DRIFT BAN HEARING (Update)

[Al]

Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Planning Meeting
12:00PM

COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
1221 OAK STREET
FIFTH FLOOR, ROOM 512
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Please come out and support us for tomorrow’s hearing

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KEEP MOTORSPORTS ALIVE. KEEP DRIFTING ALIVE.

There is a direct threat to motorsports here in Northern California. The Board of Supervisors of Alameda County is considering a ban the sport of Drifting at Altamont Motorsports Park. Their rationale for this is the perception that drifting is about street racing, drugs, side-shows and gangs… a perception we have always had to fight. Well, here’s our chance to show Alameda County (and the national media) that we are NOT associated with any of these items. Here is our chance to announce that drifting is a legitimate sport that is enjoyed by lawyers, students, engineers, truck drivers, store owners – every possible segment of the community, as well as by women and men.

In the 30+ drifting events previously held in the Bay Area over the last three years, not once have the Police been involved; not once has any driver been seriously injured on the track; and, not once has any controlled/uncontrolled substance been used at any event. It is apparent that Alameda County is unfairly profiling the drifting community. We are being discriminated due to race, age, and gender. Simply because over 80% of our enthusiasts are minorities, young and male, we are classified as "a threat" to the community. In some ways, this is exactly the same “profile” that was applied to drag racers in the 1960’s… which is now an internationally recognized, multi-billion dollar segment of the motorsports community.

Any of us can attest that if Alameda County is successful in banning drifting at Altamont Motorsports Park, it will provide conditions that could do tremendous damage throughout Northern California. Parents, police officers, drift drivers, educators, and business owners agree that if drifting is ban from Altamont Motorsports Park, it will create a condition in the Bay Area that will actually promote illegal street racing and promote other unsafe activities by young people. If drifting is not allowed, where will young drivers practice drifting, road racing, or other forms of motorsports around the Bay Area? And then, what’s next to go? Road racing? Skateboarding? Street rods?

Drifting is yet another form of motorsport in which anyone with an interest can enjoy their love of cars, speed, competition, etc. Altamont Motorsports Park and its new owners have, over the course of the last year, provided us a safe and controlled means to practice and compete. THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT! OUR SPORT NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT! We need your support to show Alameda County that this is important to us, to the business community, and to our local communities.

How to help:

Send a letter, or fax or e-mail to:
Alameda County Planning Department
224 W. Winton, Room 111
Hayward, CA 94544

e-Mail: chris.bazar@acgov.org
Fax: 510-785-8793

Mr. Chris Bazar, Planning Director, is a GOOD GUY and a friend to drifters and Altamont Motorsports Park… so don’t take your frustration out on him! Instead, be supportive and positive. In your letter or e-mail, tell Alameda County about your professional background. Tell them how drifting keeps you off the streets. Tell them how safe and controlled the sport is. Tell them how much money you spend (especially in Alameda County) supporting businesses that support drifting and Altamont Motorsports Park. Tell them how you obey traffic rules when traveling to or from Altamont Motorsports Park.

All letters, e-mails and faxes MUST be received by Alameda County by 5:00pm Monday, April 23.

For more information please visit www.driftbattle.org

[Al]

Also, we made it on the news!

You can watch it here.

http://www.ktvu.com/video/12957065/index.html?source=

[Tracy]

That sucks. I can't believe it has gone this far!

[Al]

That sucks. I can't believe it has gone this far!

They thought they can just bully us around really. The first organization gave up without a fight...

We don't exactly know why we are fighting for it. I could just easily travel to socal and drive, which is about 15 hours drive. Not too bad right?

What am I kidding! We need an event in NORCAL!

We already hired lawyers for all this crap. We'll take it as far as we can. These guys just don't understand drifting and because it's not fit for them, they just want it gone.

They messed with the wrong group this time.

[Tracy]

They thought they can just bully us around really. The first organization gave up without a fight...

