OPINION: ‘Street Takeover’ Meets Aren’t Drifting, They’re Just Clout Chasing

What I hoped would be a short-lived fad and a desperate attempt to go viral is becoming increasingly concerning, and it’s not doing the drifting scene any favors.

If you’ve read the above and you’re thinking “nah, you’re just old and don’t get it, bro,” then this might not be the article for you.

Admittedly, you might have a point on the “old” part. But, since it means I grew up with the opportunity to enjoy drifting without getting hit by cars in a desperate attempt at social media likes, I’ll take it.

Back in 2017, I remember a clip of a photographer behind a safety barrier getting whacked by a 350Z’s massive wing, and it became a social media sensation. People were genuinely shocked:

You might remember the meme…

Now, the ‘tog shouldn’t have been there (I’m sure they’d tell you that now, too), but it was a (somewhat) unfortunate incident with what was likely the biggest wing at the event. It lit up the internet because it felt shocking and rare at the time.

Fast-forward to 2025, and it’s basically the norm now for spectators to get ragdolled into the air in some weird ‘lucky dip’ natural selection process. I’m not talking about Mustangs mounting sidewalks (we’re all aware that happens far too often). I mean straight-up stupidity.

I wrote an article just a month ago about a Kenyan drifting festival (yes, it’s a thing) and pointed out how it looked “terrifying” given the lack of safety.

Again, maybe I’m just “old,” but I pointed out that thousands of fans lined the street, stood behind a piece of tape like it was going to prevent them from getting whacked if a car didn’t quite nail a transition.

I’ll admit I’m not massively clued up on the Kenyan drifting scene, but I’d rather not take my chances! Thankfully, the fans got away unscathed.

Fast-forward to today, and I’m (once again) doing my morning YouTube rounds (you know what I mean) when I stumble upon this video:

It’s no secret that I love Japan, and any excuse I can get to watch one of their smaller drift events is an instant click, especially if it involves Bosozoku cars.

Despite the “Wild” drifting title, I assumed it was just hype, and despite having its fair share of crazy antics, it seemed like harmless fun in awesome rides.

However, as I’m enjoying a crazy selection of the weirdest and whackiest JDM cars the ’80s and ’90s had to offer (admittedly with some “different” antics thrown in), I could tell it was getting increasingly sketchy.

One of the drivers narrowly misses the cones lining the track. So at that point, you’d think they’d stand a bit further back, right?

I can almost hear: “Nah, gotta get that sick viral footage, bro.”

Then the next clip shows the spectators (including kids) RIGHT up against the same cones. But this time, the car got a LOT closer to the crowd. Too close, in fact.

“One of the girls who were crouching down actually got hit by the rear of the car and got launched maybe ten feet backwards,” the YouTuber, Drift With Rich, explains. “This does actually happen quite often,” he continues.

While he rightly warns spectators to be careful, it doesn’t need to be this way. They shouldn’t be standing there, assuming some cones will save them. It sucks to see these things are going down when they can be so easily avoided, especially in Japan.

Sure, motorsports are dangerous, and things can always fly off cars when you least expect them to. I’ve seen and heard of plenty of total freak accidents at racetracks, but there’s a huge difference between an accident and stupidity.

We’re at the point where bodies flying through the air isn’t even shocking anymore. Instead, it’s just another Tuesday night on someone’s Instagram story.

You’ve probably seen the ‘street takeover’ or ‘drift takeover’ videos in the U.S. They’re on a whole other level, and this pathetic attention seeking isn’t related to drifting.

Viewer discretion is advised for this one:

Sadly, we live in a world where the wildest behavior gets the most clicks. But your 46 social media followers aren’t going to be as impressed as you hope they’re gonna be when you become the latest victim in exchange for 30 seconds of fame.

It’s not cool, and it’s not doing the scene any favors. If you see someone ‘drifting’ (let’s face it, they’re just doing donuts because they haven’t got any actual talent behind the wheel), stay WELL away and don’t become another statistic.

Drifting built itself on skill, community, and respect for the (rare) dangers involved. It’s now losing its way more than ever, and these modern TikTok trends are giving the scene a terrible reputation.

If you genuinely love drifting, support the scene properly. Get yourself a cheap drift car, and go to actual events. Learn to drive at track days and build skills instead of a highlight reel of near-collisions (or worse) for your social feed.