VIdeos &
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
March 8, 2026 — First Drift Competition in an EV
On March 8, 2026, I entered my first-ever drift competition in an electric vehicle, driving a stock Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD at Apple Valley Speedway. The event used a “Big Entry” competition format, where drivers are judged on the commitment, angle, and style of their initiation into the first corner. I competed against approximately 20–30 drivers, most of whom were running fully built drift cars equipped with hydraulic handbrakes, steering angle kits, and other competition modifications.
During the competition runs, drivers were given two attempts at initiating the first corner entry. On the first attempt, I executed a solid initiation but was unable to maintain the drift through the section and over rotated. On the second attempt, I committed to a much stronger entry and successfully held the drift through the entire section. Given the limitations of the completely stock Model 3 platform—particularly the lack of a hydraulic handbrake and limited steering angle—I believe this run represented the maximum achievable performance from the car in its current configuration.
Despite competing against purpose-built drift cars, I finished 7th place overall against 20-30 fully prepared drift cars, an exceptional result given the car’s completely stock setup.
Technical Notes:
The day began with the car at 91% state of charge, running Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires at 40 psi. During the first six practice laps, the car consumed approximately 4% battery per lap, dropping to 67% SOC before a tire change.
Halfway through the event, I replaced the rear tires with Evoluxx Capricorn High Performance All-Season rubber. Immediately after the change, the Evoluxx tires demonstrated noticeably more grip than the Michelin Primacy tires, despite running the same pressure. Tire temperatures after the first lap on the new set measured roughly 160–170°F, increasing to approximately 220°F on the left rear and 206°F on the right rear after the second lap.
However, inspection revealed that the shoulder and sidewall construction of the Evoluxx tires appeared weaker, with visible cracking beginning to develop—particularly on the left rear tire, which was experiencing the highest load during transitions.
One important technique utilized during the event was the benefit of maintaining approximately 30% throttle during transitions. By continuing to apply throttle instead of lifting completely, the rear wheels remained spinning during the transition phase, preventing the tires from regaining traction. This allowed for much smoother and more consistent drift linking.
October 25, 2025 — Flavor express Drift or Treat Event (with PRO FD DRIVER Odi Bakchis)
January 11, 2025 — Pacific Drift Team Event
(with PRO FD DRIVER Joon Maeng)
Footage from the "Big Entry" Drift Competition Run
The Drift or Treat event on October 25, 2025 at Apple Valley Speedway became one of the most memorable drift days of my career—not because of my driving alone, but because of an unexpected interaction with Formula Drift Pro driver Odi Bakchis.
I was driving my Kia EV6 GT in drift mode, producing approximately 600 horsepower, with brake regeneration turned off for better drift control.
During the event, I watched Odi Bakchis drifting his 650 whp LS-powered Formula Drift Pro car. After one of his runs, I complimented him on a particularly impressive backwards entry (“backie”) into the final corner of the track.
He asked what car I was driving, and when I told him it was the Kia EV6, he immediately recognized it. He mentioned that he had seen my EV drifting videos online and said they were very cool.
He then asked several technical questions about the car, including whether it shared components with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. I mentioned that the vehicles share the same basic E-GMP platform, motors, and battery architecture.
In an unexpected moment, Odi said that Hyundai had invited him to their Mojave test track to drive the upcoming Ioniq 6 N, and then asked ME how to drift an EV.
I initially laughed it off and told him I wasn’t sure how helpful I could be, since he is one of the best drifters in the world. But he responded by saying that he saw my driving videos and that I “absolutely rip.” Hearing that from one of the top professional drivers in Formula Drift was a powerful and motivating moment.
During the driving sessions themselves, I discovered an important technique adjustment. The Atturo rear tires began to feel unstable off-throttle, with the sidewalls buckling slightly and creating a momentary understeer sensation. I solved this by maintaining a small amount of throttle at all times during a drift, even during transitions, which kept the rear wheels spinning and prevented the sidewall from grabbing traction.
The event also revealed significant front tire wear, particularly on the front left tire, reinforcing the importance of quick countersteering and maintaining wheelspin to reduce front-end scrub. Overall, the day was both technically productive and personally meaningful, reinforcing that EV drifting is gaining real attention—even among the top drivers in the sport.
Drift footage of the 600-hp EV6 GT sliding at Apple Valley
Prior to the Pacific Drift Team Event on January 11, 2025, I was surprised to find a DM in my instagram inbox from a professional Formula Drift driver, Joon Maeng. He reached out to me regarding my EV drifting content, and we instantly had a driver-to-driver connection.
We discussed the driving dynamics and techniques related to EV drifting, and I invited him to come see it in action for the next drift event. We arranged to meet at Apple Valley Speedway for the next Pacific Drift Team event.
I asked Joon to try out drifting the EV (the base model Kia EV6 RWD) and he happily accepted. Joon was able to slide the car immediately, but noted that the driving techniques vary differently from conventional ICE drift cars. Joon performed very well drifting the EV, but was very humble and complimentary of my EV sliding ability. Joon is a wonderful person and I am so glad we created a connection that has persisted even to this day.
Further, at this point in time, the EV drifting revolution had already begun. Both Joon and I were shocked to see that a Tesla Model 3 was drifting and testing out a new hydraulic handbrake at the Pacific Drift event. Dan, the owner and founder of Partsshopmax saw one of my viral EV drift videos and was determined to design an extensive EV Drift Parts Catalog, which supports the Tesla Model 3 and Y. It was an absolute pleasure to meet Dan, and to discuss the future of drifting with him.
We were also to share some track time together between the Tesla and the Kia, chasing each other down with zero engine noise, and nothing but the sound of screaming tires.
Since then, Dan expertly and precisely designed, engineered, and produced drift-specific parts for the Tesla platforms.
Technical notes:
The car was running Arroyo Grand rear tires and OEM Kumho Crugen front tires, with pressures set around 29 psi front and 36–38 psi rear. Ambient temperatures were between 50 and 60 degrees, and tire temperatures reached approximately 155–170°F on the driver-side rear and 126–150°F on the passenger-side rear after a full lap.
One major improvement during this event was tire management. By spraying the tires with ice water after each lap, I was able to significantly extend tire life and maintain more consistent grip levels throughout the day.
Another improvement was in driving position and ergonomics. Sitting slightly closer to the steering wheel and wearing lower-profile driving shoes reduced shoulder strain and made the car easier to control.
Driving performance improved noticeably during this event. I spun out far less frequently than in previous sessions and achieved some of the best transitions and linking I had accomplished up to that point, including one lap where I was able to link nearly the entire course with minimal steering corrections.
However, the EV6 still showed signs of inconsistent behavior, with occasional sudden understeer or spins that made it difficult to maintain consistent lines. I considered experimenting with regenerative braking settings in future sessions to potentially improve weight transfer and stability.
Overall, the event represented a major step forward in understanding how to drift the EV6 platform, both in terms of tire management and driving technique.
Slo-Mo Sliding footage of the base model Kia EV6 RWD (225 hp)
The Drifting Lawyer (Logan) pictured with
Joon Maeng (Pro Formula Drift Driver, 2007-2015)
Photo of The Drifting Lawyer (Logan) giving an EV drift ridealong to Joon Maeng in the base model Kia EV6 RWD (225 hp)
Sending it sideways in the stock Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD