The 2019 Drift Matsuri lived up to all the hype.
Over 150 cars, 3 tracks, the ‘Party in the pits’ and SO much more.
The atmosphere was electric all weekend.
Sit back and enjoy just some of the highlights from an epic event!
Drift Matsuri held its 7th annual end of year event at Anglesey Race Circuit in North Wales. Since 2013 it has grown to become the one event that many of the drift scene strive to do regardless of other competitions, practice days and demos.
The weekend really starts early as most people try to leave work early on Friday, making their way to the track from all corners of the United Kingdom along with a few from Ireland.
The paddock quickly filled up with drivers setting up their pit area and checking over their cars before a long weekend of drifting. The rain didn’t dampen people’s spirits as they caught up with friends, fitted their sun strips and got their cars scruitineered.
Saturday morning kicked off with driver briefings before the tracks went live for the morning session. The usual three tracks were open for all drivers, giving them the option to swap between them as much as they wanted.
The fast track is always popular as its one of the only times that drivers can drift at such high speeds with many drivers managing to link the first corner to the hairpin without needing to manji the straight.
The touge track is the other busy layout with the queue often being the biggest throughout the event. The drivers didn’t have to wait long between runs with large trains of cars leaving the start line.
This track twists its way up the hill to the top of the circuit before looping back around and down to the finish. It’s a favourite of many of the drivers and spectators too as the view is incredible!
Aside from the attraction of being able to drive several different tracks within one venue, Drift Matsuri gives drivers of all abilities a chance to drift together and learn from each other. It’s not uncommon to see a British Drift Championship driver on track with drivers that may have never competed before.
The spectators get to see a wide variety of cars on track, the usual S-Chassis and R-Bodies were well represented but also some rarer cars were out on track.
Harry Hudson has been getting everyone’s attention this year in the ex-Huxley Motorsport RA28 Celica. The car is driven hard in Driftcup and this event was no different, Harry managed to hit some tyres causing some damage to the car but he was still enjoying himself afterwards!
Ford might not be the brand that you associate with drifting but they were out in force with a few Escorts and even an Escort van.
A quick walk through the paddock wasn’t possible with so many cars to draw your attention away at every turn.
The end of the day came around after what felt like only a few hours but as the light faded the drifting wasn’t over. A selection of invited drivers lined up for the night demos. Think 40+ drivers, very little lighting other than what’s on the cars and large trains of cars on track at the same time.
The drivers really excelled this year with their lighting solutions with several cars sporting rally light bars and neons.
The night session was purely for the entertainment of the crowd which loved every minute of it.
After an hour or so the drivers all left the line together for a couple of runs in trains of 20+ cars before the session ended with a fireworks display.
That ended the track action for the day but the party was only just starting for many people around the track. The official party was in one of the pit garages with Mike Lewis smashing out the tunes until the early hours but groups of friends could be seen all over the paddock having their own parties.
Sunday morning was a slow start to the day for the guys that partied until late but for others they were eager to head out onto the tracks for another full day of drifting.
After another 7 hours of drifting the paddock slowly started to clear out, drivers loaded up their cars and headed home, memories made that will need to last through the next year before we will do it all over again. Until next time!
For 6 years, Drift Matsuri has marked the end of the season for many in UK Drifting with a festival weekend at Anglesey Circuit.
More than 150 drivers took part in the on track action with multiple layouts in use throughout the weekend with thousands of spectators lining the track to catch all of the action. The paddock filled up quickly on Friday evening as people headed to the track from all over the country, it wasn’t uncommon to find people that had travelled 7 or more hours to be there.
There was something for all levels of drivers, the first of the three tracks was a simple hairpin which was being used to attempt backward entries by the more experienced drivers.
The next track is the touge style run up through the corkscrew before cresting the hill and winding its way back down the other side, a favourite for drivers looking to run in large trains of cars.