We don't exactly know why we are fighting for it. I could just easily travel to socal and drive, which is about 15 hours drive. Not too bad right?

What am I kidding! We need an event in NORCAL!

We already hired lawyers for all this crap. We'll take it as far as we can. These guys just don't understand drifting and because it's not fit for them, they just want it gone.

They messed with the wrong group this time.

I just don't see how it can be legal to tell someone what they can do on private property. It's a race track for crying out loud! I don't think it will happen or at least I am praying that it won't happen. I am very proud of you guys for sticking with it and not just laying down. I know you guys will put a great face forward while you are there defending the cause. Keep up the good work and keep us informed! I can't do much from over here, but I will write letters all day long if that's what it takes.

[MonkeySlide]

I wish I could be there

[Drift Brick]

Im there with you guys in spirit man... thats *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored* *Censored**Censored**Censored*.

Fight the good fight!

[Mike Peters]

this is 100% the fault of stupid white people.

good luck.

[Tracy]

this is 100% the fault of stupid white people.

good luck.

Mike, what will I ever do with you??

You know I get hate mail because of you heffer??

[Tracy]

I has a little idea incase you guys are trying to come up with a game plan to head them off. We had issues in Atlanta after some drifting events with people drifting on the streets and doing dumb crap. Our venue just made us per our contract hire some police officers to work the event. That ended all of that bull jive real after the event real quick. I know it's an added expense, but it's worth the drama saved. I mean if this is their main concern, it seems like an easy way to solve the problem.

[greasem0nkey86]

I has a little idea incase you guys are trying to come up with a game plan to head them off. We had issues in Atlanta after some drifting events with people drifting on the streets and doing dumb crap. Our venue just made us per our contract hire some police officers to work the event. That ended all of that bull jive real after the event real quick. I know it's an added expense, but it's worth the drama saved. I mean if this is their main concern, it seems like an easy way to solve the problem.

then they'll just fall back on noise ordanace and endangering wildlife *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored* *Censored**Censored**Censored*, they brought this up along with drifting on the streets in the beginning

[teamINERTIA]

Just in from the Driftbattle website>>>>>>>>.


Thank you Altamont & Friends.• No Comments
Today, we would like to thank Altamont Raceway for doing what we can do to save drifting at the park. Unfortunately, the members of the board at Alameda County were uneducated about the sport of drifting, it did not go so well and we’re sad to announce that DriftBattle will not hold any events at Altamont until the permit for racing is renewed and drifting is written in the permit.

It’s sad that people who are uneducated see drifting as a nuisance and find it loud, filled with tire smoke, etc.. If you can stand 3 hours of Nascar driving in an oval, wouldn’t you think that 1 car every 30 seconds be ok? Until the permits are renewed and drifting written in the permit, will we be allowed to drift.

One last thing before we announce something.. If you lived on 57 acres of land, wouldnt you try to build your house as far from the race track as possible? 120 feet from the track wouldn’t be my first option. Right?? Because of this one neighbor, we’ve lost our right and I’m saddened by someone who owns and is also a motoX head has the nerve to do such a thing to another form of motorcross.

Thank you everyone that showed their support and showed up at todays hearing. I suppose Altamont can appeal now that they’ve won the appeal but who knows what they’re going to do.

And for the drifters in the bay and members of DriftBattle, please keep things cool on the roads, cause like the council of Alameda said, “it’s unfortunate that the kids might take it back to the streets”.

[Double M Star]

One of our own was there and had this to say.
-From Solsticeforum.com

Well that was fun...NOT. 5 hours and 45 minutes later the Alameda county chamber has made it's decision. Until further notice, Drift competitions at the Altamont Motorsports Raceway has been banned.

Now for the interesting part. Prior to the drifting events was brought to the table there was also an appeals by a resident neighbor to the track appealing a permit request by the Altamont staff to approve overnight RV parking on site for no more than 30 RV's. Alot of the complaints were the same but it was decided and finally approved by the chamber (with restrictions) for no more than 7 event's on the schedule.

