Atlanta drift events get schooled - MB>ATL

[Doppelgänger]

A couple compilation vids from this weekends drift event in Myrtle Beach. Got to do Tandem run (mandatory for Top 8), passengers allowed (had to pay extra), fun runs after the competition and drifting on a banked oval where Sammy and Marcos TORE that shit up..... tried it for myself for the first time and now im hooked. Not to mention the track layout was fluckin kick ass.

Now we need to get stuff like this in ATL... at least the tandem.... and there is Senoia Speedway for the banked stuff.

Anyway.... here are the vids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI2Z_oHfa0E&eurl=

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...ch+drift&hl=en

[NoPainT]

Good shit!!

[JennB]

Ahem! And who got to take a ride on the oval? Hmmmm...??

And if anyone here happens to be on my Myspace, I have vids on there as well. Just click on the videos link or anyone can go to the videos page and search "myrtle beach speedway"

[Marty]

You want to pay for the extra insurance then Mike?

Go ahead be our guest......then you can tandem....

[Marty]

You know too, if you ever checked or payed attention.....

http://www.dgtrials.com/forms/tandem_petition.pdf

[JennB]

No one was being negative. No reason for it. Just that it would be pretty cool if Atlanta was able to have stuff like this.

It was a very fun event and that's that.

[Marty]

yeah man... that event puts pretty much everything that has gone in the atl to shame....

That's positive? We don't need to have events here.....

[JennB]

Maybe I just don't read things that way. I see it more of a shame that we don't have a facility anywhere like this in Atlanta. We're such a huge city with so much interest in events but we just don't happen to have a big giant banked oval speedway available.

I'm from SC so I don't at all mind going there for events, I get to see my family and familiar places. I hope a lot more people will be able to make that very long drive to enjoy the events though because they have one hell of a venue and a lot of very welcoming and enthusiastic people there.

[Doppelgänger]

You know too, if you ever checked or payed attention.....

http://www.dgtrials.com/forms/tandem_petition.pdf

I dont have a .pdf reader on my laptop, but by the name, i can see what it iss... more power to DG for that.

[Doppelgänger]

That's positive? We don't need to have events here.....

So.... its only my opinion, no need to get all up in a wad over it.

As for the insurance, i dont know how it works, frankly, i dont care. But its nice to go somewhere and pay $50 and get to do all that, something that really hasnt happened here.

[down_shift]

No one was being negative.

ummm yeah whats the title of this thread?
Atlanta drift events get schooled - MB>ATL

Glad MB had a great event. Make one happen at Senoia. Stop ragging on other peoples events.

[Doppelgänger]

holy shit, people take things wrong... gotts love people who distort things to make it sound how they want it to sound. Atl events are great, this one just had more to offer this time making it slightly better then most the atl events.

and since when did some of the people posting on here even give a shit about my opinion??

[Doppelgänger]

Make one happen at Senoia.

Wish it could happen, but probably wont have a normal event there. Seriously, a LOT of people would be on the walls there... its a tough cookie for sure and theres no room in the infield to do anything at the moment I dont even think i'd try the banks there....

[down_shift]

holy shit, people take things wrong... gotts love people who distort things to make it sound how they want it to sound.

Maybe you honestly weren't trying to be negative but it does come across that way. Mike what about watermelon speedway?

[Doppelgänger]

Maybe you honestly weren't trying to be negative but it does come across that way. Mike what about watermelon speedway?

Maybe, in my over excitement

Hehehehe, well, it might take a bit of planning, but, i think we could hold an event on The 'Melon....i dont know if the parkinglot at the end of 285 will support all of us though

[IamJacksAE86]

I think I would have to agree with Mike about this. I've done a MB event before and it was really fun. 50 bucks and you get a lot of seat time and the people are pretty cool as well. MB has a little drift event every wednesday(i think its wednesday), do you realize how bad ass that is????? A event every fucking week, and it only cost 20 bucks to do so. I would love to do that, jesus.

