A few days ago, I renewed the website and it occurred to me that I only made one post this year on DODOlogic. In my constant effort to improve things, I figured I could double my annual blog output by writing a second article. I know the obvious follow-up question is “How are you going to make a 2023 year-in-review post when you’ve only made one other post this year, Ryan?”
First, let me start by saying I appreciate your directness, but not your tone. Second, it turns out I had a busy year full of automotive happenings, however that content was put towards different efforts. I do still snap some photos – mostly so I don’t forget how to.
Remember when sitcoms used to do clip shows when they ran out of ideas? The idea was to recycle old content so they could deliver a new episode. Well, this is my clip show – made up of clips you probably haven’t seen.
I started the year (mid-February) riding shotgun across seven states in this 1JZ-GTE-powered Altezza. Kevin from SERIALNINE took part in Drift Week VII. Although they call it Drift Week, it’s more like two weeks of drifting.
The first stop was Musselman Honda Circuit in Arizona. This was honestly my favourite stop because the locals participated, and the Arizona drift scene was top-notch. There were just a lot of nice cars doing cool things.
The second stop on Drift Week VII was Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs International Raceway, and it was the coolest track. After years of watching videos and seeing photos from the track, it was a real treat to finally visit. (The first photo in this article of Naoki Nakamura’s S13 was also shot here.)
The next stop was Apple Valley Speedway, and it was cool to see some familiar faces at their home track. It also snowed there, which was not ideal because I did not pack enough warm clothes for snow in California.
In mid-April, I was at Final Bout SSNW in Medford, Oregon. I hadn’t been to a Final Bout since I was at Gallery post-pandemic. It’s amazing to see how Final Bout continues to evolve; the cars are still amazing, but the driving keeps getting better and better.
June was Wekfest in Seattle and SERIALNINE showed up in full force with a booth and a fleet of Toyotas. The year prior, only Kevin and I made it to the show. It was a real treat to go with a big crew this year.
Gerard from SERIALNINE brought his Toyota Blit. He insisted the car needed to have these MAEs fit for Wekfest, as it would help garner attention. I don’t disagree that the car looks great, but I still believe almost any iteration of Gerard’s Blit will turn heads. I mean, the Blit itself is one of those somewhat confusing platforms. “How so?” you may ask. It’s a JDM RWD, 1JZ-GTE-powered station wagon. So, not a common sight for most people.
If you look closely, you can see my Aristo peeking out from behind Cody’s 18 crown.
The July long weekend saw drifting return to Penticton Speedway, thanks to the folks at Capital Drift on the Island. The track has received a lot of upgrades, but the vibes are still very much the same.
For those in western Canada wondering if drifting in Penticton is still worth the trip, the answer is yes.
The rest of the summer consisted of a few car meets, like the City Techx anniversary and the annual Checkpoint pop-up car meet.
By September, car activities had started to slow, so Kevin and I hit the road again. This time, we found ourselves in eastern Washington State at Villains Sportsland for yet another drift event.
You’ve got to hand it to Kevin – the guy street drives to every event, and no matter how many taillights he smashes, tires he de-beads, or any number of risks that come with drifting, he always gets the car home.
It’s mildly funny to me that I used to make blog posts out of seemingly nothing. Then this year, when I spent the most time on the road, I barely made any posts. And most of that time on the road included Kevin from SERIALNINE. In 2023, Kevin set out to drift as many tracks as he could, and I set out to try to document as many of those travels as I could.
Truth be told, I missed two big ones – the first being the Ridge in Washington and the second being the Panic event in Oregon. But I’m still grateful for the year I had and for the people I’ve met. If you haven’t, check out SERIALNINE’s YouTube to see some of the other stuff I’ve been working on and give our podcast a listen on Apple, Spotify, or any platform you prefer.
P.S. Also thanks to my family for the support and understanding that it takes to do the things I love to do.
Wow! What a banner year!
Thanks for being you!