The final track layout is the fastest of them all, many of the BDC drivers were managing fourth gear for much of the track although drivers will less powerful cars were still having plenty of fun on this layout too!
As the tracks opened on Saturday morning the drivers flooded out onto the start lines, all trying to get the most seat time out of the day. The drivers swapped between the tracks whenever they wanted so if there was any downtime on one track everyone ran on one of the other tracks so there was no reason to be sat in long queues for anyone.
The weekend really brings everyone together one last time before the winter, from BDC drivers to grassroots drivers, which means it’s a great chance for people to drive with more experience drivers and learn from them.
As the sunlight faded the tracks closed to the majority of drivers with around 40 selected drivers lining up ready for the night demos. In the past we have seen battles between the UK and Irish drivers but this year they would all work together to put on a show for the crowds.
The atmosphere around the track was great with everyone joining the commentators in some banter whenever the odd car had to be recovered off track or tyres put back in place, even the drivers that had spun out were joining in!
The evenings track action came to a close with a fireworks display and possibly the longest drift train the UK has seen, with all of the drivers that leaving the start line one after another. As they got to the hairpin there were cars everywhere with drivers taking different lines, everyone made it through without any damage so it was now time to party through into the early hours!
Sunday morning is always quiet in the paddock with everyone recovering from a late night on Saturday, it’s also the ideal time to take a look around at the variation of cars that come to the event. BDC driver Matt Denham’s RX8 sat looking a bit sorry for itself after breaking early on Saturday morning.
AE86’s always make a popular appearance in large numbers at Drift Matsuri, this year was no different.
The tracks were opened up for another day of drifting shortly after 9am but that wasn’t the only thing for spectators to do during the days, one of the garages had been turned into a carpeted RC Drift track.
By the end of Sunday the drivers had started to filter out of the track, several cars were needing repairs, others had ran out of tyres but they all left with smiles on their faces!
It’s been another memorable Drift Matsuri, bring on the next one!
It is with great pleasure we can announce the Drift Matsuri at Anglesey circuit will take place on Saturday and Sunday the 27th and 28th October.
Once a year the picturesque circuit opens its doors to drifting.
This allows us to run 3 very different track, the National track which contains the bank hairpin and the fastest corner drifted in the UK.
The Touge track, up the Cork Screw and over the mountain. This is one of the highlights for many with trains of cars using this layout all weekend.
The Hairpin, used by the experts for practicing backwards entries. Along side them, drivers who want to get their nerves settled and maybe its their first event. The perfect section of the circuit for beginners.
The night time demo is also a highlight for many. Drivers are invited to take part in what is a fantastic spectacle. The track may appear lit to you, for the drivers its a different story. They need all their skill and judgement to make sure they are prepared for drifting at night time.
The after party – the ‘Party in the pits’ sees the beats drop when the engines are turned off.
DJ Kuta will be dropping the tunes once again. Those who have been know how good the vibe, tunes and whole experience is.
Tickets
www.driftmatsuri.com/tickets
Drivers
A weekend ticket is £340
A Saturday ticket is £179
A Sunday ticket is £179
Spectators
Advanced tickets
A weekend ticket is £30
A Saturday ticket is £20 (Pay £30 and have £10 refunded on removal of Saturday wristband* before 9pm). *Only Saturday wristbands will be refunded.
A Sunday ticket is £15
On the gate prices
Weekend ticket £35
Saturday ticket £25 (Pay £35 on arrival and have £10 refunded on refunded on removal of Saturday wristband* before 9pm). *Only Saturday wristbands will be refunded.
Sunday ticket £20.
There are few more announcement to be made in the run up to the event, so make sure you check out our Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat account at @driftmatsuri
Spring Matsuri has quickly become the place to be at the start of each drift season, hosted at Rockingham Motor Speedway featuring two days of drifting, four tracks, a skate park, RC drifting, the first round of the HEL Performance Driftcup and even an after party on the Saturday night!
It’s easy to see why Spring Matsuri has become such a well known event for both the drivers and the fans.