I love the DG events, that has been my favorite event so far.

Senoia is not for everyone.

[Z33_kid]

thats so kewl

[TheGameReapa]

cool

[Cool Cat GTR]

How was the safety at MB?

[Flip]

Sweet videos man! Great choice for the song . Tranceport is such a great cd!!!! :-D

[Doppelgänger]

How was the safety at MB?

Safety concerns were well covered at the event: No media on track, but there were plenty of safe places to take media from... behind walls and guardrails to get pretty much any good shot, some were even allowed on top of one of the infield buildings to take pics and vids. Cars were spaced out with plenty of room so there would be no close calls and when cone chasers had to do their job, there were no cars on track. The only "concern" i saw was people sitting with their legs over the pit wall onto the "hot" area... anything inside the pit wall (where the cars were not staged, as seen in the vid) was considered the track. Standard safety equipment was required as usual, helmet and seatbelt. I think part of the reason it went so smooth was the fact that there were only 20-something cars there though.

As for car safety, there are a few areas to stay away from. There was a guard rail on the outside of turn one that if someone wasn't paying attention or going all out, could be easily found with a bumper. The wall seperating the pit from the track *could* be another thing... . but all in all, its no more "risky" then the poles at turner field to a safe driver.

[JennB]

The owner of the track did tell a few people to get their legs off of the side of the wall. I got the impression he is quite concerned with safety as he seems to have a lot of experience with this stuff. I think a few more signs or announcements asking people not to do that anymore and it wouldn't be an issue. But the cars never came anywhere close to the walls.

[Cool Cat GTR]

That's good to hear. News travels fast when it's bad and the few other incidents that have occurred over the recent past have a number of potential venues eliminated due to perceived safety risks. I'm a firm supporter of drifting and injuries of any kind can really put a damper on growing the sport. To all involved, Georgia has a great opportunity with drifting. Organizers as well as participants have a responsibility to keep everyone safe. Safety alone will be the rise or fall of this sport in our area and we all need to keep that in mind. Thanks!

[Marty]

IIRC someone has already hit a wall there....

[Doppelgänger]

no one did when we were there, but a few came close to the guard rail in the infield. But its a risk everyone knows when they enter the track. I'd rather hit a wall then people/other cars though.

[Cool Cat GTR]

Thing is, when potential venue owners hear about bad stuff, they say no when asked if their facility can be rented. Classic case in point, South Georgia Motorsports Park made it emphatically clear that no drifting would be done their anymore. Great facility with tons of asphalt. It's a perfect place but I was told that no matter how much money was offerred, the answer would still be NO. That's straight from the mouth of the owner(s). That's the same venue that welcomes the SCCA to autocross there every month. I asked why and the answer was because it's unsafe. In my opinion that's because of his perception of historical events. Anyway, when people get hit or cars hit parts of the facility, the rumor mill is going to run wild and bad publicity ensues. I am curious if anyone that runs these events has ever been certified as a Safety Steward and do they have a team of trained deputies to assure everyones safety. It's a simple process to get that designation and shows safety culture. I'm not one that makes a big deal about many things but in todays world, you have to cover the details. I would be more than willing to donate my time and experience to any event to help generate positive feelings toward the sport.

[down_shift]

unsafe? Thats all they said? There has to be more to that story.

[Big Baller]

How was the safety at MB?

That was a bitch ass cheap shot and you know it, just like Mikes whole thread. It just amazing how petty the drifting community is.

Fucking Lame

[Cool Cat GTR]

That was a bitch ass cheap shot and you know it, just like Mikes whole thread. It just amazing how petty the drifting community is.

