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Photos: Sandoval County drifters feint their way through No Coast Drift Party
Jerry Biz takes his Corvette to the skid pad to drift donuts.
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Cars, drifting, going home with tire bits stuck to you .. .what could be better?
Hundreds of people didn't think there was anything better and camped out at Suika Circuit, formerly Sandia Speedway, for the 14th No Coast Drift Party Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.
This international "hobby" brought people from all over the world to show off their skill at the track and have some fun in a three-day party. People from Arizona and Texas appeared, and even some people from Australia and Japan drifted in the event. But Dan Brockett, co-owner of the track and professional drifter, says they had more New Mexicans this year than any other year.
Seven of those locals reside and work in Sandoval County.
Anthony Ciocca claims he is Rio Ranchoan, through and through. Ciocca has drifted in No Coast Drift Party since it began and has drifted over all since four years before that.
"I've lived my whole life in Rio Rancho and I've been doing this for 18 years. So, there's people that I race with that weren't even born yet when I started doing this," he said.
He is one of only two drivers that have been to every single No Coast Drift Party. He has brought a variety of cars to the event. This year he brought two cars, both adorned with the number 76. His faster, sportier car is a 1992 Nissan 240SX S13.
"I've driven a little bit of everything, but this is my go-to," he added.
Despite having some misfire issues, he was able to whip the car around the track no problem. He explained that over the years he's learned to just bring every part he can think of, just in case.
"You think you've brought every one you need but then there's always that one part," he said.
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He added that the hobby is an expensive one. Drivers have to buy all kinds of parts. Most try to buy a cheaper car to begin with and just build it up over time.
"It can get real frustrating chasing issues," Ciocca said.
He also says it takes a certain type of person to drift and drivers have to be resourceful. Most drivers work on their own cars.
"The beauty of drifting is everyone is here to just have fun," he said.
Another Sandoval County resident, Jacob Zentz, says this sport gives people purpose but it can seem like a fruitless one.
"People are willing to throw ridiculous amounts of money into a car just to destroy it," he said with a laugh.
This year, Zentz decided to err on the side of reason and get something he could break. He brought his 1997 BMW M3 E36.
"This was the car I was willing to buy because I wanted to buy something I didn't care about," he explained.
The one he bought was by no means a show stopper. He said it was rusted out but fairly inexpensive. That being said, the car had no issue drifting.
This sport, for him, has a sense of community to it and it doesn't matter what people bring as long as it can drift.
"There's camaraderie about it," he said.
Rio Ranchoan Charlie Mund brought his 1992 Volvo 240. He says he previously drove a Volvo station wagon but that car died. The 240 is more than meets the eye, though.
"It's a lot better than the wagon was. It's got extended control arms, a bunch of angle modifications and an engine swap out of a 1995 Shelby Cobra," he said.
The Cobra engine can produce more than 300 horsepower if properly taken care of. People definitely wouldn't expect to find it in a Volvo.
Mund's Volvo is also on stand-alone fuel injection but is completely stock other than that. The 240 only went out on the track a few times, though, because Mund is one of the techs that inspects the drift vehicles.
"I got into drifting because I grew up around a racetrack and I was always interested in it," he said.
He added that when it became a sport, he "had" to do it.
"I will do it for the rest of my life, that's for sure," he said.
Other drivers from Sandoval County include Josh Evans with the Skid Squad, Cody Keeble, Jerry Biz and another Skid Squad driver who goes by "Smiley."
Many of the drivers are life-long drift or car enthusiasts. One thing Mund, Zentz and Ciocca all agreed on is how much of an improvement Brockett and his co-owners have brought to the track. They all addressed that they know their money is going into making improvements.
When the three co-owners bought the place, they cleared it of trash and repainted. Now, Brockett intends to get the whole track itself repaved.
"All the money from No Coast goes towards that," he said.
This year's No Coast Drift Party, according to him, was the highest driver attendance they have ever had.
"We had around 240 drivers. Two hundred pre-registered and 40 are guests. Spectator-wise, we ended up coming in around 1,800 over the weekend," Brockett said.
He said the entertainment and BMX bike groups kept the event fun.
"The mosh pit on Saturday night was insane," he added.
Besides the drifting, drivers and spectators were treated to heavy metal music, fireworks and food from Big Boss Hot Links. Though someone did lose their keys in the mosh pit, the staff didn't report any injuries.
Brockett has always run the track with the expectation that drivers take their race to it and not the local streets of New Mexico, and while No Coast Drift Party is a party, he makes sure drivers are properly equipped.
Every driver is required to wear DOT-certified helmets and have a fire extinguisher in their car. Brockett also has a tow truck and ambulance on scene at all times. Drivers also have access to buy extra tires if needed, though most brought several sets of their own.
"It was a multi-day event, and the driving just got better and better," he said.
He also encourages locals to come check out the track either as a professional, intermediate or beginner. Then, of course, spectators are always welcome.
"On top of running No Coast Drift Party, we also have local drift series and open drift events. So if you are ever interested in coming to a drift event and learning how to drive in a safe environment — that's not on the streets — Suika Circuit is a perfect place to do that," he said.
The track is also home to motorcycle events, Albuquerque Super Lap, dirt racing and more. People can find out the schedule of events on suikacircuit.com.
