ROC Drift Tandem Battle Comp - I Entered My First Drift Comp

ROC Drift - Tandem Drift Competition
With winter on the forecast and my hands getting dry and cracked I tend not to fly as much over the next few months unless I reviewing something new. With this comes my indoor RC drift season at the track with the boys. ROC Drift held their first drift competition last weekend and though I’m just happy to make it around the track without crashing I happily joined in on the fun to be had.
Unlike oval racing the drift competition isn’t about who’s fastest to get around the track first but who can hit the scoring zones clean without crashing. After two qualifying rounds to get the brackets set and some fun drifting in between the competition started.
The highest qualifying seeds take on the lowest seeds (I qualified 12 out of 15) and you are scored by two battle rounds. First you take your run as the lead car focusing on hitting all the zones scoring as high as possible in each zone. The 2nd run you are the chase car hitting the zones also scoring points. As the chase car you have to stay close enough to the lead car to be able to be awarded points. If the lead car leaves a zone before you enter the same zone no chase points are awarded. The lead car can accumulate 6 points per zone where the chase car can accumulate 4 with a total of 6 scoring zones on the track. Points per zone are awarded by how your back wheels enter, stay in and leave the zone.
There were two judges on the track one watching and scoring the lead car and one scoring the chase car. I gotta say I had a blast while learning a lot…! The past 10 months that I’ve been drifting my main goal has been learn my car, tuning and getting around the track without spinning out.
The morning of the competition at the drivers meeting was really the first time I learned about zones and scoring etc… My new drift goals are to tune my car better and work on smoother transitions and hitting zones so I’ll be more prepared for the next drift competition. Zach has plans to hold them every three months.
If you still haven’t checked out ROC Drift come on down and try out the rental car for $15. Introduce yourself to Zach and tell him I sent you.
See you at the field or track!
Chris Reibert
ROC Drift 2WD Indoor Drift Track & Hobby Store
1250 State Route 104 (Big Lots Plaza)
Ontario, NY 14519
Updated Winter ROC Drift Hours:
MON / TUE: CLOSED
WED / THU: 4PM - 10PM
FRI: 6PM - MIDNIGHT
SAT: 2PM - 10PM
SUN: 10AM - 2PM