Altamont News

[tknbkthrsdy4anfg]

Ok guys, so I don't know the whole story of what's going on exactly, but Petex, Calvin Wan, Tony Brakohiapa, Dave Smith and I went out to Altamont today and did a little drift exhibition for some representatives of Alameda County, The Rivards, and Altamont. It went really well, they were looking for sound levels and the results were really good. I guess we had to be under 95 dB and the loudest it got was about 87 from Todd Ho's Franken 7. What was interesting was Pete and I's street cars were not much quieter on the decible meter than the LS1 RX7.
Calvin, Dave and Tony did tandems together and Pete and I did.
Hopefully this is a big step towards drifting coming back to Altamont.
Here is some pics from our own Andrew Bohan


some pics!
roger, mike, joe, and pete
http://www.abmotorsports.com/sounddemo/sdemo001.jpg

everyone's favorite neighbor
http://www.abmotorsports.com/sounddemo/sdemo002.jpg

cool equipment they were using
http://www.abmotorsports.com/sounddemo/sdemo003.jpg

bob telling the county dude what's up.
http://www.abmotorsports.com/sounddemo/sdemo004.jpg

the joe
http://www.abmotorsports.com/sounddemo/sdemo005.jpg

pete
http://www.abmotorsports.com/sounddemo/sdemo006.jpg

calvin drivin jay lapid's daily
http://www.abmotorsports.com/sounddemo/sdemo007.jpg

bob brought todd's car
http://www.abmotorsports.com/sounddemo/sdemo008.jpg

and a cobra
http://www.abmotorsports.com/sounddemo/sdemo009.jpg

i think the guy said todd's car read 88.9db at the fence, which is 6.1db below the limit

high sixes all around today.

[SidewayZ-s14]

Thats awesome! Really good news!

[Flybert]

Sounds good. Hopefully you guys get your venue back.

[urmyhero4now]

hell yea...thanks guys for going out to the track and reppin norcal right. They way we should be.

[FaLKoN240]

:repost: http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=167001

J/K, i've already given you enough shit I'd say.

[tknbkthrsdy4anfg]

Oh shit, I didn't know drew posted anything.
oops.

[Irukandji]

I can't wait until Altamont is back. So many memories there

[Andrew Bohan]

i'll make you guys a deal

if we get altamont back, EVERYONE gets a high six

[!Zar!]

If this goes through, I'm buying everyone a tranny stripper.

[leveloneae86]

yessss i see progress.

[CleanS14]

I heard you guys were doing this... It would be awesome if the venue came back... and awesome if the management also got their act together.

[Okinawandrifter87]

i hope we do too!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fliprayzin240sx]

Nope time to beat the shiet out of the next idiot who decides to peel out, drift, burnout on their way in/out of altamont...

[tknbkthrsdy4anfg]

Nope time to beat the shiet out of the next idiot who decides to peel out, drift, burnout on their way in/out of altamont...

Or posts threats in a public venue.
Yes I completely agree.
PLEEEEEEEEASE DON'T FUCK THIS UP FOR US RIGHT NOW!

[Flipzide]

Sounds like things are going in the right direction for you guys up there.

If you don't mind me asking, how far away was the mic placed from the actual spot you guys were drifting?

[Okinawandrifter87]

Yeah dont fuck anything up for the people who actually care about it and want this!!

[tknbkthrsdy4anfg]

Sounds like things are going in the right direction for you guys up there.

If you don't mind me asking, how far away was the mic placed from the actual spot you guys were drifting?

100 feet from the track perimeter, One at the Rivards house, one less then 100 feet from the track between turns 1 & 2, one over the hill at another house.

[CAPTAINNEO]

sounds good...hope this is a step in the right direction for you nor cal-ers!

[ZOMG_S14]

this is such awesomness

[jy116]

more cobra pix plz! and good job bro, thnx for takin time to help with this fiasco! i guess it was free track time to u guys too tho... hahaha

[tknbkthrsdy4anfg]

These are from FD Infineon 06, before the new rollcage.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f218/tknbkthrsdy4anfg/Cobra_1.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f218/tknbkthrsdy4anfg/Cobra.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f218/tknbkthrsdy4anfg/Cobra_2.jpg

[YUNG DRIF]

shit i know everyone had ever nut on there exhaust tight to death, calvins rx7 is louder than shit man... he prolly did something about it before. Do u know when Alameda will reverse the change iif so

[tknbkthrsdy4anfg]

Calvin's RX7 wasn't there. Todd's FC was and it was loud as hell but still okay.

