The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

There’s no better venue for witnessing the economic and community value of motorsports than last month’s IndyCar race in Elkhart Lake. The weekend showcased why racing matters, drawing fans from across the region and highlighting the innovation that drives the sport forward.

Wisconsin’s lawmakers get it. Republican candidate for governor Tom Tiffany was on hand highlighting why our local tracks are to be protected. At the federal level, Rep. Derrick Van Orden is cosponsoring a bipartisan bill to ease racetracks’ tax burdens.

And why not? Our racetracks are community gathering places and family‑friendly recreation. They’re also literal economic engines. Every car running during the USF Pro Championship series was powered by engines built down the road at West Bend’s own Elite Engines. That’s Wisconsin manufacturing on the starting line and in the spotlight.

It feels like the only ones that don’t get it are Governor Tony Evers and his cronies.

Whenever it was politically convenient, Evers would say he’s a racing fan. He’d tell you about growing up near a track. But when it mattered – when local, family‑run tracks needed protection – he showed his true colors.

Evers betrayed race fans statewide when he vetoed a common-sense “right to race” law that would have protected local tracks from predatory trial lawyers and NIMBYs – a bill that passed both chambers without opposition.

Instead, the sitting governor and his advisors thought it was wise to kneecap a local motorsports industry that annually generates $2.46 billion in annual economic impact and supports more than 10,000 jobs. They effectively declared open season on small, family‑owned tracks from Milwaukee to Superior.

Tony Evers & Co. butchered a popular, noncontroversial bill that would protect Wisconsin’s economy, and the only beneficiaries are those in the legal profession.

Now, Evers is a lame duck, but there are plenty of his cronies angling to succeed them – and eager to brag about how they helped advance his agenda.

The voters, however, have different plans.

A recent poll shows how deeply connected Wisconsin voters are to motorsports. One-in-five voters said they’ve attended an event at one of the state’s racetracks within the past year. Only 12% said they oppose the idea of having a racetrack in their community. And, most importantly, one-in-five voters said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose voting record indicated a favorable view of racetracks.

Evers and his economic team cannot deny that they are the villains in this story. They chose to weaponize the courts against racetrack through nuisance litigation.

The public is not likely to forget that betrayal, nor will they forgive those in Evers’ circle who would attempt to ride his coattails to new offices and positions of power.

Because you cannot say with a straight face that you support the expansion of Wisconsin’s economy if you can’t put two-and-two together on how the state’s motorsports industry equals economic prosperity.

The next governor will need to reassure voters that when it comes to motorsports, they have their backs where Evers didn’t. The “right to race” campaigns that have sprouted up nationwide have found strong footing in Wisconsin; two-thirds of registered voters support the effort.

All it took was one administration to drop the ball. Wisconsin’s electorate will want confidence that someone else will step up and get racetrack protections across the finish line for Wisconsin, its economy, and the voters who’ve decided that motorsports matter.  Tom Tiffany said he won’t hesitate to sign a right-to-race bill. Can we trust that other candidates will do the same?

So tether yourself to Tony Evers’s record at your own peril. Because the voters remember.

Lauren Wilbor is National Spokesperson for Driving Force Action