Brad Ocock, President of Driven Events, has developed a business plan to bring a motorsports park back to Northeast Georgia. Brad has hosted the famous Northeast Georgia Swap Meets every first Saturday of the month for years, most recently at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia until the track was sold. With the closing of Atlanta Dragway, racers and car enthusiasts alike lost their stomping grounds and were displaced with no alternative location available. People from all over Northeast Georgia and Upstate South Carolina, Lower Tennessee, even Florida would attend events hosted by not only Brad but other event companies this bringing in millions of dollars in tourist money to the local economy. The good thing about this tax revenue is that the county infrastructure did not have to be updated because these events are just that, events. People go home at the end of the day. This motorsports park would bring in millions to Franklin County and would give the car community a safe location to enjoy the sport that most have been involved with for generations. 

The location for the Motorsports park would be:

5616 New Franklin Church Road Canon, Ga 30520. Located in Franklin County Georgia  

An 112 acre tract that currently houses Joeys Auto and Truck Parts on half and is wooded on the other half. Per the land owner and Brad, Joey is looking to retire and the Land owner, John Palmer, is looking to sell. 

However, nothing worth having comes easy. The neighbors and residents along New Franklin Church Road, Cawthon Davis Road, and the surrounding area are highly against the idea. They have printed flyers and mailed to the surrounding community and plan on attending the next scheduled zoning meeting to express their opposition to the Motorsports park. 

Brad had to submit an application for rezoning in order to build the motorsports park. Under current zoning in Franklin County this parcel is listed as AI, AG Intensive. Under the new zoning map, half of the parcel would be zoned as HB, Highway Business, the other half would be zoned AG. With the new zoning map in affect, Brad and/or John, would only have to rezone the remaining half to HB. Under HB regulations, a commercial outdoor recreational center would be conditionally allowed. 

As the car community in NEGA, it is time to come together and voice our opinion in support of this park. We all need to show up at this meeting and explain how we were displaced with the closing of Atlanta dragway and this park would give us a nice and safe location for all of the events that we miss so dearly. It doesn’t matter if you’re a bracket racer, show car owner, shop owner, or swap meet attendee we need all the help we can get. 

Meeting information: 

Thursday, July 21st

5:30 pm

Franklin County Justice Center 

7085 Georgia Hwy 145, Carnesville, GA 30521

I have attached a link to the business plan for the proposed Motorsports park here: 

http://negeorgiaswapmeet.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Business-Plan-for-Franklin-County.pdf