[ZOMG_S14]

lol at the miracle auto body sticker...

[YUNG DRIF]

Calvin's RX7 wasn't there. Todd's FC was and it was loud as hell but still okay.

Did they let you guys know what will happen or is it a secret?

[tknbkthrsdy4anfg]

They don't know whats gonna happen, They're still building a case I think.

[deolio]

that makes me so happy :) i don't want to spend the summer in norcal without drifting.

off topic: has anyone ever tried to see if moffit field would be open to drifting kinda like the toro air fields?

[J-Style]

This is the shit!:fruit:

[Edgar]

Thats cool, I knew they would come around.
Just wait to see how much that venue is going to cost from now on tho. : /

[Pepperoni]

wow i hope we keep hearing good news :x:

[89dc240]

Wow, now get some decibel meters over at the Rivard's dirtbike track and see if that's too loud. THAT would be hilarious.

Glad to see things are at least still moving for you guys. Hope it opens back up for ya.

[infinitexsound]

dirt bikes are that loud............sorry buddy.. but a 2 stroke cycle doesnt have enough umpfh..... its about time... altamont comes back.. i miss thehot summer nites.. there kickin back and watching everyone get loose...

[tknbkthrsdy4anfg]

I thought I would post this in this thread too.
Well the gist of what I got from talking to John Condren (the guy that owns the track) Al Lagura, and a few other folks is that the track has been there since the 60's. They had a big Rolling Stones concert there and Hells Angels ran security and I guess people died. Anyways, the Rivards bought the land next to the track several years ago when the track was run down shape, but still holding events. The Rivards built a professional motocross track on their property dubbed "R Speed" from the pictures I've seen. They held more then one public event there until somebody got hurt and sued the Rivards. So they closed their property and only let friends ride on the property and again someone got hurt and sued them so they closed the property to themselves for a private motocross venue. In the mean time Altamont Motorsports Park came up for sale from the previous owners. The parcel was offered to Mark Rivard as well as John Condren and others.
From what John told me Mark offered pennies on the dollar for the property, probably to tear it down and expand his moto empire, and John Condren simply offered more and bought the parcel.
This is when everything began. Because Altamont's use permit from Alameda county does NOT specifically state "Drifting" because it was written in 1996, when drifting was just emerging in the US, that is the Rivards (and the community for a better Altamont) only way in. The use permit expired in 2006 and they are allowed to continue use because they are making an effort to renew their use permit. Since it doesn't specifically state drifting that is the only way the neighbors can try to get this track shut down. The Rivards specifically have made numerous threats and erroneous claims about the track. Including but not limited to "Riots in the grandstands" when everything was going good. "Explosions and Fires in the paddock" again when nothing was going wrong. Mike, the track manager has even said that Mark Rivard has driven on to the property with a loaded handgun sitting in plain view on the passenger seat of his truck, well exceeding the speed limit posted and barrelling past security checkpoints. Mark is also quoted to have said "I have a nice view of you through my scope."
The current state of affairs is that the Rivards have random people who have nothing to do with the situation, but are well spoken come to county board meetings spouting off erroneous accounts of drifting causing hearing loss, tire smoke being bad for your health, and that drifters are gang members and drug users. It was really painful to go to the country board meetings when people just tell blatant lies, and you have to sit their quietly and wait your turn.
Now this isn't to say the Altamont is holier-then-thou in the matter. From what I gather the expansions to the track including the X and the bunny ear were done without a permit as well as adding the large light towers to the track. However those shouldn't have any weight on the matter. They also according to Alameda County Board of Supervisors President Scott Hagerty lied to the county about holding events after the drifting ban was in place calling them "auto-x" events.
Regardless of how the past actions have unfolded, the current fact on the matter is that Altamont is preparing an environmental impact report on the track and (I guess) is using to to renew their use permit to include drifting. The demo we did was to gather sound data for this report. From what Mike said Altamont has lost approximately $50,000 in revenue this year from this drifting ban as well as businesses like SDP going out of business. If the drifting ban is lifted Altamont plans to have plenty of events, including D1.

Thats about all I know, anyone care to edit or add?