UNION RULES? // DRIFTING @ GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL

I love to watch drifting. There is something so appealing to me about the skill required to control these tire shredding, smoke belching monsters that fascinates me. Every event I attend I learn something new and it just makes me want to learn more. I don’t know if I’ll ever cross the line to do it though.

At first I thought it just took big power and bigger cojones, to slide these cars around inches from the wall at triple digit speeds. Like all forms of motorsport I learned there is a lot more involved then a fast car and hand eye coordination. Power and a slight lack of self preservation doesn’t hurt... [read more]

I recently attended the Midwest Drift Union event held at Gateway International Road Course. This “roval” offers 7 turns of infield corners ranging from ‘esses’ to a big old carousel that the drivers get to slide around on, and slide they did! Some quite majestically, trailing billowing clouds of tire smoke while shrieking engines let out their cries. Others not so elegantly slid off the track, into the tire barriers or off into the grass. Nothing that more zip ties or less body panels couldn’t fix.

The on track action was as varied as the cars themselves. From the usual drifting staples of 240sx, AE86 and RX7s to the more unique Toyota Chaser, Lexus IS300 and Supercharged 350z. My personal favorites however were a toss up between the matte black, V8 Powered 240 that really has to be heard to be believed (Imagine a Le Mans C7R Corvette motor in a rather beat up shell….awesome), or the Stillen Supercharged 350Z with its distinct blower whine that left dense trails of smoke in its wake.

There were also some, shall we say, questionable things I saw this weekend. Some simply noteworthy, others in my opinion flat out dangerous.

The 240sx that was missing a third of its body structure, fenders, hood and bumpers really made the Tech inspector inside me cringe.

When I arrived at the track I watched the driver “massage” a bumper beam with a hammer so it could be affixed to the car with 2 bolts. This was supposed to absorb a rear impact? If that was the case what was to protect the gas tank, the rear diff? Noteworthy, but quite amusing to watch as it slid around the track.

More serious was the total lack of safety exhibited by people in the infield and the lack of corner Marshals with flags & fire-bottles. Maybe this was just the “Union Rules” for this group, but as a driver I would expect manned corner stations with safety equipment.

Emphasizing this point was the yellow 240 that had to stop at corner station with smoke pouring from under his hood. The driver stopped, jumped out and proceeded to rip his hood from the car while looking around for a fire crew. After he had run back to the cabin for his fire extinguisher, the on-track fire truck had started to drive over to him. We’re all told when starting out in motorsports that if you have a situation, try to get to a corner station for help, but what do you do when no one is there?

The day had started with a very stern, and to me, very unprofessional, safety lecture for for the “media”. Those of us who cover motorsport events accept and assume there is danger in what we do, its part of the gig. What I do not accept is that any Joe who wanted to walk into the infield and setup a camera ON the FIA curbing or lean ONTO the track in front of cars is considered OK. I saw a videographer almost get clipped by a car while standing on the curbing, at the apex, with his camera to his face. He laughed and said it was because he knew the driver…really? I know a lot of people at the events locally, none of them try to hit me. Oddly enough he wasn’t at the “media” meeting.

Of all the events I have been to at tracks across the Midwest, I have never seen a portable gas grill ON the safety wall separating portions of the track! If you want to BBQ go someplace that lacks the chance of a car hitting you, again people not at the “media” meeting. Other antics included spectators track side, on the infield jumping up and down waving their arms at the drivers they knew. Most would consider this distracting, or misleading behavior. Personally if I came around an apex sideways with my foot down and saw that, I would assume something was wrong and hit the binders. Maybe this has to do with the lack of flagmen as well?

I don’t know where the blame falls for the lack of safety. Either way we are fortunate nothing serious happened, at the end of the day everyone drove home. Next time this circus comes to town, I’m staying home and playing with old dynamite… its just as safe.

Click here for additional images.

Photo/Editorial: Shawn Manny