Kingman council backs Route 66 Street Drags with $6M minimum insurance; many members say $10M preferable

The Kingman City Council on June 16 gave event organizers and staff direction to pursue a $6 million total liability policy for the Route 66 Street Drags scheduled Oct. 9–11, 2026, while several members signaled they would prefer a $10 million limit.

Organizer Dana Marino told the council she had secured a $1 million general liability policy plus an excess policy that brings the total to $6 million, and that raising coverage further was unavailable from that insurer. "Total of 6 million," Marino said when summarizing the quote and added the extra $1 million cost quoted to her was $2,250.

Police Chief Cooper said the department will assign four officers and a sergeant during peak hours and coordinate closely with the event's private security team. "We're prepared to provide a team for the peak hours Friday, Saturday, and part of Sunday," he said, adding that police will respond to situations that exceed the event's security capabilities.

City staff also raised safety equipment questions: a city inspector (Daniel) reported some K-rail components in the organizer's inventory may not meet Arizona standards and recommended using the best, pinned units in high-speed areas.

Council debate centered on acceptable risk and who should carry residual liability. Several members said 10 million would make them more comfortable; others said six million was the practical minimum given insurer limits. One council member said the city could help cover an extra million to reach six million if needed, while another member strongly opposed any city contribution.

Organizer timeline concerns were a factor: Marino said she had vendor deposits of roughly $40,000 that required timely direction from council so vendors could be secured.

Next steps: council gave staff direction (no formal vote) to move forward with a six-million minimum requirement and to continue working with the organizer to secure the best available coverage and safety measures; staff will return with any contract or permit language changes required.