Smalltown Drifting Heroes!

Imagine a place where the squeal of tires echoes through the mountains and tire smoke mingles with the scent of fresh farm produce. For automotive and drifting enthusiasts, grassroots has many definitions. It could simply mean their home track, where their parents took them at a young age, or it could be the dusty gravel road that leads to a small racetrack that big-name sponsors won’t even touch. For many of us, it’s probably what inspired us to continue the tradition as gearheads, mechanics, drivers, or passionate fans.

Tucked away in Bryant, Alabama - past the mountains of Chattanooga - lies such a track. Following the winding mountain roads, heading past farms and a local farmer’s market, you’ll find Driven Luck Circuit (DLC) - a family-owned drift track. It’s a scene that paints a feeling of coming home, where dinner has been pulled off the stove, and it’s still hot. Coincidentally, so is the track at Driven Luck Circuit.

Who Is The Dillard Family?

The Dillard Family - made up of Andrea, Joe, Coy, Caden and Chase - founded this little slice of heaven in late October 2023. Growing up excited about drifting, the boys have had their share of 240’s since high school. It wasn’t until the family attended a drift event in Virginia at Shenandoah Speedway that their parents (Andrea & Joe) realized drifting was more than just “hoodrat stuff.” 

Fast forward to 2015, while Coy was enlisted in the United States Navy, Andrea and Joe decided to purchase a home in Virginia to be closer to their-now-married son and baby granddaughter. Later, they decided to sell that home and use the proceeds to realize Coy’s dream of full-time track life.

When 2018 rolled around, drift life was a family affair. Caden, only 15 at the time, started drifting with his parents signing the liability releases. “Not to mention, Joe and I were hooked,” Andrea explained. “The atmosphere, the drivers, the smell of roasting tires; we were all in.”

The family went on to dump tons of money into cars, tires, trucks, trailers, and more, feeding into their collective passion. The brothers would sleep in the trailers, while their parents would follow closely behind.

“We would make breakfast at the camper to deliver to the boys at [the] track and cook countless numbers of burgers, brats, or hotdogs to feed whoever was hungry,” said Andrea. “Our garage was always full of cussing and greasy boys working on someone's drift car. When Coy got out of the Navy in 2020, I asked what he was going to do with the rest of his life. He said that his ultimate goal would be to someday own a grassroots drift track.”

And so it would be.

Challenges And Breakthroughs.

The Dillard family wasn’t going to settle for just any piece of land to build their dream spot. 

Understandably, their parents didn’t necessarily want to live ‘on’ a drift track, but Coy and Caden wanted plenty of room to create proper elevation changes for a Meihan-style track layout. It was important to have a location that wouldn’t upset the neighbors, in addition to making code enforcement happy. Luckily, the land they settled on was in an unincorporated county, which meant everything was fair game as long as they acquired a business license. From there, the family began sowing the seeds for drifting on the newly purchased land; a former family dairy farm.

Soon, after moving in and breaking ground, the Dillard family would find out just how ‘cool with’ the track their new neighbors were. To their surprise, one neighbor was building a 240sx project to drift one day. Coy exclaimed, "Bro, do we have some news for you!"

Another neighbor, Jinae Camp, shared her experience. “I met one of the owners of the track, Caden (now my boyfriend), at Ace Hardware before the track was even built. We worked together and I was quickly introduced to drifting,” she said. “My first impression was that this family created something amazing, and it was amazing seeing so many people come together to make this track what it is.”

Needless to say, it’s unlikely the Dillard’s will be getting any push back from their neighbors anytime soon.

Creating A Drifter’s Paradise.

In terms of building the ‘drifter’s paradise’, this family is extremely handy. Coy, who worked for a construction company at the time, rented the equipment necessary to build Driven Luck Circuit through his gracious employer. He also had a full education on how to operate a dump truck, dozer, and track hoe.

Starting July of 2023, they began to break ground, with a few setbacks. “We needed more clay to effectively create a surface for the asphalt that would stand the test of drifting,” Andrea explained. “Nathan (another neighbor) heard about this, and offered the clay pit on his property, free of charge. We would have been way over budget without the 88 loads of clay from Nathan and Cora's property.”

When it comes to building a drift track, it truly takes a village.

And, when it came to track design, they didn’t hire a track expert or architect. Coy and Caden walked around the whole 15-acre field and marked flags on where the track would be. From there, using Caden’s Suburban, they would drive around the course and adjust as they went. Andrea told us they had no idea how the track would ‘perform’, but they were finally ready to try it out after three months of paving and tweaking.

From there, they went on to hire Kissner Paving to finish up the last, most important part of the project. Afterward, the boys (Caden and Coy), were itching to start smoking some tires.

Andrea recalled, “When the last bit of topper went on the entryway, Caden and Coy asked how long the asphalt needed to cure before cars should be on track. Mike Kissner said, ‘Boys, if it was my track, I'd already be on it,’ and Coy said, ‘Say less’.”

A Name Born Of Chance.

So, how does one even come up with a name for a drifting track? The boys decided to fall on the ‘Post Malone’ method, taking a song name generator on the Internet to see what stuck. After some trial and error, they finally settled on the Driven Luck Circuit.

“They hit the refresh button dozens, if not hundreds, of times before they agreed on Driven Luck,” Andrea said. “Then, they added sportsland, circuit, motorsports park, and the like, before settling on circuit.”

Though it may be a name born out of chance, the track itself is born from the pursuit of destiny, a passion for the sport of drifting, and an unwavering determination.

