Double 8 Showdown - DriftCon Afterdark October 3, 2026

What is the Double 8 Showdown?

The DOUBLE 8 SHOWDOWN is a 32 driver single elimination tournament that emphasizes style, skill, and adaptability.

All battles in the early brackets will be held on cageless LAYOUT 1. Once the competition transitions to the FINAL 8, all battles will be done on cageless LAYOUT 2. That’s right! TWO layouts in a single drift competition!

The DOUBLE 8 SHOWDOWN be held at DRIFTCON AFTERDARK on October 3, 2026.

Drivers that are competing in the Double 8 Showdown AND Team Tandem Finale will receive a 50% discount code for their Team Tandem entry via email. Please reach out if you did not receive the code.

DRIVER MEDIA COVERAGE:
We are partnering with APEXIEL to enhance media coverage for competitors. Competitors now have the opportunity to proactively book with approved media. From DSLR photography to FPV drone chase footage, there is a diverse range of media services available at various prices. Instead of relying on being captured by chance, pre-booking media guarantees comprehensive coverage and content delivery in a timely manner.

RULES + TECH REQUIREMENTS

Schedule

SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2026 – MAIN GATES OPEN 3PM

8:00 – Back Gate Open / Tech Inspection
9:30 – Double 8 Showdown / Warfare on the 5/8 Driver’s Meeting
10:00 – MANDATORY MEDIA Meeting at Tech Trailer
10:30 to 11:15 – Double 8 Showdown Practice Layout 1
11:15 to 12:00 – Double 8 Showdown Practice Layout 2
12:00 – EARLY ACCESS GATE OPENING
12:00 – MANDATORY Team Tandem Driver’s Meeting (Tech Trailer – 1 Member Minimum)
12:00 to 1:00 – Warfare on the 5/8 Qualifying (1 Practice Lap Before Qualifying)
1:00 to 3:15 – Double 8 Showdown Qualifying (Layout 1 + Layout 2)
3:00 – MAIN GATE OPENING
3:15 to 4:00 – Team Tandem Practice
4:00 to 5:00 – Warfare on the 5/8 Competition Top 8 to Finish
5:00 to 6:30 – Top 32 to Top 16 Competition
6:30 to 8:00 – Top 16 Introduction and Competition
8:00 to 8:15 – Hoon-Off Burnout Competition
8:15 to 9:45 – Team Tandem Finale Qualifying and Competition
9:45 to 10:00 – Drifting & Car Show Awards Ceremony

*It is the driver’s responsibility to follow the schedule and stay on time. We will make constant announcements in the pits, so please stay alert to keep the show rolling.

DOUBLE 8 SHOWDOWN & 5/8 PRACTICE DAY SCHEDULE
FRIDAY – OCTOBER 2, 2026
3:00 – Back Gate Open / Tech Inspection
5:00 – Double 8 Showdown Layout 1 Practice
6:00 – 5/8 Practice
6:30 – Double 8 Showdown Layout 2 Practice
7:30 – 5/8 Practice
8:00 – Double 8 Showdown Layout 1 Practice
9:00 – Practice Day Ends

*Team Tandem practice will be filled in as we have time. Anyone not competing in Double 8 or 5/8 can pay $30 at back gate for Team Tandem practice only.

Qualifying on Both Layouts

A big change for 2026 is the return of traditional qualifying which will now award series points. The unique spin for the Double 8 Showdown is that each driver will get ONE run on each layout to determine their overall qualifying position.

Drivers will be awarded up to 100 points for each run. These will be combined to get their final qualifying score.

Note: The driver does not get their highest score from either layout. Both layouts are worth the same number of points and will be added together.

Car Show Quality Bonus Points

The appearance of each competitor will still be an important factor but not the only criteria for this competition. When the driver arrives at the starting line for their first qualifying run, the Start Line Judge will award between 0 and 5 bonus points based on the quality of the car. These are separate points from the drift judges but will be added on top of the combined Layout 1 and Layout 2 scores. In the case of a perfect qualifying score on both layouts and the maximum 5 bonus points, the driver’s final score would be 205 points total.

Arriving at the start line with a matching livery, bumpers/panels present, and a cohesive build will award the maximum bonus points. Start line judges may change from year to year, but for this year Loren Knisley will be the person awarding these bonus points based on their own criteria.

Early Bracket Competition

Every Top 32 and Top 16 battle will be done on Layout 1.

Final 8 Bracket

After all Top 16 battles are finished, the Final 8 should prepare for the layout change. Each driver will get one “sight lap” on Layout 2 before moving into competition.

Once the bracket reaches the Top 8, tire changes and fueling between battles is expected to take 7 minutes or less.

Layouts

Judging

The panel will consist of 3 judges (Mike Hilyar, Frank Mirabelli, and TBD). Judges want to see use of the entire track. Utilize the whole width of the infield for transitions. Focus on the clipping points and outer zones. In tandem battles they want to see proximity.

Competition

Each Battle will consist of two runs. The higher ranked competitor will lead on the first run and be the chase driver for the second run.

On the first run the lead car will be directed into the burnout box and will have 20 seconds to stage at the start line. The chase will then be released into the burnout box and will have 20 seconds to stage at the start line.

The starter will then make sure that both competitors are ready at the line and then trigger the start light sequence. The lead car cannot leave the line before the green light illuminates. The chase driver can leave the line any time after the yellow light illuminates but must not beat the lead car to the initiation zone. Judges will make all decisions at who is at fault when a start has been fouled. Any fouled starts will be recalled. The at-fault driver will be warned and multiple offenses by the same driver may be cause for disqualification.

At the completion of the first run. Drivers will return to the start line immediately with them swapping starting line positions. No crew may touch the car in between runs without approval from the Tournament Director.

At the completion of the second run, Drivers will stop at the designated area and await a decision from the tower. As we get deeper into the tournament and the time in between battles narrows, Officials will allow 10 minutes for competitors to fuel, change tires and/or cool down their cars. Bring enough crew and tools to be prepared for this.

The tournament will continue until we have a winner. The 3rd place position will be determined by pairing up the two eliminated drivers from the top 4 in a standard battle. The highest qualifier will lead first.

The top 3 will report to the front stretch at the conclusion of the event for the awards ceremony.