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AR YE
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Grizzly welcome
West Shore hockey team enters the Brad Knight era Page A13
NEWS: Sooke School District braces for cuts /A5 DRIVEWAY: Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel competitive /A15 HOMEFINDER: Staged homes can sell more quickly /A27
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Friday, April 18, 2014
www.vicnews.com
Catchin’ the drift
Teachers prepare for strike action
Tire-squealing, rubberburning sport tears up Western Speedway
It’s noisy, dirty and looks completely out of control, but for the participants of drifting at Western Speedway, it’s the safe, legal thrill they’re looking for. “At the end of the day your face is covered in tire, your lips are cracked, you’re completely exhausted,” said Dorian Redden, a driver from Saanich. “You’re so happy, you’re so satisfied.” Drifting is the act of taking a vehicle through a turn using controlled oversteer. In other words, it’s a sideways burnout, Kyle Wells where the rear wheels Reporting of the car slide through a turn at a greater angle than the front wheels. It feels like you’re a moment away from getting in a terrible accident, but it’s all under control. The sport, defined by the sound of squealing tires and the smell of burnt rubber, has been going on at the Langford speedway for about six years, with the Capital Drift organization running events for the past three. In competition, drifting is typically done in tandem. Drivers are judged on speed
POWER
Sooke School District waits on union’s next move Tom Fletcher Kyle Wells Black Press
decal and is scuffed with the paint of a few of his friend’s cars, with their signatures above the marks. The combination of elements make this sport an obsession and addiction for participants. They refer to the night before a drifting event as “Driftmas Eve,” and get as little sleep as a child waiting to unwrap their toys.
School District 62 superintendent Jim Cambridge is waiting for word on what job action from the B.C. Teachers’ Federation will look like before making a plan on how to deal with it. If it happens at all, that is. After rejecting an offer from the school district bargaining agency for a long-term contract, the BCTF went to the Labour Relations Board this week to establish essential service levels for strike action. Teachers voted 89 per cent in March to endorse a three-stage strike plan that can begin with 72 hours notice. Phase one includes restricting communication with school managers, arriving no more than an hour before and leaving an hour after school hours, and refusing supervision of students outside class time.
PlEASE SEE: Auto drift club, Page A6
PlEASE SEE: Sooke district, Page A7
Kyle Wells/News staff
Their cars may not be much to look at, but members of Capital Drift show off their prized possessions at Western Speedway in Langford. Pictured, from right, are Brayden Bulger, Matt MacLeod, David Nykl, Dorian Redden, Danny Cox and Andrew Casey. The first drifiting event of the season happens tomorrow (April 19). and angle, but mostly style. Proximity to one another and to the wall are also considered. The occasional “wall tap” – touching the track wall with the back bumper without losing control of the car – also impresses judges. “It’s difficult. It’s a lot of concentration and control, and very, very quick reactions,” said Danny Cox, also from Saanich. Cox’s car, a Nissan 240SX, the staple of drifting, proudly wears a target
Westshore Dental’s newest addition
Dr. Lien Neale
W e are thrilled to welcome Dr. Lien Neale to the Westshore Dental family. She recently moved to Victoria from Alberta with her husband and 4 teenagers to enjoy the beauty and climate that the west coast is famous for.
152-2945 Jacklin Rd •
250-474-2296