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By Joe Chandler

South Boston Speedway

Riding on the momentum of a successful 2022 season debut, drifting will return to South Boston Speedway on Saturday afternoon, March 4, 2023.

The SoBo Drifts event will mark the first spectator event of the 2023 season at South Boston Speedway.

“We had a great time at our two drifting events this season and we’re looking forward to welcoming it back in 2023,” said South Boston Speedway General Manager Chase Brashears.

“We made some substantial improvements from the first drifting event to the second drifting event this past season, and the participants and spectators really enjoyed it. Drifting has become a part of our business, so our team is committed to making it bigger and better for the March date as well as other potential dates in 2023 and beyond.”

Drifting is one of the fastest-growing forms of motorsports. Its popularity skyrocketed following the release of the movie “The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift” in 2006. That movie involved car culture and street racing in its background and featured numerous exciting drifting sequences.

For those unfamiliar with the sport of drifting, the driver intentionally oversteers a car’s rear wheels forcing them to lose traction, while maintaining control of the vehicle with the car’s front wheels.

Drivers will weave and slide their way through a course that will run primarily through the infield portion of the speedway while also including a portion of the oval track. Using both the infield area and a portion of the oval track allows participants to produce a good level of speed while tackling both left-hand and right-hand twists and turns.

Spectators may view the event from the speedway’s trackside tailgating areas and the lawn chair area in turns three and four. Individuals should plan to bring their lawn chairs as most of the grandstand areas will be closed.

Additional details about the event will be announced at a later date.

The pace of the 2023 season picks up quickly following the March 4 SoBo Drifts event. On the following weekend, Saturday, March 11, 2023, South Boston Speedway will hold its annual pre-season testing event, a day on which the region’s racing teams will have the opportunity to get some track time and prepare for the speedway’s opening NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series event to be held on Saturday afternoon, March 18, 2023.

South Boston Speedway’s four NASCAR racing divisions, the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division, the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division, and the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division, will be in action in the March 18 opener.

A total of 13 racing events are currently in place on the track’s 2023 season schedule. Additional details regarding the 2023 schedule will be announced at a later date.

South Boston Speedway has announced off-season office hours for the month of December. The schedule follows:

• Dec. 5-7 – Open 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• Dec. 8-9 – Closed

• Dec. 12-14 – Open 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• Dec. 15-Jan. 2 – Closed for Christmas and New Year’s Break