The four tracks across the venue challenge the drivers in different ways, the oval features two tracks with high speed transitions on the banking providing a great chance to run the wall in multiple places on each run.
The Infield track is always popular, it’s one of the longest continuous tracks used in the UK with the drivers pushing themselves to link each corner together.
The final track is the Outer Paddock, on Saturday this custom layout is available to all of the drivers before the Driftcup drivers take over on Sunday for the first round of their 2018 season.
The outer paddock layout started off with fast sweeping corners before progressively tightening toward the end of the track, this gave chase drivers every opportunity to close up on the lead car.
The selection of cars at the Matsuri weekends is always impressive and this time was no exception! There were plenty of the usual S13s, S14s and Skylines, alongside rarer chassis choices like Martin Wonnacott’s JZX100 or Leonard Kepert’s monster of a BMW E46.
Something that stands out at these events is the range of driving talent on track at any time, from grassroots drivers to current British Drift Championship entrants.
If the track action wasn’t varied enough there was always the RC drift track with a huge selection of cars for people to try out on their custom track, every time we looked in it was clear that it has become a popular addition to the event.
Team Extreme ran a few demos each day on the skate park that had been constructed for the event, performing their tricks on BMX’s and Scooters. Mark Webb, professional BMXer and drifter also joined in with the displays.
As the darkness drew in on Saturday the tracks closed but it wasn’t the end of the action, the Outer Paddock came to life with the team battles. Each team featured three drivers running together with the aim of impressing the crowds in order to advance through each stage of the competition.
A couple of hours of great drifting followed before the fireworks ended the track action for the evening before the after party kicked off, continuing into the early hours.
Sunday morning came around and it was time to do it all over again on the oval tracks and the infield, whilst Round 1 of the 2018 HEL Performance Driftcup took place on the outer paddock.
The spectators flocked to the wall on the outer paddock to watch as the Driftcup drivers battled hard throughout the day, running in close proximity to each other and the wall in front of the fans.
By the end of the weekend many tyres had been shredded, a lot of fun had been had by all and everyone left the event with smiles on their faces.
It had been another successful Spring Matsuri, an event that continues to grow each year, we are already looking forward to the next one!
As we get closer and closer to the start of the drift season, tickets for the Spring Drift Matsuri close TODAY!
ALL tickets will be removed from sale at 8pm tonight.
You will still be able to buy tickets on the gate when you arrive.
Under 14’s go free of charge, ticket prices start at £16.50. Go to the tickets tab NOW!
If you arrive on the day, tickets will be as follow
We look forward to seeing you over the weekend!
Don’t miss HEL Performance HEL DriftCup round 1 2018 on Sunday.
The stars of tomorrow today doing battle in the Outer Paddock.
The Infield and Oval both transformed in to a drifters heaven!
Radio Controlled car drifting in garages 25/26/27 care of Getyourdrifton. Bring your own drift car if you have one! Drivers from across the UK and Europe will be on site!
Team Extreme on site doing their thing both days on a purpose built half pipe in the inner paddock.
Night time battles in the outer paddock!
Teams of three cars side by side under floodlights – YOU! The crowd are the judges!
Then the party really kicks of in the ‘Party in the Pits’. bring your dancing show and get ready to party the night away!
#Springmatsuri2018
#Rockingham
#Bethere
With just over a week before we head to Rockingham Motor Speedway for the 2018 Spring Matsuri, here are a few more details you need to know.
Arrival times
The gates will open to everyone at 3pm on Friday the 9th. They will then reopen at 7am on Saturday and Sunday morning.
GATES WILL CLOSE AT 9PM PROMPT ON FRIDAY.
Please plan your journey to arrive before the gates shut to avoid disappointment.
The gates will close at 10pm on Saturday night.
Sunday drivers, you are permitted to arrive on Saturday if you wish. If you do, we ask that you park in the spectator area until Sunday.
