Matt & M3

David & TechArt 993 Turbo

Woman, China

Family Brunch

Kurt and Malorie

Matt

Kurt and Malorie

Tyler

Damien

Great Wall, China

Chongqing, China

Beijing, China

Montreal, QC

Radnor, PA

Ka’anapali, Maui, Hi

Lahaina, Maui, Hi

San Pedro, Ca

Long Beach, Ca

So I was bored last night browsing through my digital bin of reject photos that I took over the summer to see if there was something I overlooked. I came across this random snap of Matt Waldin’s front wheel from DMCC Toronto in August. It was taken at about 5am, and I was on my first trip ever with the Drift Brigade crew to take some photos for Mishimoto and lend a hand where I could.

This was true grassroots motorsports if I have ever seen it. Matt and Damien trailered their cars up on a 9 hour drive from Pennsylvania to compete. We didn’t have a place to stay, only two out of the four of us had Canadian money, and we were running on almost no sleep. But it didn’t matter. No one seemed very worried, they would figure out the details later. It was all about the drifting.

That photo means a whole lot more to me now than it did when I took it. It was one of the first shots of the weekend, and remembering the sun rising over the backdrop of the Toronto skyline with the sounds of burning tires and roaring engines evokes a feeling I will not forget. It reminds me why I put up with the corporate bullshit, why I take photos for free, and why I love motorsports so much.

I gained a true appreciation for the grassroots motorists that weekend. Some competitors drove their race cars to and from the event, others had full rigs, but there wasn’t any of the discrimination that I saw at Formula D. They all were there to drive and have fun, and it was truly the most pure environment of people who love the sport that I have ever been around. All I can say is that I can’t wait for next year. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to hit up a few more events with Matt and the crew, and do a full writeup of a DMCC race weekend. Until then, enjoy the snow.