Sparks Vs Speedway: State Lawmaker In Kerfuffle With La Vergne Gas Station

LA VERGNE, TN — A state legislator and a La Vergne gas station are at loggerheads over gas prices.

No, it's not a carryover from the price gouging accusations of earlier this year. Instead, Rep. Mike Sparks, a Rutherford County Republican, says the La Vergne Speedway charged him premium prices for regular fuel.

According to WKRN, Sparks said he filled up using a Speedway gift card, but instead of being charged $1.93 for regular, he was charged $2.54 for premium. Sparks said the same thing happened to him at the Almaville Road Speedway in Smyrna.

Emphasizing his own frugality, Sparks said he would never intentionally spend extra for higher octane and insists there must be some kind of shenanigans afoot.

The manager of the La Vergne Speedway called the police, who asked Sparks to leave because he was creating a disturbance by encouraging other customers to check their receipts, WKRN reports.

A Speedway company spokesperson told the news station that a maintenance worker inspected the pumps and found them to be in proper working order. Sparks said he plans to file a complaint with the Department of Agriculture's Weights and Measures Division.