Fucking Lame

Dude, I have no idea who you are nor do I care but I'm serious about the issue. And it's a big issue. My livelihood depends on enthusiasts being able to enjoy their chosen automotive interest. Drifting in Georgia, in it's short existence, has done an excellent job building amatuer enthusiasm and all I want is to see it prosper. How is me publicly stating the obvious a "bitch ass cheap shot"? Safety cannot be compromised. Expect the unexpected. I am trying very hard to establish more opportunities for the sport. It's hard enough to find venues for spirited automotive events as it is without having to defend safety shortcomings of the past. That's all I'm saying and I don't regret anything I have previously posted. Just Be Safe!!!

[Big Baller]

AND HERE WE GO

Dude, I have no idea who you are nor do I care

Hi I'm Matt

but I'm serious about the issue.

No if you were serious about the issue you would be doing something about it besides running you're mouth in this thread.

And it's a big issue.

It is a big issue almost as big an issue as people running their mouths, which seems to be hurting drifting more than the safety issues.

How is me publicly stating the obvious a "bitch ass cheap shot"?

Because it was a cheap shot at Maximum Angle and you know it was, you're not man enough to just call somebody out you have to hide it in a cute little statement like that.

Safety cannot be compromised.

You know that's the really stupid thing about drifting, safety is compromised everywhere, from roll cage design, to fire systems, to clothing, to helmets, to Hans devices. Not only that but you have the pros hanging out the fucking windows of the cars, now do you really think that's a good fucking idea. No its not. So as you can see Safety can be compromised.

Expect the unexpected.

If the Unexpected was expected then it would be expected but thanks for that awesome cliche

I am trying very hard to establish more opportunities for the sport.

Please feel free to list examples

It's hard enough to find venues for spirited automotive events as it is without having to defend safety shortcomings of the past.

There are safety shortcomings please don't refer to them as past.

That's all I'm saying and I don't regret anything I have previously posted. Just Be Safe!!!

You should really put more thought into this whole safety thing. I'll be happy to show you some properly prepped road-race cars if you would like. Be careful when you throw shit in the fan you never know where its gonna go.

Youre good buddy

Matt

[Tracy]

Hrmmmmm. This is an interesting thread. Some good discussion going on in here. I watched this thing on Fox the other day. Like "worlds deadliest crashes" or something like that. It has this photographer standing out in the middle of the rally course. He got hit by a car coming around the corner. They carted him off the track and kept on with the race. Funny thing is...rally racing still exists. Go figure.

Then there was this one time that I remember at a huge event I was at. There was K-rail and fences and everything! It was crazy stuff! 2 cars were tandem drifting and one of them hit the k-rail.....thing must have moved about 20 feet. It pushed the fence down and ended up falling on a few folks. Funnything is, they still have drifting at the facility to this day. In fact, I drifted there this year. It's amazing how they understood that sometimes things happen and that's why you have insurance....and in almost every case, waivers.

Let's not get it twisted people. Safety is definately an issue. There are things that happen that aren't always in one's control. People learn from those things and move on. I take this quote from one of my pals on another forum regarding saftey at motorsports events

"but what happens when a drag car crashes and gets into the crowd? What happens when a Nascar car does the same? They try to make the cars and the facilities safer, not place blame on the sanctioning body or the driver for not doing enough? Just look back to Dale Earnhardts death at Daytona. Everyone remember that? Now the guys at Hans are millionaires because most sanctioning bodies make the HANS device mandatory in the faster classes or circuits. Accidents are horrible, but unfortunately in motorsports they are a necassary evil. Without accidents, there would be no progression in safety and safety standards for motorsports. Sad but true."


See you guys in MB next weekend. We'll be there to hand out some licenses. Hopefully we'll see y'all at the events we have scheduled at the tracks we have lined up next year. Not one of the track owners that I spoke with in nearly every state East of the Mississippi ever expressed a single concern about drifting. In fact, everyone was pretty excited.

a video for you to enjoy. I'll see if I can find more in passing
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/246056...by_a_race_car/
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/357877...s_a_cameraman/

whoops. No barrier. I wonder if insurance requires it or if the photographer is out there at his own risk?
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/92583/..._photographer/

I wonder if these sports are doomed because of an accident?

