Love Drift Trains And ’90s JDM Cars? You’ve Gotta See What Final Bout Has To Offer
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Arguably, the coolest drift event on the calendar is ‘Final Bout’ held in Wisconsin, USA. For one weekend a year, the state gets transformed into a mecca of JDM cars with like-minded drifting enthusiasts getting together for the perfect weekend of drift trains and chill.
It’s just good vibes all day long. Epic cars, a great crew, and seemingly never-ending tandems. It brings back memories of the one-off Awesomefest event that took place in the UK, admittedly with an extra dash of style thrown in.
Forget the usual hyper-competitive stuff for a moment. Final Bout is all about style, grassroots fun, and helping each other out. Drivers from across the U.S. (and beyond) team up to try their best to run the perfect tandem lines in groups.
The ultimate 90s drift scene nostalgia
Just like the good ol’ days, you’ll get more love for keeping your clean 90s/2000s JDM street car on your teammate’s door than you will for turning up with a full-blown 1,200-horsepower comp car (paired with the usual questionable fitment).
The track favors consistency, paired with significant elevation changes, which reward smooth flow throughout.
If you’re into low ride height, deep-dish three-piece wheels, and perfect fitment, this is your paradise. You’ll get to see big names in the lowstyle scene, such as Animal Style and C’S GARAGE.
Simple, laid-back events celebrating the golden era of drifting nostalgia are becoming increasingly rare these days, so it’s no wonder people make the trip.
Final Bout inspired a new European event
The crew from juiceboxforyou made the trek across the pond to soak up the inspiration for their upcoming event back home.
Over in Europe, Ireland will set the stage for the first-ever “TanoshiDori” drift event in Watergrasshill, County Cork.
If it sounds familiar, that’s because it’s home turf for none other than five-time Formula DRIFT champ James Deane and ‘The Shanahans’, including newly crowned European champ, Conor.
Their event description states, “With inspiration from the States with FinalBout, the UK’s Dorifest, and Japan’s DoriDore, TanoshiDori will hopefully match that style-based energy with what is essentially a rolling car show!”
We can’t wait to see what the Irish event brings, and we look forward to sharing the footage with you once it’s out.
In the meantime, enjoy their video from Final Bout 8, and make sure you crank up the volume!
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Bill is a writer and photographer who has been part of the Drifted team since 2015. His work extends to various print and online publications, including Wangan Warriors.
As part of the King of Nations team, he traveled extensively for several years, capturing top-tier international drift events worldwide. His hands-on experience, including rebuilding his own Nissan Silvia S15 drift car, gives him unique insights into drift car building and global drift culture.
When not behind the lens or keyboard, Bill can be found browsing classifieds for his next JDM project or shredding virtual tires on popular simulators like Assetto Corsa, CarX, and Forza.
You can learn more about Bill’s story here or follow his socials on X (formerly Twitter), Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram.
