Drifting is one of those things that I've always loved to watch, but never thought I'd have the opportunity to try myself. Here we are, almost 40 years old, and I decided to live out some childhood dreams (now that I have the time, money, and means to)! I chose Drift 101 because I know Naoki is one of the frontrunners for the west-coast drifting scene. I bought a full-day lesson for myself for my birthday and had my husband come along. There were 2 instructors to 2 students, we were both in 240SXs and basically took turns back to back doing drills throughout the day, with breaks in between to cool off (it was HOT, pro-tip, don't go in the summer, pick a cooler month), ask questions, and talk about the next drill/exercise. Having had ZERO drift or manual car experience, the instructors (Naoki and Ruben) were incredible - they catered the instruction to best help out my overthinking brain, and I was starting to see some things click. I think I did have to curb my expectations some, because I think I expected myself to be drifting at full speed around a track, but my skill level was definitely not there yet, and they're not going to move you to an advanced skill without a good grasp of the foundations. For me, it was a focus on left/ride slides, transitioning/linking them together, and donuts. I struggled with linking a slide into a donut, but Ruben and Naoki were constantly there giving me pointers and things to focus on for each 'lap.' I definitely recommend and have plans to go again and build upon my skills. It was a great, safe, no-pressure environment perfect for any skill level or level of enthusiasm. read more

Naoki-San and crew are the real deal. I showed up expecting a chill birthday session, share some seat time with other class mates, and eat some cake while chatting about cars. Instead, I got a full day 2:2 (2 instructors: 2 students: 2 S14 drift cars) full drifting science clinic. Explanations and tutorials were professionally delivered with a whiteboard. You can tell the team is passionate and knowledgeable about both building and driving performance machines. Expect to drive a LOT! There was so much seat time I actually looked forward to water breaks. Thanks again Naoki and Reuben! read more

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It was like taking a page right out of the drifting lore and living in that moment!!Mitsuru haraguchi ( Xander's fav drifter) would have been pleased with Naoki's ability to bring this to the next level. Straight from the get go we were immersed in The Art of Drifting. What an amazing experience for my son AND for his birthday present. Now we are counting the days for when we can return and this time IM taking the wheel with my kiddo!! Naoki Thank You for making this dream a reality, it was so much more than my son and I could have anticipated!! We will see who comes home The Drift King ;) next time. read more

Drift 101 - Drift Crew of 2025!! - Driving Schools Near Me - Rosamond, California

A great drift program for anyone that's looking to get the basics of drifting and car control down. Naoki runs a good program that's casual and fun. read more

It was a life changing experience. I got the two full day lessons for my husband and he thoroughly enjoyed it. Naoki is amazing. He was meticulous in training and could think of whatever is going through your mind at any given moment. For context, my husband is an engineer. Naoki is extremely knowledgeable and his training has brought impeccable results. Even though it was just for fun, my husband now has aspirations to drift more frequently in the future. The first day was a one-on-one with Naoki. No one else was on the schedule so we basically had the track to ourselves. The first few moments was basically getting the feel for the car, and scoping the course. Husband practically got down how to do donuts and figure 8s the first day. He went in with very little knowledge of drifting and didn't know much about it. We've only watched Tokyo Drift the day before..lol! But he got the hang of it after a whole day and got a grasp of the mechanics behind drifting. The second day was on a different track with the whole crew and also with another classmate! He found that he enjoyed drifting with other people because it gave him much more learning feedback. The second day was largely engaging in much more maneuvers involving 2nd gear, at a higher speed. A bit more challenging than the first day because he was practically trying to correct his drifts by giving the right amount of throttle. It gets a bit more technical here and he also started the 2nd day with handbrake initiations. There was a lot of time spent on the track. It was also an eventful day because we got to meet one of Naoki's students that have been actively training to get his pro drifting license. It was an exhilarating experience because one of his students came so far and we got to see the fruits of his labor. If you decide to come here, I'd highly recommend it! A thing to note though is that, Willow Springs is practically a desert. We came during the summer in August, and it was extremely hot. Although the 100 degree weather did not deter my husband from drifting, it is something to consider the next time because no one likes dry hot weather lol. We're from San Diego and although it was a short trek, we ended up staying at a hotel in Palmdale that was pet friendly (Residence Inn Palmdale Lancaster). All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I do not regret gifting my husband these lessons. He would probably remember this experience for the rest of his life. I was a bystander the entire time, but nonetheless still fun to watch and meet a lot of inspiring people. I would definitely recommend drifting at least once in your lifetime. It's such a niche sport. You'd be in good hands with Naoki and his team at Drift 101. Such a harmonious crew! read more

Drift 101 - Met Don :) - Driving Schools Near Me - Rosamond, California

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Super fun! I bought Drift 101 as a Birthday gift for my fiancé, Tim. When I picked him up after each session, he was glowing. Makes a great gift for anyone passionate about cars and who is interested in drifting. Tim liked Naoki and his team's enthusiasm and friendly approach which made it easy to learn. He had a nice amount of practice time behind the wheel and he is walking away from the class with better car control. This experience has him enthused about getting into drifting! Thank you for the great memories! read more

