Kill all bumpers.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Zmax Dragway. Fun fact: the only reason my S13 doesn’t have AC right now is due to a small engine fire from a crack in the turbo manifold at Zmax back in 2011. The course layout we were running at that event in 2011 is pretty much the same course layout that most drift events at Zmax have used over the years. The long run up to the first long sweeper which leads to a pair of lower radius turns allows for 70+mph entries with my heavier-than-stock, sub-300HP S13. It’s a simple but fun layout that works. Still, I always thought it would been cool to see what else people could come up with in such a large open lot. (Hey look, video from Zmax in 2011: YouTube)

East10Drift has been hosting events at Zmax recently and they decided to switch things up a bit with a Meihan Sportsland inspired track at their March event. Yep, that’s the track famous for being home to Team Burst, endless door-to-door drift trains and a nice long wall that can be seen shaving down rear bumpers and exhaust tips all over YouTube.

East10’s layout wasn’t a direct copy of Meihan, that would require an annoying amount of measuring, but what they came up with was a fun, well flowing track with the all important wall near the end of a long straight. Okay, their wall was actually at the end of the straight but it still got the job done.

I know, they aren’t the first in the U.S. to incorporate a rear bumper reducer. They aren’t even the first on the east coast, Swingset LLC has had them as part of their layouts, but I’m not sure I’ve seen a course layout that was planned around the primary focus of having a wall to slide down right in front of the spectators.

At drift events, I’m either sliding my ugly green S13 or running around on course with my fluorescent green vest and a media pass. I’m rarely limited to the spectator areas, so I don’t always appreciate just how close I can get to the action while others are limited to the nosebleeds. At East10’s Meihan Mayhem, I found myself standing within the crowd at times to get close up shots of drivers getting their Nakamura on for a day. I was actually standing between and slightly behind a few people when I shot the photo below.

I’m just theorizing, but had they rotated the course layout 180 degrees, East10 probably could’ve had a more lifelike Meihan layout with a more accurate wall placement that would’ve allowed for faster approaches. The downside would’ve been spectators needing binoculars to enjoy the main attraction of the layout while being stuck by the same long sweeper you find at every drift event in the world.

Drifting isn’t solely about the drivers like some other forms of motorsport. It’s a community made up of the drivers, the spectators who get hyped up by the nonsense drifters attempt and the people who pull them all together to have fun time. With that being said, I think this layout checked all the boxes needed for a fun event.

Now on to a few photos. Click here for the full gallery.

Rear ends did get shifted.

In drifting, you can’t be afraid to crash. Full commitment is the name of the game accepting that each run could be your car’s last.

Did someone say x-pipe? I still can’t believe how quiet this setup was. I don’t mean just quiet compared to what you’d expect, but this thing was one of the quieter cars out.

Click here for the full gallery.