Hi all,
I know many of you here are not exactly "hip" with the idea of drifting or acknowledge it as a valid motorsport, but please hear me out.
Recently, the City of Atlanta passed legislation that will outright ban drifting. For nearly a decade, these events have been LEGALLY held in Turner Field's famous Blue Lot which is also host to the local SCCA chapter's Autocross events as well as Gymkhana events. The bill, thinly disguised as a noise ordinance, specifically targets drifting, but could very easily be amended to include ALL forms of motorsport.
The bill was crafted in secret and only brought to light when it was to be voted on by the city council. There was no way for the event organizers to defend their case against this sneak attack and the bill was quickly voted on and passed. For years Turner Field has been home to numerous motorsports events and is regarded as the birthplace of drifting in GA and even the Southeast. Numerous local businesses (including Turner Field itself) benefit from these events by providing various services ranging from vehicle maintenance and parts sales to tire mounting and concessions. They routinely bring in thousands of attendees over the course of the single-day event and do it for the cause of keeping drifting alive, and, more importantly, off the streets and in a controlled environment.
The only chance we have to put a stop to this bill is to have the mayor himself veto it and force it back into legislative hearings where the event organizers can properly plead their case to the city.
PLEASE take a moment to check out the Facebook page created to raise awareness of this issue:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/savedriftinginatl/
And sign the petition to Mayor Reed to veto this bill:
http://www.change.org/petitions/atlanta-mayor-kasim-reed-atlanta-city-council-members-veto-ordinance-amendment-12-0-0502-14
You can also help show your support by purchasing special "Save Drifting in Atlanta" decals at the Formula D event this weekend at Road Atlanta (with all proceeds going towards the legal fund to fight this bill) or by attending the local drift event on Sunday at Turner Field.
Remember, they may only be targeting drifting now, but could just as easily avert their gaze to other forms of motorsport in the near future. Local media outlets are already covering the bill, but any publicity we can get will help our cause.
Thanks guys.
