Citing neighborhood opposition to noise from drifting competitions, the Aloha Stadium Authority yesterday declared it is "inclined not to approve future drifting events at the stadium."

The resolution came on a 5-2 vote, with two abstentions, after testimony by state Rep. Lynn Finnegan, R-32nd (Lower Pearlridge, 'Aiea, Halawa), circulation of a resolution from the Aliamanu/Salt Lake/Foster Village Neighborhood Board and several e-mails asking that drifting no longer be permitted in the stadium's parking lot.

Drifting events — in which drivers maneuver their cars in a controlled slide — were held in the lower parking lot in January and February and have been scheduled for July 28 and Nov. 17-18.

No one spoke on behalf of drifting at the meeting and Tracy Arakaki, manager of Punish 'UM Drift Series LLC, which promotes drifting events, said he was "very disappointed" his group wasn't notified of the meeting and able to rally its supporters. A pre-meeting agenda listed "drifting events" and noted Rep. Finnegan's appearance.

Finnegan characterized some of the sounds emanating from the events "as screeching noises" akin to "fingernails on a chalkboard." She said despite efforts by the authority and promoters, "it has just really, really, really got a lot of the community members — and I don't think I'm exaggerating — but a lot of the community members are so disturbed at the noise that they actually leave their homes that day or they deal with it. And some of them are elderly so that they are not able to leave their homes."

Arakaki said "they keep saying tons of complaints when it has been a handful."

Authority member Kathryn W. Inouye said she believed the stadium is, "not an appropriate venue for the event." She said, "you can't abate the noise unless you put a cover on the stadium."

In an e-mail, Arakaki said, "I do a motorsports TV show on KFVE and when Hawai'i Raceway Park was open there were not the packs of 200-300 cars roaming on O'ahu looking for places to drift like there (are) today and the problem is only going to get worse. The (Legislature) killed the bill to study a track this past session. So, what's next? Are they going to wait (until) another high profile fatality before they explore solutions?"

State comptroller Russ Saito told the stadium authority the state has asked the federal government about the permissibility of making available a parcel of Department of Defense land at Kalaeloa for racing. In addition, Saito said another plot at Kalaeloa belonging to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is a possibility. Saito said the DOD parcel is already blacktopped.

The authority directed its chairman, Kevin Chong Kee, to "write letters to the governor and mayor requesting that they renew efforts to find a suitable location for motorsports on the island of O'ahu as soon as possible."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.