Saturday drivers, we ask that you park your cars in the spectator area on Sunday to allow your fellow drivers plenty of room in the pits.
Camping
Camping is free of charge to all those attending, Please be aware that there is no camping in the Inner Pits. All tents and caravans MUST be located in the camping area.
There is hard standing and a grassed area. DO NOT DRIVE ON THE GRASS! You WILL get stuck! The grassed area is for tents only.
Facilities are found in the Rockingham main building. Showers can be found to the rear of the Outer Paddock area.
TICKETS
You must have a copy of the ticket that was emailed to you when you placed your order. This contains a bar code that will be scanned when you arrive. This will be exchanged for your wristbands.
No Ticket – No entry. If you have an issue at the gate, simply pay for a wristband and the gate staff will tell you who to contact once in the venue.
Your ticket can only be scanned once and you will receive all the wristbands you have paid for.
We will not be holding any wristbands for your guests/mates/drivers/crews. It is YOUR responsibility to arrange to get them to the rightful owner.
PADDOCK ACCESS
Infield drivers ONLY will have access to the Inner paddock area.
ALL other vehicles MUST be parked in the camp site or spectator area.
TRAILERS
There are to be NO TRAILERS in the paddock areas, this includes the Outer Paddock pits.
Cars MUST be unloaded and driven sensibly to your paddock area.
The unloading areas and trailer park in marked on the map below.
Drivers will receive a much more detailed email in the next few days.
As most of you will know, the Drift Matsuri events aren’t just a drift practice day.
There are additional elements to the events which make them stand out from our normal drift events.
This year we are delighted to announce the return of the popular ‘Team Triple Drift Competition’.
This will take place on the Outer Paddock on Saturday night under flood lights.
Teams of three cars will battle it out to see who will be crowned champions in 2018.
*** Only drivers who are taking part in the event may take part, no drafting people in ***
We have room for 16 teams only, we will do a live draw to see which lucky teams will be entering the competition.
The champagne is already on ice and the trophies for the winners are here waiting to be presented.
Who can take part in the event? We hear you ask.
ANY DRIVER who is driving at the event can take part!
Teams must be made up of three cars and drivers, you will drive together and be judged on your runs.
Who will be judging? The crowd will be the judges, we know the wall will be filled with people cheering on their drivers. We will have a panel of guest judges watching over the event who will give their opinion should there be a need for a One More Time.
To enter the event, you must fill in the following form with your team name and a list of drivers in your team.
Places will be limited, we will do a LIVE draw to see who will be the lucky teams to take part in the event.
You have 5 days to sort out your team names and the drivers in your team. Then submit your application and we will do the rest.
*** Drivers can only drive in one team ***
Get your strobes, neons and light bars ready to be part of the action!
Once the teams have been picked, we will start a Facebook group for the team captains where all the information you need for the event will be announced.
Good luck!
Are you ready to book for THE Drift event to kick start the 2018 season?
We have had a number of enquiries regarding ticket sales, so we thought we would clarify everything before tickets go LIVE tomorrow and 8pm.
** Tickets #2 #3 and #4 do not include the Outer Paddock **
Driver tickets can not be re sold, the driver named must be the driver using the ticket.
Driver tickets are refundable with a 20% fee up to March 4th at 8pm. There will be no refunds offered after this time.
Spectators
Saturday
Weekend
A weekend spectator ticket is £30 if bought on line in advance or £35 on the gate.
Sunday
A Sunday ticket is £16.50 if bought in advance or £20 on the gate.
All spectator tickets are none refundable.
*** Please note, if you are not in possession of a valid ticket or wristband, you will not be granted access to the venue under any circumstances ***
The links you need to buy tickets
The details you all need for the event are as follows:
Tickets will go on sale on Sunday the 11th February 2017 at 8pm.
Details of where to buy tickets will be announced on Friday 9th February at 9pm.
