Professional drivers offer safer organized alternatives to street racing

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Street racing and speeding have become pressing concerns for the city of Fargo over the past few years, with the city striving to address the issue for quite some time. Recognized as a dangerous activity by many, racing on everyday streets has sparked a discussion about finding safer alternatives within the racing community in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

While acknowledging that they got their start on the streets, members of the local racing community are now advocating for safer options. Cody Buchanan, a professional drift racer, recalls his early days of drifting on the streets. He recognizes the lack of organized events in town.

“There wasn’t anything going on around town to where we could actually go and drift,” Buchanan said. “Ever since we got a track locally, I haven’t touched the streets.”

Buchanan has been involved in drifting and racing professionally for approximately 10 years, and his skills earned him a Formula Drift license in Las Vegas in 2021. He believes that the city’s proposed solution of adding roadblocks or speed bumps to prohibit racing would prove more inconvenient for everyday commuters.

“I mean, even thinking about it in a natural driving sense, That’s going to cause so many traffic jams,” Buchanan said. “and it just doesn’t make sense,”

Buchanan’s sentiments are shared by many of his colleagues who are also part of the racing community. They believe that regardless of any measures implemented by the city, street racing will continue to persist.

To provide a firsthand understanding of the safer way of drifting, these professional racers demonstrated just how safe it can be, and will continue to do so throughout the year, With the next events taking place June 2-4.

“You can see what our culture is about; it really is a sport for everyone,” said Ethan Seigel, Drift Track manager.

Members of the racing community in the F-M area recognize the need for change but also believe in the importance of establishing regulated racing spaces to ensure the safety of both racers and the public.

You can find more information on organized drift meetings and race days, here.

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