Just Drift Open Session Details: Put on by Just Drift org.

Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs Raceway, CA

Coverage of Saturday open practice

Mike Essa and Ken Gushi in attendance

Video by @marklenardon

Sunshine, missile cars, HD cams and tire smoke rang in Just Drift’s 2014 season opener this past weekend. Horse Thief Mile, a canyon-like road course at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, CA, was the stage for the open session clinic; Saturday’s open practice brought out a range of cars and skill levels, with beginner/intermediate talents sticking to the simpler and neighboring Balcony course. We pinned our hopes to the hillside Horse Thief, enjoying a relaxing kick back of slide acoustics and dust-bathed rubber wafting in the air.

Photo 2/36 | Just Drift Top Drift Proam Chill Out

After a not-so-cold West Coast winter hiatus, drivers took the day to brush off the cobwebs and shake down their rear-wheel-drive rides. Plenty of offs and busted suspension components at Turn 5 – a downhill U-sweeper - marked the return to the track for many. Attendance was far from packed but core slide-heads showed up and let it rip in chaotic fashion.

Check out last year's Just Drift ASB: All Star Bash 2013 (w/vid)

Photo 6/36 | Just Drift Top Drift Proam Train

2013 Formula Drift champ, Michael Essa, arrived with his crew and a BMW missile while Ken Gushi stayed undercover in a beat SR-powered Corolla AE86. S-chassis drivers were many with the likes of Drive Energy Drink sponsored Matt Coffman, Vegas ProAm STR Racing George Kiriakopoulos and filmmaker/photog Will Roegge laying it down. The meeting marked a good time and the first of many events to come on this year’s Just Drift org. schedule.

Photo 10/36 | Just Drift Top Drift Proam Nissan S13 11

For those SoCal locals getting into slide fun, the Just Drift’s Top Drift ProAm series works as both a local club-type series and Formula Drift feeder for the select amateurs skilled enough to mix it up in the premiere class – FYI, Top Drift RD 1 is March 29 to 30 at Balcony in Rosamond, CA while Formula Drift RD 1 Long Beach occurs April 4-5th.

Photo 14/36 | Just Drift Top Drift Proam Nissan 350Z 02

Photo 24/36 | Just Drift Top Drift Proam Ken Gushi

Photo 25/36 | Just Drift Top Drift Proam Nissan S13 10

Photo 35/36 | Just Drift Top Drift Proam Mazda Miata