It is a period of civil war.
Drift enthusiasts, striking
from a hidden skid pad, have
won their first victory
against the evil of
anti-drift naysayers.
During the battle, rebel
drifters managed to steal
secret plans to the public’s
ultimate weapon, the
NOISE COMPLAINT, a legal
device with enough
power to destroy an entire
motorsport community.
Pursued by the public’s
sinister, bored old folk,
Rocky Mountain Drift Club
race home aboard their
drift cars – custodians of the
stolen plans that can save
their people and restore
freedom to the galaxy…
Nestled in a small town in southern Alberta lies A New Hope for Canadian drifting. The Rocky Mountain Drift Club is a group hoping to bring to life the passion of Albertan drifters, off the streets and onto a “track.” Set next to the town’s airstrip, the concrete pad – which appears to have once been an aircraft hanger – has proved to be a popular spot for drivers, especially those who can’t afford to drive all the way to Edmonton to practice.
While the track surface is far from perfect, this is almost definitely the most grassroots you can get. From the hay bales lining the track, to the unpaved road in, to the used tires as course markers, it’s truly for those who want to have fun and don’t care for a perfect track or a little (read: a lot) of broken aero.
A relief from the beater-spec, V8-swapped S-Chassis’ that plague much of the scene nowadays, there was no lack of variety in cars either. From a 20V AE86, a super-clean JZX100, to multiple R32/33/34s, every car was unique and it was awesome to see what each driver was capable of. The vibe of the event was incredibly positive all around. Even when someone bumped someone else in a sweet tandem or ruined another bumper, they just laughed it off and kept going.
Before making the four-hour trek to see what all the hype was about, I saw video from a previous practice with multiple drivers dropping tires in the dirt and thought to myself, “I need THAT photo.” And I’ll have you know I was as excited as a kid opening Christmas presents to see that I managed to get this shot. That photo is now the first shot you see in the article. Above you’ll find more dirt drops from another angle. It goes to show there were dirt drops aplenty at this event.
The group hopes to continue to host events and improve the venue, not to draw in crowds and revenue and commercialization, but in order to keep the thrill of drifting alive and drive more passion and enthusiasm to the sport. I know I’m personally already itching for next summer to roll around to experience it again – hopefully behind the wheel this time. Hope to see you (yes, you) out there!
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