Well, folks, it's just about that time! Time for some of the midwest's most stylish, most skilled drivers to come out and throw down. Drift Indy Street League Volume 9 is just about to kick off.
This newest edition of our comp series promises a few little twists. Nothing too major, but between a slightly streamlined prelim scoring system, some familiar faces missing from the driver list and some that haven't been around for a minute making their return, Volume 9 oughta be a great show all the same.
On the prelim scoring front, our judges have been putting in work between events to increase scoring transparency and encourage what sets DISL apart from other comps. I'm not gonna go crazy in depth here breaking down individual zones and all that stuff, but I do want to try my best to give everyone an overview.
Our scoring system is broken down into four categories:
- Zones: Max 30 points, judged based on how well you reach and fill each marked zone on the track
- Line: Max 30 points, judged based on your driving line, your initiation, your angle and any corrections you make.
- Impact: Max 30 points, judged based on how good of a show you put on for the crowd. Smoke, speed and aggression all play into that, as well as actual crowd reaction.
- The Street League score: Max 10 points, judged based on a number of factors, including looks. Got a monster truck up front and missing bumpers? Probably gonna get at least a few points docked, if you get any at all. This category is really up to the assigned judge for the day.
Those of you who are especially mathematically inclined might notice that those add up to a nice 100 points. During prelims, one judge will focus on each category. The goal of that move is to make scoring both easier and more consistent. Instead of having to mentally average all three driving categories after each run, each judge can focus in on their specific category. Those scores will be plugged into a spreadsheet and calculated by our computer overlords.
On the driver list side, two of the most notable additions are Mike Feiock and Kris Hackenson. Two Drift Indy OGs making their DISL debuts is going to be a ton of fun to watch. They will, of course, have to go up against some really stiff competition in the prelims to qualify for the main event just like everyone else.
Kris Hackenson in his k-swapped s13 is always a ton of fun to watch.
This may very well be our most competitive preliminary process yet, including back in the DISL Lite days before Volume 8. The margins are gonna be tight, but at the end of the day it’s just gonna make it all that much more exciting.
Coming off of our clinic and classroom session with Chelsea DeNofa, I’m anticipating even higher levels of driving from those of you who were able to attend. There’s gonna be tons of guys with a decent chance of pushing for the podium, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Volume 8 winner Vance Kearns is gonna put it all on the line to defend his title.
