Forum: Northern California Sprint Car (go)
Moderators: StuDeedooo

Below is a letter that we received about a movement at Altamont Motorsports Park to ban all motorsports, except "NASCAR-type events." This includes Sprint Cars, Midgets, and Spec Sprints.

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Good day to all -

Last Tuesday, 24 April, a meeting of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors was called to discuss an appeal made by Mark and Karen Rivard (next door neighbors to Altamont Motorsports Park) regarding a recent, favorable decision by the East County Board of Zoning Adjustments and the Alameda County Planning Department to allow overnight RV use at the raceway, and to verify the question, "Is Drifting a valid form or motorsports that should be allowed use at Altamont Motorsports Park." As stated, both of these issues were approved one month earlier.

However, at the hearing, Board President Scott Haggerty erupted into varying tirades, claiming that a recent autocross event held at AMP was a Drifting event, charging that AMP management lied to Alameda County about the event. (Drifting was under a temporary restriction pending this hearing.) Although AMP came prepared to discuss the matter, Supervisor Haggerty took no time or effort to understand the difference between professional Drifting and autocross, or the fact that 4-wheel drifts occur in sports car racing, sprint car racing and almost every facet of our sport where a car is required to turn. At the end of his 20-minute verbal lashing, Supervisor Haggerty single-handedly leveraged the remaining Board members into approving a ban on all forms of motorsports except "NASCAR-type events that race in timed laps using only the 1/2 and 1/4 mile oval tracks and have a common start and finish line." It was clear to all at the meeting that Supervisor Haggerty, reading his decision from prepared notes, came to the meeting with his mind already made up and the ban already written. By NASCAR-type races, we can only assume that he means "stock car" events; therefore, banning all other forms of vehicles and types of events. This means that any and all forms of sports car, sprint car, karting, autocross, car rallies, drifting, motorcycle and anything else that doesn't look like a NASCAR stock car is banned from AMP.

Upset? You should be.

So, we need some help... and although AMP cannot organize anything or participate directly, we're hoping that you, as a "Friend of Altamont Motorsports Park" could assist us in getting the attached petition sent to anyone and everyone you know. Once each page of the petition has been signed (by one person or the entire page is filled) get it faxed to Alameda County ASAP. No delays! Don't eave this sitting on some desk for a few days.

Also, e-Mails to Mr. Chris Bazar, the Director of Alameda County Planning Department, are tremendously helpful, too! e-Mail to: [email protected]

Thanks for the support and help!

John F.S. Condren, CEO

Riverside Motorsports Park LLC
Altamont Motorsports Park LLC
3333 G Street - Castle Aviation Center
Atwater, CA 95301

209.383.RMP1 or 209.383.7671 (Office)
209.383.7771 (Fax)
209.564.6742 (Cell Phone)

so what is the difference between autocross & "professional drifting"??

interesting article from supervisors viewpoint -

Track loses supervisor's support
By Chris Metinko
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Article Launched: 04/25/2007 06:41:07 AM PDT


Saying he was tired of what he considers dishonesty on the part of Altamont Motorsports Park officials, Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty took a sharp turn when it comes to the race track and its myriad issues.
The supervisor led the board in upholding an appeal brought by attorney Mark Cohen and the group known as a Community for a Better Altamont. This action bans "drifting" -- a form of racing in which drivers drift or slide their vehicles through turns, popularized in the 2006 movie "Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" -- at the raceway.

The supervisor clearly was upset about what he saw as a blatant disregard for the county process and what he felt were untruths coming from Altamont ownership.

Last month, the East County Board of Zoning Adjustments ruled that drifting was covered under the raceway's 1996 conditional use permit. However, Cohen and the community group filed an appeal to that decision. In turn, the track was not supposed to hold any drifting races until the board ruled on the appeal.

Neighbors soon were showing video taken at the track showing what they said was drifting, and said the track had called the racing "Auto-X." Haggerty, apparently, also had investigated the goings-on at the track, and said he had spoken with a track official Monday who admitted wrongdoing.

However, he got a different answer from Mark Melville, that track's vice president of operations.

"Would you admit your 'Auto-X' was in fact drifting?" Haggerty asked.
'No, sir," Melville said.

"So we're going to start off that way?" Haggerty replied, clearly agitated.

That exchange led Haggerty into an angry diatribe about the raceway's inability to tell the truth.

"I was a big supporter of the Altamont," Haggerty said. "You guys blew it.

"You guys can't even keep your stories straight within your own organization," he added. "Well, it ends today. You can't even give me an honest answer."

Later at the meeting, Haggerty also was upset when he spotted free concerts on the track's schedule, something not allowed, and an Alameda County employee night, something county officials were never contacted about.

"You guys have a problem with the truth," Haggerty said. "You guys now have a problem with at least one member of the board. Now you have a big problem."

Even before the tirade, Haggerty had placed severe restrictions on the race track's overnight recreational vehicle parking -- which also had been approved by the zoning board -- including the track having to pay to have an Alameda County sheriff's deputy on site during the seven dates a year it can have the RV parking.

Neighbors had argued that the drifting races and RV parking could bring noise and traffic to the area. Also, many questioned why the track is even allowed to operate, given that the track's conditional use permit expired more than a year ago. The county is allowing the track to operate under its old permit as the track's operators attempt to get the land rezoned so a conditional use permit is not required.

Just last month, neighbors filed a lawsuit against the track's operators, Alameda County and the county Department of Environmental Health asserting the track is on a habitat for endangered species, the San Joaquin kit fox and the California tiger salamander, and any operations there are illegal.

autocross = street legal cars  professional drifting = on track only

all looks the same on video....

that's a bad deal, like to see how they get out of this one.

so Alameda has stuporvisors too huh?

Autocross 101: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autocross

Its a timed event with a start and finish line.

Drifting 101: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drifting_(motorsport)

Drifting is still not recognised by the FIA or ACCUS, but the June event is sanctioned by D1GP

...

I've heard the audio from the Supervisor's meeting... don't believe everything you see in writing.

John Condren is holding an open meeting on these issues at 7:30 tonight (Friday) in the main grandstands of the track.

This is getting messy.

"Just last month, neighbors filed a lawsuit against the track's operators, Alameda County and the county Department of Environmental Health asserting the track is on a habitat for endangered species"

Um, wouldn't that mean the neighbors homes are on the same habitat?

Good observation Mikey! I'm no fan of drifting but I don't see why it shouldn't be allowed unless it's drawing an audience that is presenting problems for track security or local law enforcement agencies.

That is, in fact, the position that the Rivard's are taking.

I'm no fan of the Rivard's, who apparently moved next to a track that's been in operation since 1966 in 2005 and immediately set to complaining about it (noise, etc. complaints made fairly amusing by the fact that they built a moto cross track on their own adjacent property), but if the county isn't adequately patrolling the area during an event that draws a crowd that is notorious for bad behavior, I can see the point.