Low Style Heroes Vol. 1

Style is a choice. Skill is earned. Low Style Heroes Vol. 1 at Shenandoah Speedway had plenty of both.

Shenandoah Speedway, positioned in the middle of nowhere Virginia, was recently host to one of the most Japanese feeling drift events you can probably have in the States. From the cars and drifting to the people and atmosphere, the whole event had a very chill, Japanese sort of vibe to it. Also, we can’t forget the presence of Akinobu “Abo” Satsukawa who epitomizes the Japanese drift style. Abo’s ability to mesh skill and style set the overall tone for this event.

We drifters tend to have a particular driver that we really respect for being able to successfully mesh skill and style. In most cases, we’re big fans of someone purely for their skill as a drifter while we really appreciate someone else for their vision in building a very aesthetically appealing car. Finding someone who successfully meshes those two together isn’t very common. I’ll have to explain this a little further.

On one hand, you usually have the drifters with a ton of skill behind the wheel who drift a car that functions perfectly, as it should, but lacks actual style. Basically, insanely skilled drivers drifting pure-purpose built cars with a million horsepower, more positive rear camber than Doc’ Brown’s flying DeLorean and enough wheel gap up front to hide a few more turbos for the LS under the hood.

On the other hand, you have those with a car that screams “Style!” but who may struggle to link a pair of turns when it comes to actual drifting. These would be the more novice drifters who drive cars that could’ve been pulled straight from a Japanese touge. They tend to feature “enough” power from its SR/RB/1J, scrape the ground with suspension bits from Yahoo auctions Japan, sport 3-piece wheels with more lip than your spoiled niece and bodywork that’ll ease the pain of the sorest of eyes.

Then, you have the Abo’s of the drift world who successfully mesh high-level driving with a car that prioritizes style above all else.

Abo’s R32 Skyline sports an RB20DET that isn’t heavily modified and suspension that’s tailored more towards ground hugging stance rather than perfect handling. This makes the fact that he can still hang with the best and stay competitive all the more impressive. Abo and his team back home, あ〜ぼ〜ムーン (A-Bo-Moon), demonstrate that high level drifting and low style setups can play well together.

Thanks to Swingset LLC, Abo and his more-doors-for-more-woos-R32 where shipped stateside to rub doors with Forest Wang and a herd of other American drivers who shared his view on how drifting should be done.

For a drift event in the States, the amount of JDM cars rolling around was pretty high. In addition to the obligatory R32 Skylines, there were S13 and S15 Silvias, 180sx’s, Chasers, C33 Laurels, AE86 Truenos and Levins as well as a kei van and truck scurrying around.

Snaking around the oval track, through the infield then back out onto the oval track, the drift course seemed to have something for all drivers and car setups. It featured a long, banked curve leading into a straight that was perfect for manji’ing or powering through. This lead into a low speed, boxed left turn that mimicked sliding through streets of an industrial zone as drivers picked up speed sliding around a set of shipping containers into a hairpin turn. Out of the hairpin, drivers were lead passed a delivery truck size box of cement barriers towards a long Meihan style wall, perfect for sanding the paint off rear bumpers. To end the run was one more banked turn into the exit. It had a good balance of sections that were technical and those where going flat out was encouraged.

Aside from the actual drifting, one of the best parts of Low Style Heroes Vol. 1 had to be the overall atmosphere. The lights went black at 10pm but the energy continued through the night with a party like energy that blurred Friday into Saturday. During the day, spectators occupied the same space as the biggest names in attendance. Everyone seemed like a familiar face with no hesitation to chat it up like old friends despite having just met. Drama free drifting, friendly people and awesome cars made this event great.

Although, if I’m completely honest, the atmosphere was how I expected it to be. This wasn’t because I had a hunch going in or based off the names of those in attendance, but because that’s how drifting is. Go to any open-drift event and you’ll find the same sort of welcoming atmosphere. That’s one of my favorite things about the drifting community and why I doubt I’ll ever leave it.