Residents in Dawson, Forsyth and Lumpkin Counties will have the chance to participate in a high-octane vehicle racing and drifting event Saturday at Atlanta Motorsports Park.
Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP) is working together with the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office with the aim of giving street racers a chance to “take it to the track”. The event will kick off Saturday at 5 p.m. and is the first in a series that hopes to discourage street racing by providing drivers a place to safely drift, burn out and race.
The inaugural AMP’d UP event is also being organized in tandem with the nonprofit organization DriveStrong, based out of AMP. DriveStrong utilizes professional instructors to teach advanced maneuvers that are not included in a traditional driver’s education course. Some of which include wet weather handling, evasive and defensive maneuvers and navigating the dangers of distracted driving.
“We know that cars and speed can be a way to have fun when there’s not much else available to keep youngsters entertained,” Dawson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matthew Blackstock said to AMP. “What we’re doing with DriveStrong and Atlanta Motorsports Park is meeting kids in the middle. We’re saying ‘we get it,’ and so we’re putting on events that are going to be a big draw, someplace you can have your fun without putting yourself and other folks on the road at risk.”
Speeding contributes to over 9,500 deaths nationwide, according to data gathered by the CDC in 2013. The AMP cites this as a major factor motivating them to train young drivers and provide a safe outlet for more thrilling and stunt-related driving behaviors.
“We are committed to providing a safe place for local car enthusiasts to drive, hang out and watch others having fun using their cars responsibly,” DriveStrong CEO Donna Lanzillotti Lee said. “Our goal is to establish monthly AMP’d UP car events that are free to attend with space available for people to slide their cars and burn out their tires! These events will provide a forum for the community, local law enforcement, and other automotive influencers to come together while showcasing the proper avenues to get rowdy with their cars.”
Attendees of Saturday’s event will have the opportunity to participate in four different activities. Car control will allow a driver to take the wheel of a BMW school car and go for a five-minute session on the skidpad, all with a professional driver sitting in the passenger seat.
The burn out box and drift pit gives drivers the chance to spin out in front of a crowd, doing donuts and figure eights with help from instructors. The drift ride-along will put attendees in the passenger seat as a professional driver races around the AMP track. Hot Pursuit will allow attendees to drive the track in their own cars, “with a special surprise from Johnny Law”.
Driving activities are limited to Dawson, Forsyth and Lumpkin County residents and will operate on a first-come-first-served basis, according to the AMP’d UP website. Those wishing to participate are required to pre-register, which will cost $25. Parking and spectating the event are free of charge. The park is located at 20 Duck Thurmond Road, Dawsonville, and the gates will open at 5 p.m.
