Article In The Courier Mail About The Closure Of Mt Cotton To Drifters

[AzzurrA]

Here is the Article in the Courier Mail:

and my reply:

(it hasn't been sumitted yet, so if you feel anything should be added or changed, feel free to post your thoughts)

Mr Warren,

I understand where you are coming from, in saying that drifting, or hooning of any form on public streets is totally irresponsible, and dangerous.

In fact, I totally agree with you and am strongly opposed to people 'hooning' on Queensland (or any) roads.

However, I also see the point that Mr Healy is trying to present.

You say that enthusiasts should attend racetracks, instead of the Mt Cotton Driver Training Facility, to drift.

Why send people elsewhere, when the skidpan at the Mt Cotton Training Facility was purpose built so that people can be taught how to control a vehicle in adverse situations and conditions?

I myself have attended many driver training days at the Mt Cotton skidpan over the years. Whilst there, I learnt how to safely control a vehicle that has entered a slide or is oversteering, by performing some manoeuvres, which would currently be considered (by definition) by the management of the complex as 'drifting'.

These skills have been of use to me in my many years of driving, saving me on more than one occasion, from injury or worse, due to the poor driving ability of some other road users.

The Queensland chapter of the Skylines Australia car club recently had a Skidpan and LVMA driver training session that had been organised months in advance, cancelled, after the announcement was made by the management of the complex that they were banning ‘drifting’, even though the club was not booked in to attend a ‘drift’ event.

This was a pre-emptive cancellation ‘in case’ a participant on the day slid their vehicle a little longer than normal, which would then be considered by the management as drifting.

This ban is not only hurting drifting enthusiasts, who want to practice their sport legally and in a controlled environment, but also other road users who want to learn how to control their vehicle.

The comment by Transport Minister Paul Lucas that "Queensland Transport does not believe it is a good corporate image to promote illegal activity” Is deeply disturbing, as Drifting is a form of Motorsport that is both legal and recognized by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS).

Also, where will you suggest enthusiasts go to partake in Motorsport, when there are no tracks left?

The number of race-tracks in Queensland is steadily diminishing. The only 'active' racetracks that are readily accessible to the public are Queensland Raceway, and Morgan Park (excluding street and hill climb circuits, which are usually only open for special events).

This is due to the closure of both Darlington Park and Lakeside, caused by increased pressure from the Government to close them.

This came after residents, who moved into the area knowing full-well that they were moving next-door to a racetrack, complained about the noise associated with them.

Now the Mt Cotton Driver Training Facility is also under attack from residents who have moved in nearby, knowing that there was a driver training facility next door, and are now complaining about the noise associated with it.

Furthermore, there is only one track in South East Queensland that I am aware of that sanctions drifting, and that is Queensland Raceway.

I am not making excuses for ‘hoons’ and saying that it is okay to perform dangerous activities on the streets, however, if you take away the facilities where they are legally and safely able to practice their chosen form of Motorsport, where else are they going to turn?

As Jay Holland points out, Skateboarders have skate parks built for them, Children have playgrounds built for them, and even drug addicts have shooting galleries built for them, yet the Government continues to close down driver training facilities and tracks.

Where will us genuine car enthusiasts turn when there is nowhere left to go?

[dangerous_daveo]

Jason maybe add to that it was the only drift school. Maybe just do a quick check. But I dont think anyone else is teaching drift. Yet they do teach other forms of motorsport. Think about teaching drift on a race track for a first timer, the instructor would get killed.

[Abo Bob]

Typical wowsers. Nothing you write will infect these dickheads with intelligence but at least having the other side of the story out there keeps the fencesitters balanced.

[AlexR34]

Oh no so the school got closed, i havent even had a chance to go and practice some skid control, o well i guess back to the old days ill just have to do it on the public roads, thanks to the dickhead whos idea it was to close. Now im seriously pissed, i was so looking forward to going one day and having a go, it would have been a good lesson especially considering that i smashed my previous car because it was raining and i pressed the gass a bit much and lost control cause i had no idea what to do. I cant believe these asholes.

[r33_racer]

written exceptionally well jason, hopefully it will count for something. I reckon give it a few years and once all racetracks are gone, and young kids are dying left, right and centre cause they drag, drift and circuit race on the streets then maybe the government will realise how to rectify the problem.

Fark i wish we had a circuit like nurburgring nordschleife somewhere in qld. We just need a government full of rev heads elected in, and bingo...smiles for everyone :O well everyone that counts anyway (car enthusiasts/racers)

Edited August 11, 2006 by r33_racer

[R33S2]

Its amazing really how these racetracks become popular and then, when everyones bought up the bargain land around them, they close them down because the same people complain about them, add to that a weak voter governed local admin, that agrees just to win elections, maybe they consider it a blood sport, and as a direct descendant of John L Sullivan, I've seen what they have done to boxing. What you are keenly interested in and willing to do is sometimes not the general thinking, the civilization of the area surrounding a race track should only be of industrial nature to keep small voices at bay. Lets hope Willowbank doesnt get civilized. My2c

PS I dont think they were all that wrong with bare knuckle fighting but they have got it wrong with motorsport.

