It's no secret that NASCAR has been trying to buy and develop land in New York City's fifth borough, Staten Island. Now we hear that race car driver/actor/philanthropist Paul Newman is helping fund an effort to bring open-wheel racing, specifically the Champ Car World Series, to a former Navy Air Base in Brooklyn called Floyd Bennett Field.
Here's what the NY TIMES said about both deals recently. SOPRANOS fans especially will get a kick out of the Staten Island coverage. Our story begins at a community meeting on Staten Island between those pro and against the NASCAR track and three annual events there:
Less than an hour after it began, the meeting, according to people on both sides of the dispute who were present, degenerated into a shouting match. They said that a top union official who supports the development was involved in a scuffle with Councilman Andrew J. Lanza, a Republican who opposes it, as two planning officials tried unsuccessfully to calm the angry crowd. 
Mr. Lanza said yesterday that he was trying to describe his views on the project when "a guy put a bearhug on me, threatening me while guys standing in front of him were urging him, 'Punch him in the face. Hit him.' "
Mr. Lanza identified the man as Christopher J. Wallace, president of Local 20 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Mr. Wallace, whose union has 630 members, said yesterday, "That's silliness."
"Clearly, the speedway and the benefits to Staten Island are what we should be talking about," he said.
In telephone interviews, two Staten Island residents who are volunteers for neighborhood environmental groups and oppose the project, Ronald M. Lauria and Charles E. Perry, and an International Speedway Corporation official, Michael P. Printup, all said yesterday that they saw Mr. Wallace place his arm around Mr. Lanza while trying to grab a microphone from him.
"It's a shame the elected officials couldn't speak and finish their thoughts," said Mr. Printup, who oversees the project and said it would generate $200 million a year in economic activity and create 75 permanent jobs.
Police officers disbanded the meeting shortly afterward, saying that the auditorium's capacity had been exceeded. No arrests were made. A new hearing date has not been scheduled.
The speedway corporation has hired Guy V. Molinari, a former borough president, to sway opponents.
"We're going to have to reconvene and hopefully start to answer their questions," Mr. Printup said.
Coincidentally, another land-use dispute involving auto racing has also generated high emotions.
On April 21, North American Motorsport Events, of Fleetwood, Pa., presented a proposal to bring an annual auto race involving single-seat, or open-wheel, racing cars, to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, which was the city's first municipal airport, built on 1,500 acres of reclaimed marshland, and is now part of the Gateway National Recreation Area.
Representative Anthony D. Weiner, who represents parts of Queens and Brooklyn, sent an aide to the meeting and later said that the aide was berated by State Senator Carl Kruger of Brooklyn, who represents the area and has expressed tentative support for the project.
The acrimony between Mr. Weiner and Mr. Kruger, both Democrats, led to a loud argument at a fund-raising dinner on Thursday in Brooklyn, The Daily News reported.
Mr. Weiner said the project, which is backed by the actor (and race car driver) Paul Newman, would violate National Park Service regulations. "There is no doubt in my mind that when the senator learns how fervently his constituents oppose megadevelopment at Floyd Bennett Field, his position will either reverse or become awfully quiet," Mr. Weiner said.
Senator Kruger said of the project, "It's an exciting, unique opportunity to take what was the forgotten Floyd Bennett Field, energize it and bring a Grand Prix to Brooklyn. It will attract a very high-end, sophisticated clientele that will mean dollars coming into Brooklyn."
The National Park Service, which controls the site, has not taken a formal position on the proposal, which would not require permanent construction. It would cost an estimated $15 million a year, provide some money for charity, and be affiliated with the Champ Car World Series.
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