GMP To Promote Safe Driving With Jackson Co. Sheriff's Department

JEFFERSON - Thanks to a partnership with the Jackson County (GA) Sheriff's Department, a driver safety program designed to teach people of all ages about racing as a sport and discourage racing on our highways will be a key component of the Street Drag/Shown N' Shine programs at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, GA in 2014.

According to GMP Street Drag/Show N' Shine program director Nathaniel 'Boo' Carlisle, the association with the local law enforcement agency will hopefully help control illegal street racing throughout the area.

"We know people want to showcase their cars and that's why we created the GMP Street Drag/Show N' Shine program this year," Carlisle stated. "By providing a safe, controlled environment, people can do just that here at GMP. Just as importantly, they can do it without here breaking the law and endangering themselves and others on our public streets. Thanks to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, we're going to be able to really get the message out to the community that if you want to have fun with your car this summer, GMP - and not on the street - is the place to do it."

In addition to the safe driving campaign, GMP will also assist the Sheriff's department with an anti-drinking and driving campaign. As such, there will be no alcohol sales or carry-ins permitted at any 2014 GMP Street Drag/Show N' Shine events.

"Anytime that a community business such as GMP has a program for our citizens we certainly try to support them. It is our intent to discourage anyone, especially young drivers, from driving recklessly, driving aggressively, speeding or racing on our streets and highways. The Street Drag Show N' Shine events will give our youth the opportunity to learn about racing as a sport and will provide them with a tremendous resource for doing just that. We appreciate what they are doing," said Janis Mangum, Jackson County Sheriff.

In all, Gresham Motorsports Park will hold eight Street Drag/Show N' Shine events in 2014 (please see schedule below). Each event will feature a Car Show from 2-5:30 pm before the Street Drag portion of the program goes green at 6 pm.

There, drivers will be able to select a bracket and make head-to-head runs against like-kind street-legal cars on the 300-foot GMP 'drag strip.' In all, there will be 10 different brackets to choose from with brackets ranging from American Muscle to Mini Vans.

"This is all about having fun," said Carlisle. "None of races are timed, they're just good old fashioned grudge matches in a stoplight-to-stoplight environment. On the street, that would be illegal and very dangerous. We want to do everything we can to help the Jackson County Sheriff's Department curtail that kind of activity and make the streets in our area as safe as they can possibly be."

The first GMP Street Drag/Show N' Shine program will be held on Saturday, April 12.

All Street Drag bracket winners - as well as Show N' Shine category winners - will receive a trophy.

Gresham Motorsports Park will hold Street Drag/Show N' Shine events on the following dates:

Saturday, April 12
Saturday, April 26
Saturday, May 24
Saturday, June 7
Saturday, June 28
Saturday, July 26
Saturday, August 23
Saturday, September 6

http://accesswdun.com/article/2014/3/273036