Pro Drifter Matt Coffman Catches Up and Looks Ahead To Next Weekend's GRIDLIFE Laguna. Don't Miss the Action This Year!

If you don’t already know Matt Coffman from the viral video of him drifting down the main straight during 2023 GRIDLIFE Laguna, you may know him from his past as a Formula Drift pro up until 2019. Coffman’s story is one of resilience, passion, and comeback. He was forced to take a break from the sport after an unfortunate non-driving accident in 2019. The pandemic and family matters only extended his time away from the track—until his spectacular return at the 2023 GridLife Laguna Seca event.

We caught up with Coffman ahead of this year’s festival to hear about his return to drifting, what Laguna Seca means to him, and what fans can expect next week.

Was 2023 your first time driving at Laguna Seca?

Yes, it was my first time driving at Laguna Seca. I had been there once as a spectator, but driving on the track was a whole new experience.

Was the 2023 Laguna event your first GRIDLIFE experience?

It was, and it was such an incredible introduction to the GRIDLIFE community. This year, I’ve been to almost every festival, except for the one in North Carolina.

What was it like drifting on Laguna Seca?

Laguna Seca is one of the world’s top five most prestigious race tracks. At first, it was intimidating, but soon it was just awesome. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too difficult, and I was able to keep all four wheels on the track. Laguna is actually a natural drifting track, even though some corners can be tricky. Normally, you might have two wheels in the air, but Laguna fits well for drifting.

What car did you drift last year, and are you bringing it back?

I was driving my Nissan 240SX, which is an S13. I’ll be bringing it back this year, but with some changes. Last year, it had an old Ford NASCAR engine, but I’ve switched to a Chevrolet LS engine now. It’s simpler and more reliable, with better torque. The NASCAR engine had a lot of horsepower, but the LS engine just works better for drifting.

How does someone get into drifting from regular driving?

There’s a wide range of ways people get into it, but SIM racing is the best place to start. Those who start on SIMs are about two years ahead of those who begin in a car. When you power slide a car for the first time it’s super overwhelming but those who start with SIM racing seem to overcome that fear and intimidation of letting go of the control. Especially with drifting in tandem and getting very close to the car in front of you.

Honestly, I would recommend that anyone get their kids into a SIM or into a junkyard drifter and just start in an open parking lot. The ability to drift is something that actually keeps people much safer even on regular roads as anything can happen at any time. Tighter corners on mountain roads or something in the road, you learn how to handle those things by drifting.

What do you love about drifting?

Everybody that is a drifter knows that it is not the premier sport. We are all fans and spectators of all motorsport and racing. I was speaking with Rhys Millen, the world-famous stunt driver, drifter and rally racer right after I got my pro drifting license and he said, “There is no better sharpening tool for driving than drifting.” Which is true when you think about it because driving is generally staying beneath this line which is the threshold for control. If you’re practicing all of your driving ABOVE that line, which is what you do in drifting, you are sharpening that skill and can feel a lot more comfortable when that line is crossed.

That skill set of what to do on that line in my opinion is a measure of safety. In countries like Germany or Finland, you have to show you need to powerslide a car in order to get your license. It makes sense and teaches motor skills with driving that can’t be replicated in anything else.

What were the highlights of last year's event?

Being at Laguna was such an incredible opportunity and I was so happy to do it. I had wanted to drift the main straight into the Andretti Hairpin and some other pros had told me it wasn’t possible because it was hard to see over the crest of turn 1. During one of my first practice sessions, I had the whole track to myself and I got to the perfect tire slickness and went for it.  It was on one of my first five laps on the track during practice and my friend happened to be sitting in the grandstands and capture it which is where that video came from. It felt like my whole journey was re-starting. And everything I went through, even taking a break and the whole accident was worth it.

I was in disbelief when the video went viral, I was getting reactions and engagement from celebrities and idols, the whole thing was so cool. There is really something magical about Laguna and it just made the whole experience awesome.

I had spent a lot of time doing high speed entries Thunderhill raceway when I was 18. I’m 30 now and so I think I have a lot of experience that helped me overcome that feat. I’m sure this year there will be a lot of guys doing it though.

What are you looking forward to at this year's GRIDLIFE Laguna?

My favorite thing about working with GRIDLIFE is it is all focused around passion and having fun and enjoying yourself. This day and age a lot of joy and happiness is lost on the human race and the state of the world. There can also be a lot of politics tied up into some of these bigger series.  The human species has racing ingrained in us. We have been racing since the beginning of time even without vehicles. Racing is something we do as a kid running across the yard with our friends and it’s part of our human spirit. The way some of the series are this day and age takes that spirit out of it and GRIDLIFE seems to keep that spirit alive with everyone having a great time and being passionate. It just is always such a lively weekend.

Matt Coffman’s return is just one of many exciting features of this year’s GRIDLIFE Laguna festival. Fans can expect a full weekend of high-speed Time Attack races, intense GLTC (GRIDLIFE Touring Cup) battles, live music, and car showcases. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca’s famous elevation changes and tight corners make it the perfect backdrop for this unforgettable motorsport experience.

Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the scene, GRIDLIFE at Laguna Seca is a can’t-miss event. Coming up September 27 – 29, ticket prices are expected to increase on Monday. Get your tickets now and be part of the excitement!