That being said there was an already aggitated room on both sides of the table. The appealing party showed a well edited clip of the drifting event that was held at the raceway which showed absolutely NO good examples of what proper drifting is. It was simply clips of cars loosing control, spinning around in excessive smoke, and running off the course.

Now, before this gets out of the right visual relm I want all reading this to know that this ban was primarily NOT placed based on Drifting itself as a sport. The two main reasons the ban was placed was the following:

1. In the currently operating permit (established in 1996) all types of racing was authorized minus drag racing and mud bog type events. As Drifting was not a well known racing style in the US in 96 it was determined today that the similarity of the smoke and noise of the tires produced by drifting are some of the same factors that caused drag racing to be excluded.

2. This I feel was the primary decider in todays decision. There has apparently been a poor track record (no pun intended) with the current owners of the Altamont Raceway of misleading and repeated infractions to current permit authorizations such as concerts and other unapproved scheduled events. I firmly believe that had the past history of the owners been a more professional and traight forward one the appeal to ban would not have been successful.

These two reasons were even more impacting than the many complaints about the noise, smoke and high speed traffic on a very narrow road.

And finaly the kicker. The head chair in todays events in not only the representative for this very district the track resides in but was also the very individual who back in 1996 was the primary supporter of bringing the Altamont raceway into a new life when it was previously slated to be closed all together. He was adimate about retaining the history of the track and was even furthermore adimate to address specificly the drifters who were in the room today that he was very torn that this decision would have the restricting ramifications of taking away basicaly the only current available location to drift legaly in northern California and that a location that could give this ability for an affordable cost to the individual (unlike it would be at Infineans $20,000.00 track rental) needs to be established to continue efforts to reduce the ongoing illegal activities by younger enthusiests.

All hope is not lost. The door was left open for the Altamont staff for future possabilities. They have been working since late 2005 to aquire new permits, environmental surveys, etc... for the raceway and if an agreement and dare I say a revival of truce between the track, the surrounding residents, and the council members then the option for coming to agreed factors in regards to holding drift events in the proper safe and acceptable manor it could be reinitiated into the approval of the new permits above the now current restriction to only NASCAR style oval track racing events.

I think I've hit it all so for now keep driving and keep drifting and by all means to those that do keep and show it as the professional style event it is meant to be. We'll see what the future holds.

Reporting live from the chamber room (no actually I am home now) this is the "Gunny's note". Now back to you Forum.

[psykkoshft]

wow this is crazy...

[Bebop]

Who were the appealing parties?

All I can say is... people go out and street race or drift, get into accidents kill or injure them selves or others and it makes the papers or the TV. A whole big outcry comes along asking people to stop being reckless on the street and take it too a place where it can be done legally and safely. Sanction bodies come and do just that, give these kids... wait a minute most of us aren't kids. We are adults who work hard for our vehicles, build them our selves in most cases.

But yea, these sanctioning bodies give us a place to drive legally, poor skill or not (everyone starts some where). And these apposers just decide to not support us. Whether it be because the property owners didnt take the proper steps for us to drive legally at there facilities, there's no reason why people should take out quality time just to oppose people who are trying to live free. No one is killing them selves, no one is damaging public property at the private sanction events.... But by banning drifting there gonna do just that.

I don't know much about the licensing situation at altamont... or the local laws of the city prohibiting this type of stuff. But I know anyone who is willing to take time out of there lives just to argue against the right for someone drift legally and safely in a controlled environment, off of public streets away from pedestrians needs to get there head checked.... I will like to see there faces when some dumb street drifter injures them or one of there loved ones and damages there property... "oh your son died from street drifting, weren't you the one who pushed for a ban on legal drifting....hahaha"

But serious, who are these legal drift apposers. Whats there email, do they have a website, a phone number. I don't want to harass them, I would really like them to come on these forums and tell us there side of the story.