DRIFT Racing Apparel

If you’re an average snowmobiler with a passing, but not all-consuming interest in snowmobile racing, you might have missed the introduction of a totally new brand of snowmobile wear. Those with an interest in racing, especially oval track events and Eagle River’s World Championship in particular might have noticed that three-time (going for four) World Champion P.J. Wanderscheid took to the Derby track this past January in a unique pink DRIFT Authority jacket and pants.

It was the young oval champion’s effort to draw attention to Pink Ribbon Riders, a group that uses snowmobiling to help raise awareness of breast cancer in a quest to aid those affected by the disease. With the support of his first-year sponsor, DRIFT racing gear, Wanderscheid wore the special pink race suit during the Derby’s Friday Night Thunder race program, after which he autographed and donated it as an auction item in support of the Pink Ribbon Riders campaign.

P.J. Wanderschied made this unique pink DRIFT race suit available to support the Pink Ribbon Riders.

New Player

While Wanderscheid is not new to racing, DRIFT is. Based in Plymouth, Minn., DRIFT designs, produces and sells high-performance race apparel for snowmobile and motorsports enthusiasts. Currently DRIFT gear is available at select powersports dealerships throughout the United States and Canada.

Bold graphics will be offered in the newest DRIFT gear.

The new snowmobile wear is targeted toward active riders who seek a unique style, unmatched comfort and an excellent value. Brad Kosel, Product Specialist at DRIFT explains that the partnership with the Wanderscheid Racing team is a logical launching point for growth.

“Snowmobile oval racing is fast, dramatic and loaded with adrenaline. Sponsoring the best oval racer in the world is one important strategy for the growth of our brand. He’s young, easily-recognizable and dedicated to being the best – just like DRIFT,” stated Kosel.

As with anything, there’s always a bit more to the story. In the case of DRIFT, it’s all good. Perhaps the underappreciated point of Kosel’s remarks center around “value.” Since value is a tricky point to address, DRIFT sought to go with performance in its initial product introduction. Value is what we’re all after. Heck, Wal-Mart has used its brand of value to become a colossus in retail.

Gaining Entry

Introducing a new line of snowmobile gear is tough as there is some very credible competition. Arctiva, FXR and Klim come to mind as well as gear from the snowmobile manufacturers themselves. How do you break into the marketplace?

DRIFT is using a low-key approach that seems to center around word-of-mouth, or word of press releases. P.J. Wanderscheid’s exploits were followed with targeted news pieces that also highlighted DRIFT gear. While there was an official DRIFT website, it was sparse. Expect that to change, as DRIFT will have more styles for snowmobilers this coming season.

One reason the new apparel company has been moving under the radar is due to limited resources. Rather than make a big entry, DRIFT is entering the market carefully, but that’s not to suggest the company lacks a plan. Indeed not!

Since DRIFT snowmobile gear isn’t “brand” identifiable, it can be worn with any new sled.

Style and Value

The initial premise with DRIFT centers on style and value. Many of us snowmobilers want the colorful style offered by the snowmobile manufacturers, but we don’t necessarily want the brand name or the cost that having that brand name on our sled jacket costs us. Why can’t we have the quality and style but at a lower price point? That’s where this new gear comes in.

We wore a first year DRIFT jacket this past season. We liked it for a variety of reasons. It was “free.” That was a good reason to start with. But what struck us was the overall quality. Stylish, yes. Well-built? Very much so. The stitching was strong where it needed to be. The zippers and flaps were stationed where they needed to be. The materials kept out moisture and kept us warm to the point where the removable liner, which was a necessity in a Minnesota January, was unnecessary for late season riding in the West.

Style is an added bonus to a garment that offers fit, finish and quality construction.

When we received our jacket we had a sense of déjà vu. The fit was decidedly “American.” Too often we’ve had offshore-sewn snow wear that carried an XXL label, but was sewn to XL sizing. The DRIFT jacket was sewn offshore, too, but the sizing was true snowmobiler sizing. The suit’s cut allowed room in the elbows and shoulders. There was extra length in the back to keep out following snow that creeps up when riding. And it was comfortable.

It reminded us of an old, favorite Arctic Cat snowmobile jacket that we’d had years ago. We liked that jacket because it was made by snowmobilers for snowmobilers. It wasn’t pretentious. It was cut with extra room. The materials were proven and they did exactly what a snowmobiler wanted — keep the wearer warm and dry.

Famous Brand

Then we noticed the box in which our “free” DRIFT jacket had been shipped. It had Arctic Cat logo taping. It came from Thief River Falls, home of Arctic Cat. So, we made a few calls, asked a few questions.

It seems that DRIFT has some base origins with Arctic Cat. That’s pretty much as far as it goes, as we were informed simply that “DRIFT is an aftermarket brand of gear that’s distributed by Arctic Cat.”

The gear is currently being offered to snowmobile dealers as a lower-priced alternative to their official manufacturer-branded wear. While the pricing is more attractive to snowmobilers looking for a value brand, the quality is top notch. The selection of styles may be limited for now, but you can have a variety of colors to match the various sled brands. This gives the snowmobile dealership a brand of snowmobile gear that suits virtually any rider — and offers him a value choice at the same time.

When asking about the long term plans for DRIFT, we’ve been told that there is a plan to make DRIFT gear more than snowmobile wear and that the DRIFT name has the advantage of potentially allowing the brand into non-traditional winter sports outlets.

For now, DRIFT is moving into snowmobiling with a promise of providing exceptional value for snowmobilers seeking stylishly warm apparel. Last season’s basic styles in jackets and snow pants have already been updated with more choices in colors, materials and style.

For the nearest DRIFT retailer or for more information about DRIFT products go to DRIFTRacing.com. This is a serious alternative in snow wear that provides top quality and a modern “look,” while saving you some serious money.

Related Reading DRIFT sponsors P.J. Wanderscheid Wanderscheid wearing pink for a good cause