Drift 101 - Driving Schools Near Me - Rosamond, California

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(I actually left this review on Google in early 2022 when I went, but it seems it never made it past their filter for some reason. Just happened to come across it again, and wanted to repost here to show my appreciation.) I really enjoyed spending the day with Naoki and Ian for Drift 101. They're very down to earth and made things approachable. Got a lot of seat time and individualized instruction. Also walked away with some ideas on how to improve. Thanks guys :) read more

I got a full-day lesson for my wife for her birthday. She's adventurous and loves driving but had never expressed any in drifting so it was a surprise. She had an amazing time with the team at Drift101. Everybody was very friendly and helpful and she had a ton of fun learning to Drift with them. As soon as I picked her up she said she wanted to do it again. read more

I purchased a half day drift lesson for my boyfriend who has no drift experience, but loves cars. He had an incredible time and I had so much fun watching him. 100% recommend this to anyone who likes to play around with cars. The instructor was great and it was so easy to purchase a gift certificate and book a class. read more

Drift 101 - Driving Schools Near Me - Rosamond, California

Naoki and the team were great! My family and I did a 1 day class together and learned a lotttttt. We spent more time driving than not. He was super accommodating in scheduling a date that worked best for my group. We basically went straight to drifting when we arrived. It was magical that they could see what we were doing wrong from outside the car, and iterate changes verbally after each attempt, or use hand signals while we were practicing. Learning the basics of drifting really is more feeling than technicals, and their teaching style really allowed to get the most seat time and fun! One regret was I wished I asked Naoki to show off his drifting skills for us. I didn't think about it until I left!! I rarely leave reviews, but this was a great experience and I highly recommend it!!!!! read more

I havent experience this in person yet. Im so down to learn how to drift over in the summer. I spoke with Naoki over the phone and he explained in detail and gave me some insight. Im looking forward to slide sideways! read more

I got a 1-day lesson with Naoki for my husband's birthday. I expected there to be other students, but perhaps we got lucky and got a 1-1 class that lasted the whole day. My husband didn't have any experience drifting before. You could tell Naoki has done this so many times that he can understand exactly what's happening in your mind as you're driving and provides tips and breaks when he thinks you need it most. I was a bit bored as a bystander, but my husband had an amazing time. While he didn't master the art of drifting in a day, he had such a good time that he's already been talking about going back. Highly recommend! read more

I had an amazing time with Naoki and his team of instructors at Drift 101. Lots of personalized attention, lots of track time, it was an exceptional learning opportunity from someone who is the very best in his craft. You have to realize that stunt men and women around the country travel to Willow Springs to train with Drift101. There's a reason for that, Drift101 is the best. When selecting a drift school, I had to either choose between a big box school that offered a cookie cutter experience, or I had the option to choose Drift101which is the real, fully immersive experience. The choice was easy. Just make sure to do the two day school if you can, and choose a weekday! read more

Amazing day at Drift 101!! I had never driven manual before - Callie taught me how to within 10 minutes no problem. Once we got on the track, instructions were personalized to everyone's individual needs. It was awesome to see myself progress as the day went on. Our instructors - Naoki, Callie and Conner were great teachers, personable, and they made it fun for us. Lastly, the amount of the actual driving time is LEGIT!! read more

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I got to spend a fantastic day with Naoki as my couch! I have to say, I was blown away by the attention and passionate way of teaching he provided. He first assessed what level I was at and then built the next steps accordingly. I went from doing donuts, figure eights, e-brake initiations to clutch-kick initiations. I progressed quickly but making sure I got the technique down before we moved on with the next exercise. My boyfriend is a professional drifter and he believes this is the best school you can attend. I learned so much and had a blast while doing it! Thank you so much again, for everything! read more

Drift 101 - Driving Schools Near Me - Rosamond, California

So much Fun! My daughter, her boyfriend and I did a one-day course. I've been to the track events with my car many times as well as racing school and car control courses. This is by far the best. Instructors: Callie, Conner and Naoki are the best. Patient, professional and encouraging. Exhausted at the end of the day with so much drive-drifting time. I'm so ready to go back. Thanks for a great day! read more

Great vibes and cool slides! Naoki Cali and Cody were awesome teachers and made everybody feel welcome - Great experience!

Awesome school, they really let you get the drive time in to practice. Took the 2 day class and day 1 I already learned so much and got some awesome coursework in. Learned a lot and had a super fun time. Great instructors and definitely worth the money. Overall Naoki and crew are super friendly and top notch with their teaching. read more

Naoki is very stoic. Don't expect lots of praise, admonishments or frustration from him. Expect him trying to understand what you need in order to do the tasks he sets forth. No cookie cutter class, exercises, or comments. His real skill is analyzing you. Anybody can show you how to drift, but I do not believe there are many that try so hard to crawl into your head to unlock your potential, whatever that may be. I am fifty and drive like grandpa usually. My buddy and I, with no experience, took the two day, two car course. My moments of drifting glory are now priceless to me. What a bargain! read more

