Video of a mustang spinning donuts and performing rolling burnouts on blacktop at the Mohave County Fairgrounds in Kingman was played during Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Some ninety seconds of video showed billowing smoke from burned rubber and sparks flying from the pavement as at least one tire apparently burned off its wheel rim.
A second, shorter video showed two vehicles linked by chain engaged in a tug of war inside a fairgrounds building.
Board member Buster Johnson said the videos were brought to his attention by another party, triggering concerns about possible liability, public safety and county property damage.
Mohave County Fairgrounds Association board member and Treasurer Don Lynch said it was a Fairgrounds employee who engaged in “reckless, foolish and reprehensible behavior.”
“It was two young men being morons,” said Tim Woods, Fairgrounds General Manager. He said the incident involved an employee who lived on the premises to perform night time duties and the man’s best friend.
Woods said he learned of the incident about ten days ago and immediately placed the employee on unpaid suspension. Woods said he is asking that the Mohave County Fair Association governing board approve his termination recommendation during its Wednesday meeting.
Woods said he made the employee take down the video post and clean up the tire debris and mess, but that no property damage was sustained. He said the men made the video to compete for a $450 prize in some YouTube contest.
“I told him he was an idiot for wasting $500 worth of tires when the most he could earn was less than that,” Woods said.
Deputy Kingman Police Chief Rusty Cooper said the department received no complaint and would likely not investigate because the Fairgrounds is the only victim and that the organization can handle the matter internally. Supervisors approved Johnson’s request to have staff look into the matter and report back to the board.
