Where can you hang with your favorite driver–and maybe even throw some cornhole together? The Formula Drift paddock, that’s where.
“I feel like I get paid to have one of the best spectator seats in the house,” pro driver Daniel Stuke contends. “We like throwing cornhole–we’ve been doing it for years. We had a fan, Barry, make us our own custom cornhole bags. Having fans chilling, throwing bags, hanging out and making them feel like a part of our team is one of the biggest reasons why I choose Formula Drift.”
Daniel Stuke. Photo by J.A. Ackley.
Formula Drift fosters this environment with an open paddock and as few barriers as possible. In fact, it’s one of the places where drivers actually want to mingle with–what some forms of motorsport view as–the unclean.
“Our drivers are like our fans,” Formula Drift’s Bryan Olfert says. “They’re similar in age, in interests–relatable. The access is unlike any other form of motorsport. It creates an experience where the fans get to connect with a driver on a personal level. You can’t walk up to your favorite NASCAR driver or IndyCar driver and just say, ‘Hey, how are you?’”
Bryan Olfert. Photo by J.A. Ackley.
Legendary NASCAR broadcaster Ken Squier frequently described stock car drivers as “ordinary people doing extraordinary things.” And it held true, with drivers such as Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott and Darrell Waltrip.
Not too far removed from their blue-collar roots, those NASCAR stars often raced door handle to door handle at sustained speeds more than three times what you could do on the highway. Fans related to them.
In turn, the drivers related to fans, too. You’d even occasionally see NASCAR drivers at local races, and likewise, today’s Formula Drift drivers often shred tires at grassroots events. There’s a lot of parallels.
Somehow, though, NASCAR lost that magic connection to the masses. Some cite the increasing influence of sponsorship, which led to the sport “going corporate.” Will history repeat itself?
Formula Drift currently enjoys a fairly robust fan zone, with involvement from several household-name sponsors such as Toyota, the U.S. Air Force, Rockstar Energy Drink and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Yet, at least so far, Formula Drift and its drivers maintain that vibe from the heyday of NASCAR.
The busy Formula Drift paddock at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by J.A. Ackley.
“I don’t think we’ll lose that element of the sport by the nature of the sport and the drivers,” Bryan says of the current vibe Formula Drift offers. “Even the most successful drivers in this series are still signing autographs, taking photos. I’ve never seen a situation where they’ve been beyond that or not willing to reach out.”
Jeff Jones. Photo by J.A. Ackley.
Maybe that’s because Formula Drift drivers simply love a good party, and a good party often involves a great crowd. Or perhaps, through the smoke of freshly shredded tires, they see the role a professional form of motorsport has in the grand scheme of things far more clearly than others.
“Fans are what keep motorsport going,” pro driver Jeff Jones says. “You never know if the next little kid who walks up to you at 10 years old is going to be the guy kicking your ass in 10 years. Every engagement is an opportunity to inspire somebody to be the next badass or somebody designing something cool. You don’t do it for the sponsors. You do it because it’s the right thing to do.”
Fans taking home a souvenir. Photo by J.A. Ackley.
Comments
NickD
MegaDork
5/26/25 12:43 p.m.
Been going to Formula Drift New Jersey for years, and it’s definitely a lot of fun. The price for a full weekend is reasonable, general access still allows you to enter the pits and walk right up to the drivers and cars, everyone is pretty laid back and friendly (with a few exceptions, there’s one or two drivers that hide in the hauler), and I’ve dragged a few non-car people to an event and they’ve genuinely loved it.
Growl_R
New Reader
5/26/25 2:55 p.m.
Anything measured by ‘style points ‘ is an exhibition, not a competition!
NickD
MegaDork
5/27/25 8:41 a.m.
In reply to Growl_R :
It’s not judged by “style points”, it’s judged by actual measurable metrics. Proximity (to the driver ahead of you if chasing or to the clipping points and zones if leading), angle, and following the proper line of the course.
I’ve been going to FD since 2013. Absolutely love it. The drivers are far more approachable than any other racing series I’ve attended.
NickD
MegaDork
5/27/25 10:44 a.m.
Austin Cannon said:
The drivers are far more approachable than any other racing series I’ve attended.
I remember the first year I went (NJ 2014 at Wall Stadium Speedway), I got in line for the free post-qualifying autograph session which ran for an hour and then the driver’s had to go report to a mandatory driver’s meeting. I’m in line, it’s like 5 minutes before the session ends, and I’m not even close to the table. I see Vaughn Gittin Jr. stand up, look and see how long the line is, and then realizing that not everyone was going to make it through before they had to leave, he just started walking down the line, signing asa many autographs, shaking as many hands and taking as many photos as he could before he had to go. A real class act.
In reply to NickD :
Vaughn is a great dude; honestly I think most of the drivers are. I met Pat Goodin at FD West Palm Beach in 2013, and he told me that there was a pro-am event the next weekend and he was spotting for another driver (Alec Hohnadell) that drove for the same team. I met Alec at that event, and then traveled with his family to FD Atlanta and FD Miami in 2014. Still friends with both of them over 10 years later!
In reply to NickD & Austin Cannon:
In the past, on the media side of things, Vaughn has also been fantastic to work with. He understands the assignment when it comes to interacting with the public.
NickD
MegaDork
5/27/25 2:30 p.m.
In reply to J.A. Ackley :
Jarod Deanda always refers to Vaughn as “the Carrol Shelby of our generation”, and it’s hard to argue with. Except Vaughn seems much more on the up-and-up than Shelby, who could be kind of a shyster.
In reply to NickD :
I know it’s big shoes to fill, but I’d liken Vaughn to being the Richard Petty of drift. He’s a pioneer of the sport who’s extremely fan friendly, just like Petty.
In reply to NickD :Sounds like NHRA drag racing. Ever hear 11,000 (!) horsepower start right in front of you?
Displaying 1-10 of 18 commentsView all comments on the GRM forums
You’ll need to log in to post.