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Drifters burn rubber in Manatee County
Drifters showed off their stuff at a major event in Manatee County Sunday.
MANATEE COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Drifters showed off their stuff at a major event in Manatee County Sunday.
Desoto Super Speedway in Bradenton has been hosting drifting events for the past few months to promote the sport of drifting and to give drivers a legal venue to practice their beloved sport.
For Brett Collins this is not just another Sunday drive.
"Really big adrenalin rush," Collins said. "I guess it's just a lot of fun."
He's preparing to qualify for a professional drifting license.
"You get the car as sideway as possible while maintaining control," Collins said.
Drifting is the motorsport where the driver is controlling a car in a slide around a set course.
Jennefer Underhill is a drifter.
"I've found it to be a beautiful sport," Underhill said.
Robert Flemming is a pro. He said his desire for drag racing drove him to drifting.
"Drifting has definitely gotten more into the mainstream light," Flemming said.
He said a lot of that has to do with Hulk Hogan's son, Nick. Flemming said Nick was involved with drifting long before his August crash.
"Everytime I've been in a race with him he's been nothing but a pro," Flemming said.
Usually drivers use imports like Mazdas or Nissans. They may not look luxurious from the outside but many of the drivers spend a lot of money making performance upgrades and they're constantly buying new tires.
"Ever since day one we've tried to promote drifting in the safest way possible, Flemming said.
But Flemming said there aren't many legal places to practice their sport. Desoto Speedway in Manatee County is the only spot he knows of.
"We want to see it grow," Flemming said. "So we will have more places to go."
"We're looking for places all the time to do the sport," Underhill said.
Sunday's event was a NOPI Qualifier. Which means Desoto gave out professional licenses to the qualifying drivers.
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