registration is up for Driftwater 14, set for saturday may 26th.

don't let the event name fool you. it's open for both grip and drift. typically it's run in 1-hr sessions, switching between grip and drift throughout the day. attendees usually end up being about half grip guys and half drift guys, so it works out well.

as for the track itself, it's a huge 2-point-some-mile training track owned by US Training (formerly Blackwater, those mercenary guys that were in the news for killing people and general badassery). the straightaway is easily enough for over 100mph (i pegged out my 110mph guage, and was still braking wayyyyy early to be safe). past that it's a nice mix of 2nd/3rd/4th gear stuff, depending on your trans/diff gearing. lots of tricky corners too... increasing radius, decreasing radius, on camber, off camber... it's a really challenging track.

best of all: with a 40-driver cap (and with a bunch of people leaving midday because they're idiots), you end up getting a TONNNNNN of seat time. it gets very tiring. by the time they close the track in the evening, your body will be begging for an excuse to leave anyways.

second best of all: runoff for days. if you push too hard and slide off track, no worries, there's just grass and light gravel. you'd have to TRY to hit the far-out embankments.

tech is pretty relaxed too. battery tied down, firm seat, wheel lugs all in place, and you're pretty much good to go.

so far, 7 of the 11 registered drivers are from Raleigh, so if you decide to go you won't be alone!

sign up info is here:
http://myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEventDetail.Show?psevent_id=13146

[Edited on April 24, 2012 at 10:53 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on April 24, 2012 at 10:53 PM. Reason : {]

4/24/2012 10:51:38 PM

Events like these make me wish I fixed the Porsche instead of buying a BMW.

4/24/2012 11:26:58 PM

2 wheels ok?

4/25/2012 7:36:35 AM

My uncle had a driftwater 14, center console, great duck boat.

4/25/2012 8:02:39 AM

^^ probably not a good idea, and i doubt they'd allow it for safety reasons. this track would be a SICK course for a bike, but a lot of the corners/sections have gravel at the edges... it only takes one session of drifting (dirt-drops, spinouts, etc) for some of the corners to get littered with little rocks. it's bad enough for the hoosier'd miatas that come out the next session; it's definitely NOT something you'd wanna risk riding a bike through at high speeds.

4/25/2012 9:52:35 AM

How about a boat. Flat bottom skiff.

4/25/2012 1:30:46 PM

4/25/2012 6:40:04 PM