Nathan Brasz enjoys first his race of season at Old Dominion Speedway

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Old Dominion Speedway

Saturday, April 16

Racing begins at 7 p.m.

Racing events: 100 Late Models, 35 Street Stock, 20 UCars, 30 Legends, 20 Bandolero

Nathan Brasz had fun at Old Dominion Speedway last Saturday.  The 33-year-old Warrenton resident won the pole and notched his first win in U-Cars, leading flag to flag.

“It’s a great way to start a season,” Brasz said.  “We did a lot of work over the winter on the car, so it paid off.”

Brasz and his dad Bert not only freshened the car but adjusted the suspension so it would match the division’s new tires.  Previously, U-Cars ran street tires.  Now, it’s racing slicks.

Brasz said racing tires increase his chances of excelling.  Last year, he pushed the street tires on his U-Car too hard and they literally came apart in a number of races.  In one race, Brasz finished dead last.

“I had a hard time for that right front tire to last even one race,” he said.  “These new tires are going to suit my driving style better.”

After a drizzle halted the U-car race at one point last Saturday, the rear end on Brasz’s car broke loose going into turn one on the restart.  For fans, it looked like he was about to crash.  Brasz, however, was actually having fun.

Brasz, in fact, has been competing in the sport of drifting since 2002.  And drifters live to oversteer their cars so they will slide sideways through corners, trying to not only create as much smoke as possible but to come as close as they can to guard rails and keep rolling.

“Sliding through corners is something I’m really comfortable with,” Brasz said.  “My drifting experience pays off when I get sideways in the U-Car.”

Once last season, another U-car driver hit Brasz’s car going into turn one and slid him around.  Brasz just stayed in the gas and counter-steered, like drifting, and slid through the whole corner.  When he made it to the straightaway, Brasz pulled away, righted his car, and kept racing.

“My drifting skills have saved me several times in U-cars,” said Brasz, who hopes to snag some more wins in the division.

Brasz competes in drifting on the pro level in the Xtreme Drift Circuit series, which he almost won last year before a blown engine cost him the championship.  He also missed a championship a few years ago when the series he was leading folded with one race left.

Mostly, he runs the circuit on the east coast but out west, too, depending on schedules. About 60 cars show up for events and the field is narrowed through qualifying heats.  Drivers are judged on speed, style and angle. 

Brasz drives a Nissan 240 SX in at least five major events a year and about 10 smaller ones.  He started the sport at Summit Point when he was supposed to road race but couldn’t find a division to compete in.  So he decided to try drifting since he had the right car for it.

He won his first race and has been drifting since.  “I’ve been hooked on it since then,” he said.

Brasz started oval track racing because he wanted the direct competition between other drivers to see who could cross a finish line first.  “It’s cut and dry while drifting is subjective.”

Drifting is also more lucrative than oval track racing.  But Brasz is having fun competing in U-cars.