The 2013 Drift Union Invitational, a two-day drift event held at the Penticton Speedway racetrack in the Okanagan, awed audiences on June 29th and 30th. The event, hosted by the drift team Drift Union, attracted drifters from as far away as Vancouver Island and Saskatchewan to compete and enjoy the track with fellow drifting teams. Such teams included Team Platform Garage from Shawnigan Lake, HotBoyz from Alberta and Saskatchewan’s and Victoria’s very own drifting team Business Casual.
So you may be asking, what is drifting?
It’s a driving technique in which the driver of a car intentionally oversteers, creating a loss of traction in the rear wheels while simultaneously maintaining control — from entry to exit of a corner. Professional drifting competitions are held all around the world and are judged based on the car’s speed, angle and line taken through a corner or a series of corners. At the Okanagan DUI event, many of the drifting teams competed to win the main Team Tandem Competition in which a team of three to four people drift close to each other at the same time, matching each other’s speed, angle and line. It can be seen almost like extreme synchronized swimming as one person is leading the ground and everyone is following his line.
The DUI drifting car environment was both inviting and comfortable. It was thrilling to see cars come around corners at fast speeds, making that screeching sound you often only hear in movies. And although it was almost unbearably hot (almost 30 degrees) and very loud (ear plugs were handed out) there was shade to hang out in while observing this interesting car culture. In the end the B.C. team Independent Speed Shop won the main competition and the $1 000 grand prize. If you find yourself longing for the speed and excitement that is drifting, you can attend Victoria’s own Capital Drift this weekend.
Capital Drift Competition
Western Speedway (2207 Millstream Rd.), July 14th
Audience admission $10
