The Red Bull Car Park Drift event in 2022 was the first major evolution of Jamaican drifting, causing major changes in local drift series such as Slippery Wen Wett. (Photo: Rory Daley)
Jamaica’s drifting scene will make its next evolutionary move as the Q8 Oils Drift Ruption 2024 is scheduled for Sunday, October 6 at JamWest Speedway, Little London, Westmoreland.
“Drift Ruption is going to be history: This is the first high-speed drift event to be held in Jamaica,” Kingsley Scott, event organiser told the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Auto magazine.
Scott is recognised for his expertise in the genre, hosting the popular Slippery Wen Wett series that emphasised sideways action on timed cone-strewn courses.
With the coming of the Red Bull Car Park Drift event in 2022, Scott applied the lessons learnt, moving to a more points-based obstacle layout style common on the international scene.
“Due to my experience travelling to the Red Bull Car Park world championships in Saudi Arabia, and events in Trinidad, Q8 Oils reached out to have me on board with this big step in local drifting. An event of this size and level needs a team and I’m glad to have Q8 Oils’ support,” he shared.
A section of JamWest Speedway will be selected to allow for high-speed drifting.
“Most of our events that we do in Jamaica is considered low-speed, first gear kind of stuff. Seldom will a driver get to second gear. For this event, from the start, the driver will be in second gear because to get points the tyres must be smoking and maintain a certain angle, all while travelling at 60 mph or above,” said Scott.
Drivers will be judged on three criteria — style, angle/line, and transition. Style will be scored out of 60, while the other two have a maximum of 70 points assigned by the three scheduled judges — Nigel Wilmot, Brandon Griffiths, and Richard Rerrie. Style will be determined by tyre smoke and crowd response, amongst other benchmarks. For Line, drivers must keep their cars through the outer and inner clipping zones as marked for as long as possible. Angle refers to how sideways the car is through these zones. As the vehicle must move from one drift zone to the other, it will be judged on how best it performs this transition.
It’s not only about the drifting, as the prize purse is the largest in Jamaican motorsports history. The winner will take home $500,000; $300,000 goes to second, and $200,000 to third.
“This event will be the perfect chance to show the world the level of drivers we have, and the world will be watching,” said Scott.