[JennB]

Honestly, I think drifting must be statistically safer that pretty much all other motorsports. I mean how many serious injuries or deaths have happened over the years? I watch a good bit of racing, from Rally to F1 and anything in between and I see cars go flying and announcers saying "That was a bad crash, hope he's okay". Sure, lots of torn up cars in drifting but everyone is okay in the end.

It seems like a lot of people do think it's dangerous though. Maybe it has some stupid stigma attached to it.. who knows. I have wondered if some places were not to fond of drifting because of the potential property damage or just because they didn't know what it was.

And I think it's pretty rare that it's the fault of an event organizer if an accident happens. Everyone signs releases and makes their own decisions. When you take you car to the track, you know it's your responsibility and if it gets destroyed, it's yours to fix. Same goes with being a spectator. Anyone who knows about racing history know that just watching a race can get you hurt (1955 Le Mans, etc.). .. if you want to be 100% safe, stay back. Nothing in life is perfectly safe, people fall and die in the shower every day.

I'm not too well versed in the full history of drift events in GA since I haven't lived here all that long... but the events I've attended in the midwest and the west coast have all gone off with no injuries. Sure, lots of hanging bumpers, but that's about it. The thing is to learn from the very few bad things and move on.

[Tracy]

O damn, how come everytime I post....the thread slows down. I have to go home. Talk to you guys tomorrow.

[down_shift]

HANS devices and fire systems? You can not seriously expect that at a Grass Roots level. I think only major national series could feasibley make mandates like that. I also believe that drifting is one of the safest forms of motorsports.

[Big Baller]

HANS devices and fire systems? You can not seriously expect that at a Grass Roots level. I think only major national series could feasibley make mandates like that. I also believe that drifting is one of the safest forms of motorsports.

See this is exactly what I'm talking about, do you know how many guys show up at track days with Hans devices, they aren't required, Ill have one next month and my subaru(my street car) will have a fire suppression system. They just aren't that expensive.

Also Nasa says
Quote:
IMPORTANT NOTICE: It is expected that use of a head and neck restraint system or device, meeting SFI 38.1 will may become mandatory for all road race series as soon as January 1st, 2007.

That's as grassroots as it gets, drifting has to grow up and start taking some responsibility.

Edit,

Honestly Tandem is wheel to wheel racing and the cages that are required are a freaking joke, this shit is serious people can die doing this you do get that right.

[Tracy]

HANS devices and fire systems? ........

Hun, you totally missed the point. Lol. The point is accidents happen. When they do safety progresses so they don't happen again. The other point is, sports don't die because of accidents. Nascar is just a universal, mainstream example of that.

And to answer a question posed about safety certifications. Dan is SFI certified He was a tech director for the NDRA. I can't speak for anyone else that coordinates events but....he is.

[Big Baller]

Guys, if you don't see a need for this saftey equipment I suggest you really sit back and take a look at things, 400hp 2200lb cars doing 120+ mph side by side sliding. Someone is going to get t-boned at some point.

[down_shift]

That wasn't directed at all to you Tracy. I totally agree with your post. Accidents are tragic and we should all strive to eliminate any unnessacary risk, BUT they do unfortunatley happen. I was referring to BigBallers prior post.

[BTLFED]

I soooo wanna get in on this conversation but I am keeping my mouth shut so I don't hurt stupid people's feelings.

In to watch, though.

[down_shift]

Guys, if you don't see a need for this saftey equipment I suggest you really sit back and take a look at things, 400hp 2200lb cars doing 120+ mph side by side sliding. Someone is going to get t-boned at some point.

Thats not grass roots drifting. That is top national level competition. There is a big difference between a grass roots and Formula D. The saftey requirments have to be made with budget and risk associated with that particular level of competition. You don't see SCCA requiring people fresh to auto-x to prep their cars for road racing. local events are more similar to auto-x than Formula d. And when locals have tandems the saftey requirments DO increase. Cage requirments, prior experience, etc.