- “Ride with Dai” is a program developed by Pit+Paddock that allows fans to ride shotgun with Dai in his 1,000+hp Subaru BRZ demo car.
- Thanks to our season sponsor Powerstop, 2023 marks the highly-anticipated second season of the “Ride with Dai” spectacle and welcomes new destinations to its calendar.
- The first stop’s ride-along, presented by Gates, is familiar territory: Wicked Big Meet at Stafford Springs Raceway in Connecticut.
- Ride-along winners can win a seat with Dai via our social media contest and in-person raffle.
Born and raised in Chicago, I grew up as a die-hard Bulls fan. Back at the old Chicago Stadium, there was an entrance that all the players, performers, and politicians would use to enter the building. Aptly named “Gate 3 1/2” as it sat between the public Gates 3 and 4, it was the closest opportunity any real human being could get to Michael Jordan in person; eager fans (like me) would wait here before and after the games for that fleeting moment. Often enough, it’d never come. But one time, I remember him looking down at me — he patted me on the head, putting the oversized Bulls I had on askew, just before he entered the building to trounce the Lakers. It was an unforgettable moment I can still recall thirty years later.
So when Pit+Paddock decided to create the Ride with Dai program, which allowed eager drift fans to ride shotgun with Dai in his 1,000-hp Subaru BRZ, it felt reminiscent of that memory.
THE FIRST SEASON
Last year, we brought Ride with Dai to four stops: Wicked Big Meet in Connecticut, Formula DRIFT in Seattle, Gridlife Alpine Horizon in Colorado, and Subiefest in California. The cross-country tour allowed a wide variety of Dai fans to meet Dai, see his incredible demo car in person, and if they were really lucky, the opportunity to ride with him as a small sampling of true Formula DRIFT running.
Thanks to partner support from Mishimoto and MBRP throughout the season, the fan response to this one-of-a-kind program was truly incredible. We knew almost immediately that a second season was definitely in order.
RUNNING IT BACK
Thanks to our season sponsor Powerstop, Ride with Dai is back with two familiar destinations and a couple of new ones: Wicked Big Meet in Connecticut and Subiefest in California are two carry-overs from 2022, while two Formula DRIFT stops at Irwindale and Utah will allow a whole new segment of fans the opportunity to experience Dai in action for the first time.
The first stop in Dai’s 2023 tour will be at Wicked Big Meet on Sunday, June 11, thanks to Powerstop and our presenting partner Gates.
HOW DO I ENTER?
There are two ways you can win a Ride with Dai experience brought to you by Powerstop and Gates: via social media or by visiting our booth in the ENEOS vendor area at Wicked Big Meet.
Via social media:
- Follow @pitandpaddock, @powerstop, and @gates
- Like this post
- Tag a friend (each comment is a new entry, multiple entries allowed)
In-person at Wicked Big Meet:
- Visit the Pit+Paddock booth in the ENEOS vendor area between 9 AM – 10:30 AM
- Sign up for our Pit+Paddock newsletter
- Three ride-along winners will be selected at 10:45 AM
Regardless of how you enter, there are a few simple ground rules that we require:
- You must be present at Wicked Big Meet on June 11 to win
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You must be under 6’ tall and under 210 lbs
- You must be in good physical health
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