The Utah Drift scene has been well, lacking. Many people have stepped up and tried to make it successful, but for one reason or another, it hasn’t thrived. This is the year we sincerely hope that changes. Brandon Wicknick is now competing in Formula D, and this first event of the season went remarkably well.
This is thanks in no small part to the guys who put it together. Jason Smith, Mike Fulkerson, Brent Cheney, and more behind the scenes all helped bring this event together and solicited the help of the drift community to see what works and doesn’t work.
This made the event fun and a great place to shake off the cobwebs.
Take a look at the pics and see what you can look forward to this year from the Utah drifting scene.
Words by Trent Bray, Photos by Michael Chandler and Trent Bray, Video by Trent Bray
*Article, photos and video are copyright of CAMautoMag.com and their respective owners. Images and words may not be re-posted, re-distributed, modified or copied without expressed written consent from CAMautoMag.com
A few weeks ago, we got the call that went something like this, “How would you like to ride around in a Ford Raptor on a snow covered track?” An emphatic yes was our response!
Jason Smith from Innovative Garage was on the other end of this call, and he happens to also be an instructor for the Ford Racing School, Raptor Assault, and Boss Track Attack at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT. The Ford Racing School allows you to get as little as 10 laps in a race-prepared Mustang up to a 4-day intensive course that nets you a competition racing license. Everyone wants to go fast, and we don’t always have the vehicle that allows us to do so. These Mustangs are nothing short of a competition car with a stripped-out interior, roll cage, racing seat with harness, and only a window net separating you from the thrilling action.
While the cars themselves are currently tucked away in garages at the track, they are getting upgraded and re-tuned for the 2013 season. And this season delivers no shortage of excitement as seat time is filling up already.
For most of us, we don’t have a race-prepped car ready to hit the track. We might have our daily driver ready for auto-x action with a suspension adjustment and different wheels and tires, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but a full-blown race car experience on a road course is hard to match. Miller Motorsports Park fortunately provides this experience with their Mustangs. The days start in the classroom where you are greeted with a Mustang Challenge car, and a searing orange Mustang that was used as the development mule for the Mustang Challenge car. The wall is littered with Mustang memorabilia and magazine covers. Not a bad sight in the house.
Moving on to the Raptors. Late last year, the Raptor Assault program was launched. The Raptor Assault program allows you to experience the off-road prowess of a Ford Raptor with skilled instructors helping improve yours skills. This can start with the Raptor Experience that lasts either a morning or afternoon where you can tackle different terrain from rock-crawling to desert racing. This is further enhanced when the instructor takes the wheel and shows you what it’s really capable of.
The One-Day Raptor Assault furthers this with more instruction and more freedom to tackle 900 acres of open desert. We are seriously hoping to get more involved in this over the coming season. Our short time in the Raptor pushed itself up near the top of vehicles I “Must Own”.
Again, a special thanks goes out to Jason at Innovative Garage for making this happen. Check out Miller Motorsports Park for your chance to drive these vehicles.
Words by Trent Bray, Photos by Michael Chandler and Trent Bray
*Article, photos and video are copyright of CAMautoMag.com and their respective owners. Images and words may not be re-posted, re-distributed, modified or copied without expressed written consent from CAMautoMag.com
The Utah Drift scene has been well, lacking. Many people have stepped up and tried to make it successful, but for one reason or another, it hasn’t thrived. This is the year we sincerely hope that changes. Brandon Wicknick is now competing in Formula D, and this first event of the season went remarkably well.