In the grand scheme of things, those who truly love drifting don’t need anything fancy. They just want somewhere to go that gives them endless seat time, and stories to look back on with their friends for years to come.

Quintessential Drifting Community.

All in all, it doesn’t take long to get the strong sense of community emanating from DLC’s staff, the onsite media, and the drivers. Even on the small track day I attended, the drivers were stoked to be there, grinning from ear to ear.

Andrea described it this way. “I think what really sets us apart is when you visit Driven Luck Circuit, we accept you into our fold. You will immediately become one of our friends and part of our family. We don't care if you bought a car last night or if you are a successful FD driver. Everyone is treated the same,” she confirmed.

Kris Machado, a driver who frequents DLC, shared his experience. "The first time I went to Driven Luck Circuit, it was to spectate, and I'll never forget how the Dillards immediately made me and my friends feel at home at their track,” he said. “This is the only track I've ever drifted, and I think no matter where else I go [to] drift, DLC will feel like home."

And, if you have time while at the track, be sure to check out the Driven Luck Circuit store on your way in or out. It’s a perfect example of the Dillard commitment to the DLC community, as you’ll see how they’ve literally thought of it all! In fact, if you end up in a bind on the track or in the stands, the store offers everything from a limited supply of zip ties, electrical tape, and more for purchase, as well as snacks, drinks, and more.

A Day In The Drifting Life At Driven Luck.

Driven Luck Circuit is the definition of grassroots. Down the winding dirt road to the track, it's a great refuge for those who are tired of the strict rules and pressures of competition, or just want to let their hair down for some good ole’ fashioned grassroots drifting. It’s also a great place for those that are just starting in the sport and want a no-pressure place to hone their drift skills. The DLC team even holds drift clinics/classes just for this purpose!

Whether it’s for their first time on track or just to polish skills, drivers attending the DLC clinics get loads of seat time with an instructor, whenever needed. DLC’s ultimate goal is to grow the sport, increase technique and confidence in drivers, and teach track etiquette. Caden and Coy help to adjust seat positioning, tire pressures, and anything else that will help a novice driver succeed.

Aaron Cook shared, “My first impressions of DLC were filled with pure enjoyment. I couldn’t get off the track for a solid 15 minutes or until my car overheated! This track is one of a kind, due to its constant driving ability. Once you’re out there, it’s balls to the wall, and that’s what makes you a better driver! You are forced to learn and get better with people around you supporting that same goal!"

Not long ago, one driver attended a clinic without even knowing how to drive a stick-shift! By the end of the day, she was ripping tires with the rest of them. I even had the privilege of witnessing her driving first hand, and needless to say, it was impressive (photo shown above). Another participant had only drifted using a driving simulator and was reluctant to try his luck with the real deal. At the end of that track day, both drivers left more confident and hungry for more.

So what is a typical day event like? Coy describes it this way,"You wake up, loud car noises, and it's over.”

As an event organizer, it can often feel like a blur from tech inspection, to pulling cars out of the ditch, to driver’s meetings, and in-depth discussions with attendees. Such is the track life we (drift fans) all know and love, and somehow, we’re all crazy enough to keep doing it. 

Crazy enough like the Dillard family to build a drift track in their own backyard. I don’t know about you, but I think I could get used to that.

Andrea (Mama D) reminisces on the first months of track days. “I will occasionally walk into the pits just to take it in…see an interested teen who aspires to visit one day with a car of his/her own talking to a driver…visit with the sweet 93-year-old lady who begs her son to bring her to every event where she sits in her sunhat in the pits at the fence admiring the excitement that her daily life no longer offers…it all reminds me that this community is so much more than the things I thought in those early ‘hoodrat’ days.”

Celebrating Milestones And Community Support.

Since opening, the Dillard family has received a great deal of support from grassroots to professional drivers alike. FD professional drivers Nick Noback (@nicknoback) and Hooman Rahimi (@imonlyhooman) have taken a few rips at the track, along with the Nappyboy Automotive (@nappyboyautomotive) crew, most recently.

Automotive parts manufacturers like Chase Bays have even stopped by for testing days and offered a 24k gold hydraulic handbrake and engine grounding kit for the track’s grand opening raffle. Grip Royal notably donated a DLC/GR collab steering wheel for their raffle at the Suna No Yama season opener event. It’s clear that everyone from “big pros” to the little guys enjoy the charm of this little homespun drift track.

Looking To The Future.

According to the Dillards, their ultimate goal for DLC is to be a destination and haven for anyone with a passion for the grassroots drift scene. Along with finishing their pathway to entry with much-needed gravel, they have bigger aspirations to add an additional track, a skid pad, a bathhouse, and more.

While they already allow primitive camping at their weekend events, they hope to add specific sites for camping, recreational vehicles, and possibly cabins or hostels. All of these elements are the ingredients to their DLC special soup, encouraging drift lovers to pull up a chair, stay awhile, and enjoy the tire smoke. If you’re lucky, you might even catch Coy strumming some tunes with his guitar around the firepit!

A Friendly Drifting Invitation.

Thinking about stopping by the Driven Luck Circuit? Caden says, ”Don’t be scared! Come on! What we lack in creature comforts and amenities, we make up for in hospitality and adrenaline. Give us a shot.”

The Driven Luck Circuit event calendar can be found through their website or through their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Make sure to put this humble grassroots track on your radar, and consider a trip to Alabama this year, for a low-key vibe and endless opportunities to shred tires.