The City That Welcomes
Just a few years ago, Alytus Drift Fest was known mainly to sports enthusiasts. This year, everything changed. The event became a true city celebration – with zones for children and adults, retro and unique car exhibitions, food zones, and an entertaining Drift Taxi that attracts not only connoisseurs but everyone who sees a car as more than just a means of transport.
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The Dainų Slėnis stage – a natural amphitheater – gave the event a completely different feel: spectators had a great view of the track from anywhere, no need to go far. And when on Saturday evening the host asked to applaud those who came from other cities – more than half of the attendees applauded. We believe this is a good sign.
“It was surprising that on Saturday, when about 3,000 spectators gathered, more than half were not from Alytus. We managed to attract between 2,000 and 4,000 guests per day from all over Lithuania,” says Kastytis Alekna, the event organizer’s representative.
New Formula: Not Sport, but Entertainment
The organizers do not hide it – this year they consciously abandoned the sports event format. Drift Fest became an entertainment event where drifting is the main hero but not the only one. Entertainment became one of the event’s highlights this year. And the spectators’ reactions – ovations in the middle of the day, families outdoors – showed that the decision was right.
During UDTC, drift pilots drove three drift cars on the track simultaneously. That is why, and of course due to the pilots’ skill, ovations arose after almost every second or third run.
“Practically every second or third run received applause. That rarely happens at sports events. When the spectators simply stood up – we understood that what we are doing works,” says Kastytis Alekna, the event organizer’s representative.
What Spectators Saw: The Brightest Moments
UDTC – Unknown Drift Team Challenge – a team challenge where teams drive on the track together, became one of the warmest moments of the event. Spectators chose the best pilots with ovations – and this time the warmest applause went to the Alytus Drift Team: Vytautas Čaplikas, Dovydas Žvinakevičius, and Dovydas Kelmelys.
In the Kiss The Wall competition – where the pilot must drive as close as possible to the concrete wall – the most ovations were earned by a guest from Latvia, PRO2 league pilot Rustams Džurabajevs. His runs caused probably the biggest spectator reactions throughout the event.
In Drift Dūzgės, four pilots stood out with their mini smoke shows that left a strong impression: Lukas Kundrotas, Vikintas Punys, Arūnas Narmontas, and Andrius Gaidžiūnas. All four received a separate round of ovations – this rarely happens even at the best events.
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About 60 participants took part in the Show Off car exhibition over two days. Ten trophies were awarded for different nominations – prizes went to completely different participants, which perfectly reveals how diverse representatives and passions of the car world this event gathered. We believe the most impressive cars that participated were: a 1972 Mercury, Ford Mustang Mach 1, and a large group of JDM representatives. The trophy for the loudest exhaust competition was won by a drift pilot driving a rare diesel-powered drift car.
Drifting Live – A Whole Different Experience
This was also confirmed by the pilots themselves. Linas Klevinskas, a PRO league pilot and one of the event participants, admits: for most spectators, drifting looks one way in videos – but live it’s a completely different story.
“Drifting is a contact sport. Until a person sees how close the pilots drive live, they won’t feel the true passion of drifting,” says Linas Klevinskas, pilot.
Egidijus Minelga, PRO league pilot, reveals what really lies behind each run: “uneven surface sections and changing grip – this is almost invisible from the outside, but the driver feels it instantly.” Still, what the spectator sees is only the final result. Behind it lie years, not months, of training hours – and as Kastytis Alekna, PRO league pilot, says: “50/50 technique and psychology. The car can be perfect, but if the head is not in the right place – you won’t drive.”
Drift Taxi: Try It Yourself
Drift Taxi – one of the most popular event entertainments – again attracted not only drift connoisseurs. The opportunity to sit in a car driven by a professional pilot and drive the track is one of those entertainments you can talk about and share impressions for months afterward.
Alytus – Not a Random Choice
The question of why Alytus, not Vilnius or Kaunas, does not raise doubts for the organizers. Alytus – warm audience, love for drifting, and the Dainų Slėnis stage as a natural amphitheater. “Big cities simply don’t have such a place,” says event organizer’s representative Kastytis Alekna.
Alytus municipality actively contributed to the event’s organization and helped spectators participate for free. According to the organizers, this is a very commendable and appreciable contribution from the city.
What’s Next?
The scale of the event, compared to previous years, has grown at least threefold – both in terms of area and program. And this is just the beginning. The next event is planned in Klaipėda, later in Šiauliai. We will strive to improve the events even more this year – we plan to organize only two, so we will give each maximum attention.
The organizer wants to thank all Alytus residents, all guests who visited our great event, and Alytus municipality for enabling the organization of such a wonderful festival in Alytus Dainų Slėnis.
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