When Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea DeNofa get together, you know some tires are about to be shredded. The drifting duo recently released video of a drift battle in their modified Ford Mustangs on North Carolina back roads.
The location near Wilkesboro, North Carolina had many twists and turns and reminded Gittin Jr. of Japan’s Touge Mountains, scene of many epic drift battles. However, the roads were barely wide enough for the Mustangs to drive sideways, making the video an excellent demonstration of precise vehicle control.
Drift battle between Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea DeNofa
The drifting only takes up the first few minutes of the approximately 15-minute video. The rest is behind-the-scenes footage that shows just how much work goes into one of these video shoots. From exploring the road to coordinating with camera cars to putting out a fire in DeNofa’s car, a lot goes into making a few minutes of YouTube-worthy drifting action.
Even when the cars aren’t on fire, they still emit a lot of smoke, which limits the view of following drivers. That’s not ideal on a racetrack, let alone a narrow, tree-lined back road.
Gittin Jr. is no stranger to drifting challenges. He once drifted around the Nürburgring in a Mustang with an F-150 Raptor. In addition to competing in the professional formula drift series, he has also competed in off-road racing in the Ultra4 series, driving a modified Ford Bronco and a Bronco-badged race truck.
Gittin Jr. is also the founder of tuner RTR Vehicles, which teamed up with Ford to build the 7-engine, 1,400hp Mustang Mach E 1400, which would have been quite a job on those narrow streets. You can also expect Gittin Jr. to switch to the redesigned 2024 Ford Mustang when it hits showrooms later this year.