LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Like something out of a Fast and Furious movie, a group of guys gathers on the weekends to drift cars. Except these cars are smaller – and much quieter.
Thanks to Walter Scruggs, the small-scale hobby of remote-controlled drift car racing is rapidly growing in Kentucky. This hobby allows a cheaper way to get a thrill from drifting cars.
“I’ve always been into drift cars in real life, and I can’t really afford to do all that,” Scruggs said. I was like, well, maybe I’ll try this, and then I got into it, and it’s a deep hole I’ve been getting into. I’m an artist, so all the bodies and stuff I painted myself and do all that stuff myself, and that’s what I really enjoy doing.”
Scruggs started a Facebook group called Kentucky RC Drift Scene. He began setting up a drift track at Battle Axes in Lexington for members to visit on Sundays.
“I was just like, man, we’re going to build it, and they’ll come,” Scruggs said. “I wasn’t expecting it to grow as much as it has, as fast as it has.”
Since building the track, the group jumped from 200 members to over 700 members in just a few months. On top of that, Battle Axes now allows Scruggs to keep the track up permanently inside the venue.
Throughout the week, Kentuckians visit to practice their RC drifting skills. Then, about once a month, people from across the Commonwealth and surrounding states commence for drifting events.
“It takes quite a bit to set one of those events up,” Scruggs informed. “It’s usually a pretty stressful month until it’s over. I’m excited I can actually breathe for a little bit.”
As members continue to join, the group builds its own community. To learn how to get involved, join the Kentucky RC Drift Scene group on Facebook.
