ROCKINGHAM — More than 50 drivers will be shredding tires this weekend at Rockingham Speedway as MB Drift returns for its 2022 season.
The annual Spring Matsuri, slated for April 2-3, is the first of six two-day events on the schedule for this year.
MB Drift will be running on both the infield road course of the main track and the quarter-mile oval of the Little Rock.
“It is a fun, no-pressure drift weekend that does not include a competition,” co-founder Marshall Eggerling told the RO on Tuesday. “It’s just a lot of fun with both tracks running at the same time.”
Of the 50-plus drivers, some are coming from Virginia, but the majority are from the Carolinas, according to Eggerling. Formula Drift PROSPEC driver Christian Nelson, a Connecticut native who lives in Charlotte, is also on the list.
“Anyone that has not experienced drifting or the Rockingham Speedway should definitely check this event out,” Eggerling said.
There will also be food trucks and DJ Mann will be “providing the beats” from 5-10 p.m., he added.
As at all of the events, free ride-alongs will be available for spectators who are at least 18 years old.
Earlier this year, MB Drift announced several new sponsors, including AMSOIL, Fortune Auto and Just Engineering.
MB Drift was started in 2005 in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, area to give young drifters “a place to have fun with their cars, not on the streets where they can get in trouble and get hurt,” Eggerling told the RO last year.
After 15 years at Myrtle Beach Speedway, MB Drift had to find a new home when a zoning change led to the closing of the venue.
The team found its new home in Rockingham in late 2020 and held its Ice Breaker in February 2021 — with a special appearance by NASCAR driver Alex Bowman.
In all, MB Drift had 10 events at the speedway last year and was a large part of the track’s revival.
“We are thrilled and excited for another year with Myrtle Beach Drift,” said Justin Jones, vice president of operations for the speedway. “Each event brings excitement and entertainment at every turn. This partnership has proven to be mutually advantageous and it looks to be a long-lasting one.”
As part of the deal with Rockingham Speedway, MB Drift routinely makes repairs and upgrades to the road course. This past weekend, the team put down 42 80-pound bags of concrete to widen several spots.
This year’s season also includes four competition/fun day events — May 21-22, July 9-10, Aug. 13-14 and Sept. 17-18 — and ending Oct. 22-23 with Halloween Havoc.
Spectator passes are $20 for one day or $30 for both days.
