Skid pad gives drivers place to drift without threat of getting arrested
By Steve Large
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SACRAMENTO, California (KMAX, KOVR) — A Sacramento skid pad for drivers to do donuts all day long aims to give them the thrill of spinouts without the threat of arrest.
The acre of asphalt located on Jackson Highway is for drivers daring to turn their vehicles into thrill rides.
“You don’t have to do it on the street, that’s the big thing,” said Flora Harding, who owns an automotive business that caters to racing.
Harding created this space for drivers to test and tune their cars, and is now attracting anyone seeking a safe and legal wild ride.
“Lately, there’s been a lot of sideshows and it’s affecting businesses, it’s affecting our streets, it’s affecting police activity,” Harding said. “It’s affecting a lot of stuff.”
“So we decided, you know what, we can give these people a safe place to do this, so they don’t get into trouble,” Harding continued. “So they don’t hurt themselves or other people.”
“We’re coming out just having some fun drifting on the weekend,” driver Matthew Gershey said.
Gershey is one of the drivers who paid the $100 price for admission.
“It’s a legal spot to do it and you don’t have to worry about risking your driver’s license on the streets or anything like that,” Gershey said.
Sacramento police are just one of many local law enforcement agencies working to crack down on illegal sideshows. Street takeovers can lead to impounded cars and fines and jail time. The governor signed four laws increasing penalties statewide in 2024.
“It’s kind of a little bit of like let’s get these kids off the street and let’s help our local police officers that have to deal with this every day,” Harding said.
An EMT is on site during operating hours and a helmet is required.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.
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