taylor, thanks for the support.

I think you have to take some of my comments with a grain of salt. My position in the industry and my job requires me to be a nitpicky asshole. But when I throw in a comment like "haha donuts!" you have to understand that I'm really joking and not criticizing. It's hard to separate the two given the circumstances, but that's part of the fun in getting to know me, I suppose.

I agree with you -- they can get better. However they WON'T get better because their ideals are all screwed up. Read my letter to Tony -- he thinks drifting is ABOUT crashing. Not that crashing is a part of drifting. Not that crashing is cool. That "drifting is about crashing". He went so far as to say "If you are scared of the walls you shouldn't be drifting."

This type of commentary just goes to show that he doesn't understand the nature of what it is that we do. He said "I have a stack of drift videos and there are crashes in them all." But that represents a small percentage of the overall event participation. Look at the track records of events at hialeah so far -- you are dealing with high casualty rates.

I just find it saddening that the opportunity to work with us was poisoned by his greed. His motiviation for using Hialeah is purely financial. "It is cheap" he said. So if other suitable venues are too expensive based on the interest level, maybe it is an indication that you are trying to do things ahead of your time?

Look at Apple and the Newton. The Newton was a great PDA, but it was way ahead of its time. The item preceded the interest. That's why the Newton failed.

There are some things that you just can't force. If SFM continues in the vein they are going in, they are going to force themselves out of the picture, and possibly damage drifting in the process. This is exactly the type of thing that I had an argument with the New York Region SCCA Solo2 president about several years ago. SFM is emphasizing the spectator side of drifting at the cost of the safety of its participants. This is the type of situation that insurance companies go nuts over and pull policies about.

*I* personally know you are a good drifter, as well as Rob and Bill. However Tony does not know your experience like I do (through Matt whom you have known for a long time). He does not know enough about drifting to understand the consequences of your actions. *I* know that if there was an incident that neither of you would have cared, but that does not make the situation right. You have to do what is right at all times, even at the cost of having some fun.

DG is requiring added side impact protection for competition tandem, and strongly suggests it for tandem practice. We may even simply require it straight out. The cost of cages is so low through us and they are so easy to install and remove (AP bolt-ins) that it might as well be a requirement. But to just let some people out there of unknown skill level and unknown history (on his part) with minimal safety equipment is called gross negligence and is something you can get sued for when the shit hits the fan (or maybe the wall, in this case).

I love you guys. You all have a lot of potential. But please understand that this is not me trying to muscle anyone out. I am trying to protect YOU guys, not my interests. I am trying to protect OUR sport, not my wallet. I'd love to show you how much money I have LOST promoting this sport, promoting our events, and trying to make drifting more accessible and more fun. I wish you would understand how much of this is fueled by pure heart on my side, and how often I want to quit.

I already know about the other areas, and I'm looking into them. For the amount of people who want to particpate down in Miami, the cost of the event can't really be justified without some solid sponsorage. Primus is a stretch, but if everyone that came to D-Day 1 comes out for the second invasion, we should be in good shape.

Just remember who is looking out for your asses and who is having BBQs with you after his car catches on fire