I can't remember the last time I had so much fun. This was an awesome experience and the instructors took the time to explain everything. Had a full day in the cars and loved every second. Put this on your bucket list... you will have an awesome time and come out with amazing car driving skills. Thanks guys.. definitely will go back. read more

Naoki and Kali are awesome instructors! They both helped me expand my racing knowledge and got me hooked on drifting! This is a great course for a driver of any level or anyone looking for some excitement! read more

I took the drift101 one day class. It was the best experience ever. Naoki and his team were great at explaining things and make the entire learning process so much fun. I can't wait to go back and take the next class. Definitely recommend going. Myself, my brother, and my boyfriend all went and we had the track and all the instructors all to ourselves. It was such a great day. I learned to drive manual and drift in one day. I can't say enough great things about this place and the people. read more

Spent the day learning proper drifting techniques. We had 3 generations participating...fun for the whole family. Naoki and Cali are awesome teachers not to mention really nice people and fun to be around. Thanks!! read more

Loved my experience at Drift 101. Pretty much agree with all of the comments posted here. It's a special program in that it's brass-tacks and no fluff with a great deal of personal attention and insight. For sure going to be doing more of it. read more

I have been with Naoki at Dift 101 for the last two years. I started with Naoki's class cars and ended up with my own full-blown competition drift car. read more

Drift 101 - Driving Schools Near Me - Rosamond, California

I did the one day class in Naoki's car recently and it was perfect. He tailored the whole day to my particular goals (racing rather than pure drifting) and skill level (close to zero coming in). My main goal was to become more skilled controlling my car on track with the back end out. It was a the perfect day for that. He also taught me how to drift without beating the car up, which was much needed. After this day I'm confident that I know enough of the basics of how to drift to practice effectively on my own. It's worth noting that his price includes a one year Willow Springs track membership that allows you to run your car there on the track or drifting areas on open test days for only the additional daily use fee. Thanks Naoki. read more

Absolutely amazing experience. Did this yesterday July 29th. I've done quite of sport driving programs. 2 from Porsche, 1 from Corvette, and porsche club of America high performance driving events. Those are great but this level of instruction is impeccable. The instruction is one on one and tailored to you. Drifting isn't easy, but these guys WILL get you doing it. I thought the pricing was an absolute steal. Sign up before they raise it! read more

if you are thinking of drifting or have a car forget what your buddies told you. spend the money take the 2-day class well worth it. Naoki is the best explains well never in a rush and listens to your needs. I would take his advice before buying a drift car, will save you money. it's not all about the power more so control. I did the 2 days. Naoki and his helper were great even got in the car with me. that was a big-time saver of understanding. I can't say it enough be a sponge, soak up his knowledge forget what others are saying. I plan on returning for 2 more days of fun and learning. my goal was to hold a drift and I can now do that. I Still need practice. Figure 8 was the best. along with the snake set up. can't forget about the wide donuts. I'm already getting excited to return. I also did the video shoot OMG that guy is good. will be booking him as well. years of bragging rights. and will help with training thanks to all of you see you again Chris Lohner (Arizona) read more

Naoki really knows his stuff and really gets into what you need very quickly. His teaching skills are really good. There was another student there with a different driving school on the same track. I quickly surpassed her, not due to my good skills or her lack of skills but due to the way Naoki taught me in comparison to the way the other instructor taught her. I'll definitely be going back for practice sessions as well as recommending this school to all my stunt colleagues. Whether you are a professional stunt driver or just looking to hone your driving skills, Drift 101 is GREAT value for money. Don't hesitate, book now. You'll learn a TON in no time at all, especially as he only takes one or two at a time so you'll get lots of driving time. read more

I learned so much from the class! Naoki is a very patient and calm instructor. I love how he's able to transfer that calmness to me as a student, even in an intensive situation as we were doing. I always felt safe even though I was nervous/excited, because of Naoki's style of instruction. He is also very intuitive in figuring out an individual's style of learning and adapting his instruction along the way to help the student. It was beneficial for me to have one other student in the class as I was able to see what the car should be doing from the outside as well when I watched the other student. I want to go back and take another class; Naoki's voice and lessons were still in my head 3 days post class. I kept thinking of turns read more

This was wonderful. I got this as a gift to my boyfriend and he really enjoyed it.

Our first experience drifting. Instruction was concise and patient. Really great experience.

The class is extremely well thought out and professionally run - and it was the best time I've had in years! The teaching style is very accessible and easy for anyone to understand, and the cars all worked perfectly. Each of us was in our own car and we started with simple left donuts from a stand still and learned to control our understeer and distance from a target. We progressed rapidly and by the end of the second day had learned how to navigate through a complex course making multiple transitions, initiate with the handbrake and began to master 2nd gear maneuvers. Naoki and his team gave us each individual instruction after every run, and the insights provided were spot on pass after pass. I'd say it would take me a year or more of fooling around on my own to learn what Naoki taught me in 2 days. Now I'm buying my own drift car and can't wait to begin exploring on my own - thanks to the amazing foundation from Drift 101. Thank you so much for the incredible experience Naoki, Kallie and Thomas, you're all exceptional - I can't wait to see you again soon for Drift 102! Aloha. read more