Finding Balance: Lessons From a Purple Weekend
This past drift weekend was the first time three out of four of our team cars were running, painted in our hellraisin purple, and survived a full event. That alone felt like a win.
I’ll be honest though....I’m still the least skilled in the group, and Zoe is underpowered or at least geared awkwardly for this layout. I’d come in at the top of second, bouncing the rev limiter, yank the handbrake, and get her sideways. But by mid-corner, the car would lose angle and grip back up because the overall velocity outpaced what the spinning wheels could keep up with.
I tried grabbing 3rd despite my grinding synchros, but Zoe just wouldn’t spin the tires there. I could’ve aired up the tires to make it work, but then I’d lose traction everywhere else. With the guys in their V8s already pulling away, I decided to just deal with it. Result? Only a couple of decent lead runs all day. Not great.
The flip side? I got a ton of tandem practice, learning how to chop the line, use left-foot braking, and adjust angle to close the gap. Following teaches a different skill set than leading, and honestly, it was exactly the practice I needed.
A Scary Save
One moment that stands out happened mid-tandem. Our lead driver spun, our teammate (running second) managed to stop without hitting him, but his car ended up donut-ing directly into my path in third. Somehow, we pulled off a three-car “windmill” maneuver to avoid each other.
It was terrifying in the moment, but also kind of amazing. It showed not just our car control, but the trust we have in each other, that even when someone spins or messes up, we react in a way that keeps everyone safe. It’s one thing to drive together when everything goes right, but moments like that prove why trust is everything in drifting.
The Frustration Check
Not every moment was so graceful. At one point, on a run-up, I went full throttle, giving Zoe everything she had, only for the lead driver to hit the brakes right as I shifted from first to second. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him, and the driver behind me dove off track to keep from hitting me.
Turns out, someone had spun in the first corner, and the lead was trying to buy them time to clear out. But braking like that on the run-up nearly wrecked all three cars. I was pissed.
And here’s the thing....I struggle with patience when I think someone’s made a “dumb” mistake. It’s not fair, especially since that same teammate has always been patient and understanding with me through all of my mistakes. I didn’t yell, but my face always gives me away. That’s something I want to work on....handling frustration better in the moment, being more patient, and remembering that we’re all just trying to figure this out together.
The Bigger Picture
Drifting is a rollercoaster. Some days you feel unstoppable, others you just fight the car and mess up runs for your friends. It can feel like I’ll never catch up to my teammates. But deep down I know it’s just temporary.
This event also marked a new milestone, I finally had my Instagram and Facebook stickers on the car, plus a new phone mount for in-car footage. Now I can really study my driving, see where I understeer, where I lift too hard, where I don’t hold the handbrake long enough. And yes, I see all the mistakes and just like in life, I notice flaws before I acknowledge the good. I’m my harshest critic, an overthinker to the core.
But I want to change that. There’s value in the mistakes, yes, but also in celebrating the progress. In finding the positives. In sharing not just the polished runs, but the messy ones too. Because that’s the reality of drifting and life.
At the end of the day, I still laughed with my friends, pushed myself outside my comfort zone, and kept learning. That’s what matters. For now, I’ll keep collecting data, keep filming, keep creating, and keep growing because I’ll never know what I’m capable of if I don’t keep trying.
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