Driver tickets
Saturday
There will be a two types of driver tickets for Saturday;
The first will be for the Outer Paddock area ONLY. This will be the same track as used for round one of DriftCup on Sunday. A bespoke layout which will encourage proximity drifting. Places will be limited to ensure plenty of seat time for all – £99 (Driver only)
The second driver ticket will be for the Infield and Oval layouts – £179 (Driver + 1)
*** Saturday Outer Paddock driver ticket is a single ticket for the driver only *** This will allow the driver to attend as a spectator on Sunday.
Sunday and weekend tickets
You will be able to buy a driver ticket for Sunday – £179 (Drivers + 1)
A discounted driver ticket for the weekend – £340 (Driver + 1)
The driver MUST be named within 7 days
*** DRIVER TICKETS ARE NONE TRANSFERABLE – DRIVER TICKETS CAN NOT BE SOLD ***
Garages
Garages (24 available) that holds two cars for the weekend with access from Friday £100
Spectator tickets Online
A Saturday spectator ticket will be £20, £30 payable and a refund of £10 if the holder leaves site before 21.30 with removal of wristband.
A weekend spectator tickets will be £30 if bought in advance from the website.
A Sunday spectator ticket will be £16.50 if bought in advance from the website.
Spectator tickets on site
A Saturday ticket will be £25, £35 payable and a refund of £10 if the holder leaves site before 21.30 with removal of wristband.
A weekend spectator ticket will be £35
A Sunday ticket will be £20
*** All spectator tickets are none refundable ***
Passenger wristbands will be available for sale at £25 per day
Additional drivers will be charged £50 per day
Camping is free of charge for all
Drivers, if you buy two tickets or someone else pays for your ticket, you MUST tell us the drivers name. Tickets WILL BE REFUNDED if we are not told within 14 days!
Driver tickets are not to be sold or transferred. The person named must be the driver on the day. There will be a reserve list set up for those who miss out on buying a ticket.
*** RESERVE LIST ***
If you fail to secure a ticket, we will be operating a reserve list, to be placed on the reserve list you must send a message to us via the Drift Matsuri facebook page. Drivers will be placed on the list in the order of request.
The reserve list will not be started until all places have been sold. We will announce on Facebook once the event has sold out. No reserve list entries will be taken until this time.
Refunds
All driver and garage tickets:
A 75% refund will be granted up to and including Sunday the 4th March 2017.
No refunds will be offered after Sunday the 4th March 2017.
*** All spectator tickets are none refundable ***
The event will run an open pit lane policy on all tracks.
There will be a radio controlled drift track operating within one of the garages. If you have a radio controlled drift car then make sure you bring it with you.
Refreshments will be available on site in the cafe.
The event is for EVERYONE, whether you are drifting or not, this is the event to be at!
Cars do not need to be caged and drivers of any level are welcome due to the nature of four different tracks.
Helmets and seat belts are mandatory.
Car specification:
No oil or fluid leaks will be tolerated.
All vehicles must have front and rear functional tow hooks or straps present. BMW OEM screw-in tow hooks are not acceptable as they shear when pulled at an angle. If towing hooks/straps are not fitted, cars will be recovered by whatever means necessary and DM staff cannot be held liable for any damage caused.
All vehicles must be maintained to a satisfactory standard.
The noise limit is 105 DB at three-quarters throttle in a static test.
Cars must have at least 2 working rear brake lights.
Cars must start the day with both front and rear bumpers fitted.
Cars must have headlights or headlight covers and tail lights fitted into the factory positions and in reasonable condition.
Cars must have all factory glass or Perspex replacement windows (driver and passenger window glass can be replaced by approved netting).
Cars must have all panels present (including bonnet) and in reasonable condition without any sharp edges.
Rude or offensive stickers/number plates must not be fitted.
Cars may be subject to checks by Drift Matsuri staff at any point during an event and may be prohibited from using the track until any faults are rectified.
All decisions by Drift Matsuri staff are final.
Have a 1kg hand held fire extinguisher fitted