Mix a damp track with a modified Subaru BRZ and what’s a boy to do? Drift! Here’s our POV video, which we hope serves as some inspiration during the cold, cold winter.
This week we’re riding shotgun in Formula D competitor Mike Feiock’s Mazda RX-8 drift car at the No Star Bash 2015 at Gingerman Raceway. Mike’s rotary-powered RX-8 cranks out between 550 and 600 horsepower depending on the setup and tune he’s running on a particular day.
Entering the small dirt oval at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds, I was the subject of some attention. Situated among a host of Japanese runabouts and numerous other cars that could fit in the trunk of the Beast, I had no hope of being inconspicuous. In retrospect, signing this car up for a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Rallycross event likely wasn’t the best use of the Buick’s ability, but from the moment I spied this car sitting on gigantic truck tires, I knew it was destined for an off-road adventure. That adventure materialized on Saturday December 4, as the Beast and I made a 200 mile round trip to compete in Round 10 of the Detroit Region SCCA Rallycross—the season ender—in Marshall, Michigan. If you’ve already spied the destroyed orange cone in the photo gallery, you’ve likely deduced that things didn’t go so well. In that assessment, you would be correct.
If you are unfamiliar with Ken Block and his “Gymkhana” series, go to YouTube and watch parts 1 and 2 immediately. If you are familiar with Mr. Block’s antics, you will be pleased to learn that Gymkhana 3 is out.