[Rhinorebel]

Ipswich has done the right thing by passing a edict that the whole area (some 110 acres or more) is now a Motorsport Precinct and cannot be built near.

So Willowbank and QR (and the possible new SDT skidpan) will be safe from beaurocrats for our lifetime.

And we all lived happily ever after.

[Konrad]

yeah but how long will it take for the council to 'rezone' the land around qr... nothing would surprise me thank god its a fair way out of ipswich....

[dangerous_daveo]

yeah but how long will it take for the council to 'rezone' the land around qr... nothing would surprise me thank god its a fair way out of ipswich....

Im betting 3-5 years max.

[shanef]

Just wait until Paul Pissant-Pisale gets on his favoured bottle of turps again and signs some forms and then hey presto, land re-zoned.

But yes, the projection of growth in the Ipswich & surrounding areas (Ripley etc) in the next 5 years is massive. Lets just keep our fingers crossed everything turns out ok

[The Dan]

It's like moving into a house next to an airport.

I'd like to see them close down an airport, something that makes the government millions of dollars a year.

Maybe they could find some way to TAX the events. Then again, maybe not.

[WiZardOz]

As I have recently been organising the SAU members Skidpan days at Mt Cotton I was contacted by SDT on the day that this article appeared in the Courier Mail inviting me to attend an interview at Willowbank Raceway with Channel 10 about the impact this these sorts of decisions have on car clubs. Unforunately we where only given 3 hours notice and myself and the exec's couldn't make it. The manager (Joel) from SDT went and our club issued a statement to him. I am awaiting a email from SDT about when this story is to air.

I was also contacted during the week by the manager from Mt Cotton to see if the club had been able to find any other venue's for our future days, I hold no malace toward management of Mt Cotton as they are only applying the rules set down by the owners (in this case the government), it is unfortunate as the SAU Qld club has a good relationship with the management of the Mt Cotton facility.. which all of the club members have worked hard to achieve through always being responsible and being seen to be doing the right thing whenever we have attended Skidpan days there.

It is unfortunate that all of this now means sqaut as the government have once again made a bad decision

[familka gtr]

Jason maybe add to that it was the only drift school. Maybe just do a quick check. But I dont think anyone else is teaching drift. Yet they do teach other forms of motorsport. Think about teaching drift on a race track for a first timer, the instructor would get killed.

Your last sentence ,I dont thing so.

We been so lucky to get only once before on skydpan MtCotton.

I took my two sons 17/22 of age yesterday on QR for they first drift.

Is a " high powered import car " and they did well first on big track.No accident on fist time.

I know is maybe a matter of time as even best drivers have accident , that is a motorsport.

I dont like them to drift on streets because of danger for for them and other road users , noise ,etc.

But if coucil can built basketbal courts ,scateboards field etc , we got shuting clubs around , how danger is these?We are prepering people to kill????????? Its what I can say.No we just providing facilites for people to relax , to do something what we enjoy after hard work what most of us do.

Way they are too arogant about car racing?Way we are targeted / import car drivers by police ?Every day on TV news is at least 5 minutes of crime ,what cops are fuc.. do?Of I forgot they are 7 of them on traffic light checking driver who past on red signal.And is only I agree as is very danger maneuver.

Its is better to get these young kids to get back on streets into drugs and crime? because they did not get helphand from government for they car entusiastic dreams .?They spend most of they money on cars so nothing left for drugs and alcohol and they are targeted by cops because they have front intercooler fitted or bigger turbo or BOV ,etc ????WTF??

Is way I hide cops for .They responds for crime is very, very slow.My neighbour boyfriend try to kill her with big concret block and I did stop the guy.Cops came after 30 minutes .WTF???around midday. maybe they been on lunch brake.

My son was atacked and robed on train station at 2 pm.I find the guy gave them address.is alrerady 17 months and I never heard from cops since.

They never help me when I need it , big wankers.

[Del Sol]

The exact same problem happens with alot of sports. For example, people buy riverfront land near a rowing shed that has been there for almost 100 years, then complain about the noise.

[WazR32GTSt]

there was a story on channel 10 tonight at about 5:30pm about this exact topic..

the news crews were for once behind the drifters saying that the government is a joke..

just thought you might like to know..

Warren

[SMR33]

Damn I missed it...was wanting to catch that story on the news too