Drift Ruption hopes to develop high-speed tandem skills for local drivers to carry overseas. (Photo: Rory Daley)
Jamaica’s top drifters will head for JamWest Speedway, Westmoreland, on Sunday, June 15 for the opening round of the Drift Ruption series.
“Fans can expect to see the highest level of car skill, car control, and nail-biting competition. This is promising to be the most competitive motorsport event in Jamaica,” Kingsley Scott, event organiser and founder, told the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Auto magazine.
Billed as Jamaica’s first and only high speed drift series, drivers will use the last two corners of the JamWest Speedway leading on to the front straight.
Drift Ruption will not use the slower obstacle-based format as brought into use by the 2022 Red Bull Car Park Drift event.
“High speed drifting is a driving technique where the drifter breaks the rear wheels out of a grip position and counter steers the vehicle along a course. The course is designated by markers that consist of inner and outer clip zones,” explained Scott.
There are five clipping zones; two rear, two outer, and one front. The aim is to hit and keep the vehicle in all these zones all while transitioning between them all for one smooth run. Drivers gain points based on a variety of factors such as smoke, crowd response, drift angle, and line. The judging is split three ways across with Nigel Wilmot judging for style, Richard Rerrie for angle and line, while Brandon Griffiths judges transition. The maximum total is 200 points.
“Driver’s average speed is about 120kph,” said Scott.
The top 16 drifters will then battle it out in pairs of two in what’s known as tandem drifting to determine the top eight.
“They will get two runs in a lead and chase format, switching positions. For the tandem, the lead driver must do the course and will be scored accordingly, but the chase driver must mimic the lead driver. In doing so he does not have to go in the zones. Then it’s scored mostly off proximity, so the chase stays as close to the lead,” explained Scott.
He expounded that there has been a heightened sense of anticipation from local competitors, and that he and his team have been pulling out all the stops to have a smooth running event, including ensuring the correct camera placing for the judging.
“Driver interest is very high. This event is the only competition to truly show your skills. It isn’t our traditional car park event with some 360 degree turns and a possible second gear slide, so drivers are on a high at the moment. As we speak there are 16 registered drivers and we’re expecting more.”