Formula Drift brings controlled chaos to Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- It was loud, fast and smelly in downtown Long Beach Saturday as some of the world's most talented stunt drivers showed off their drifting skills.

The roar of the engines, screeching tires and a haze of smoke was created by drivers with Formula Drift, who turned up the volume with the season opener.

Several roads were shut down in the area to accommodate for the track.

Reigning champion James Deane was among the many competitors. He hoped to defend his title.

"I love the sport of drifting you know. It's one of the most exciting sports in the world. The cars are going completely sideways at speeds of up to 100 mph," he said.

Formula drift drivers said this is controlled chaos, power and precision.

"What it is is essentially two cars going sideways with absolute chaos, a lot of smoke, doing tandem drifting, sliding from corner to corner...just a lot of excitement," driver Ken Gushi said.

The result? Intense and exciting performances that kept the crowd on the edge of their seats.

"It's so loud. It's like thunder crackling. Literally thunder crackling and explosions just going off. These high horsepower motors are just going at it. People put so much hard work and time into building these motors. It's phenomenal," Jonathan Chu said.