Drift Appalachia Returns to Kentucky for Special Stage 9
The Drift Appalachia crew returned to south eastern Kentucky earlier this month for their third visit to a winding, mountain road just outside of the small town of Slade. The field of drivers this time around included several first-timers, as well as plenty of mountain veterans.
"No kickflips. Don't do what I did"
The mountain, ever a fickle mistress, was hungry Friday morning. Several drivers were called upon to sacrifice bumpers, body panels and suspension components to keep her happy. You've gotta pay to play when it comes to shredding these gnarly mountain roads.
When the day's driving finished, the crew convoyed up and headed to the Stanton Drive-In for a car meet with the locals. It turned out to be a pretty eclectic mix, perhaps unsurprisingly. There were quite a few pretty sick examples of American muscle right alongside a fair representation of import style. If you were worried that there might not have been a fire-beathing home-made trike there, don't worry.
Chelsea DeNofa's V10-swapped BMW 1 series sounded pretty insane ripping through the hills. This was the first DA event that he's brought it out to, but it fit right in.
This edition had a slightly less frantic pace that some stages, thanks in part to mechanical issues knocking people out and a few poorly-timed wrecks that took some time to yank out of the ditch or scrape off the pavement. Regardless, newcomers and veterans alike showed off all the driving prowess that earned them an invitation to the mountain. Stu Kelly, a midwest drift scene staple and current Drift Indy Grand Prix competitor, absolutely threw down in his big body Lincoln LS. Despite it being his first time driving a DA stage, he took to the tricky course almost immediately.
After the rain and cold of DA TSS8 earlier this year in West Virginia, this summer weekend under the Kentucky sun was a nice change of pace. It also wasn't as smotheringly hot and humid as last year's trip to the road. As always, the natural beauty of America's oldest mountain range made for an incredible backdrop for some of the coolest cars and best driving in the country. The community of Slade and the surrounding towns were gracious, enthusiastic hosts, as always.
"You all are wonderful! We want you to come back. We'll see you next year."
DA has one more stage on the calendar this year, with the location yet to be announced. It's slated to go down October 2-3. Stay tuned to their website and socials, @driftappalachia, to keep up-to-date with all the wild stuff they get up to.
