly clear that the plaintiffs are entitled to the permanent injunction prayed for and damages, if damage is proven, at a later time.”

He said the operation of the racetrack is “injurious and offensive to persons residing in the community and interferes with their enjoyment of their respective properties.”

Most of the plaintiffs live within one mile of the racetrack, which opened in 2009.

The racetrack operated on Friday nights and sometimes Saturday nights with races beginning at 7 p.m. and sometimes lasting until 2 a.m., according to the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs alleged the dirt track created a large amount of airborne dust that intruded upon their property and created a noise level they considered a nuisance.

Four plaintiffs testified before the court. They all said they experienced significant agitation, anger, dread of the coming weekend races and significant sleep interruption and sleep disturbance.