July 15th 2006 – Las Vegas, NV
Story and Photos by Aaron Ekinaka

Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the battleground for the world's top drift drivers to meet again for another round of exciting sideways action. D1 Professional Drift Japan teamed up with the National Hot Rod Association to bring together two of the fastest growing motor sports competitions in one event. Spectators had the unique opportunity to view both sport compact drag racing and world class drifting back to back. However, the majority of my time was spent at the drift arena because it featured non-stop action throughout the day and into the night.

We arrived for the final day of competition in Las Vegas only to be met by scorching 115+ degree heat. The fans weren’t deterred by the weather through, packing into the stands eager for the qualifying round to get underway. The course was a basic setup yet still taunted drivers with its own set of hazards. As the event unfolded, it became clear how much environmental factors played a role in how aggressive the drivers could take their lines and hit the clipping points.

The long backstretch transitioned into a sweeping left turn then back into a hard right in front of the judges podium. Most of the event’s drama occured in this tighter right turn. The final turn in the back was a full 180 degrees to the left, but ended about halfway through as the judges would lose sight of the cars exiting the track.