Tire smoke, professional drift drivers, and a lot full of specialty Ford builds are coming back to Riverdale Road. Young Ford Ogden will host the second installment of its drift demos on Sept. 10, 2026, turning its dealership lot into what organizers call a high-octane playground for car enthusiasts of all ages.
The free, family-friendly event will feature signature vehicles from RTR, alongside builds from Hennessey Performance, Shelby-American and Black Widow Trucks, according to KSL.com. Attendees can watch professional drivers run a dedicated drift zone packed with stunts, and the day will also include a DJ, food trucks and swag giveaways.
Beyond the spectacle, there's a philanthropic angle baked into the event. Attendees can enter for a chance to win a ride-along with a drifting professional, and anyone who wants extra odds can make a $5 donation for an additional ride-along entry, with proceeds benefiting the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation.
Where the Donations Actually Go
Kory Martin said the extra-entry proceeds benefit families in need throughout the community, per the same KSL report. The foundation itself was created in 2006 by Spencer Sr. and Sherry Young to address youth issues across Utah and neighboring states, focusing on clothing insecurity, hunger, literacy, and teen homelessness, according to Voyage Utah.
Its flagship KIND Fund program, launched in 2022, sends volunteer shoppers out with $150 gift cards so educators can buy clothes and shoes for students in need. As of May 2026, the fund had provided more than $1.4 million in total assistance to over 8,700 students across 15 Utah school districts, per the Ogden School Foundation. The company also runs annual vehicle giveaways for local educators, including a free one-year vehicle lease previously presented to the Davis School District Teacher of the Year, according to the Davis School District.
A First Responder Gets the Keys to a New F-150
The dealership will also continue its annual First Responder of the Year giveaway, awarding a firefighter a cost-free one-year lease on a new Ford F-150, the KSL article notes. Jake Talbot said Young Ford has a responsibility to host amazing events, adding that the previous year's drift demos were action-packed and offered a unique taste of the driving style, the outlet reported.
Mike Mendias said the high-performance vehicles have elevated the customer experience at Young Ford dealerships, which signed deals to carry Hennessey Performance vehicles as part of a broader push that brought high-end brands to its dealerships beginning in 2024. RTR Vehicles, the brand behind many of the drift cars on display, was founded in 2009 by professional drifter and two-time Formula Drift champion Vaughn Gittin Jr., according to Formula DRIFT. The company engineers serialized high-performance Ford packages distributed through select authorized Ford dealerships worldwide.
Why Dealership Lots, Not Public Streets
Events like this one exist in part because Utah law leaves little room for improvised high-speed driving on public roads. Under Utah Code § 41-6a-606, participating in a speed contest or exhibition of speed on any public highway is a Class A misdemeanor, and a conviction triggers mandatory license revocation or suspension under Utah Code § 53-3-220, according to the Utah State Legislature. Separately, Utah Code § 41-6a-528 classifies driving 105 mph or faster, or racking up three moving violations within three miles, as reckless driving — a Class B misdemeanor carrying up to 180 days in jail, fines up to $1,940, and 80 points against a license.
Controlled, sanctioned events on private dealership property offer enthusiasts a legal outlet for the kind of high-performance driving that would otherwise carry serious legal risk on public roads. Young Ford Ogden sits along Riverdale Road, Weber County's main retail and commercial automotive strip, which stretches through South Ogden and Riverdale and hosts a dense concentration of car dealerships and big-box retailers, according to Moving Utah.
A Century of Growth Along the Corridor
The drift demo is the latest expression of a business that has grown considerably since its founding a century ago. Young Automotive Group traces its roots to a single rural repair shop founded by Seldon “Jack” Olsen in Morgan County in 1924, and celebrated its centennial in 2024 after expanding into a regional network of more than 30 locations across Utah, Idaho, and Montana, according to Utah Construction & Design. The company's footprint expanded from Morgan to Ogden and Brigham City over the years, and it acquired its first Ford dealership during the first half of the previous decade before later adding the Young Nissan dealership.
That growth has continued recently along Riverdale Road itself. In May 2025, Young Automotive Group opened a new 72,346-square-foot Young Subaru dealership in South Ogden with 52 service bays and community facilities, per Utah Business. The group is also constructing a new Young Kia facility in Layton, and in March 2024 it opened a 145,000-square-foot corporate headquarters there containing nearly 250 office spaces, classic vehicle displays, an art gallery and a centralized parts hub.
For now, the spectacle returns to a single lot on Riverdale Road. The Sept. 10 drift demo is free to attend, with the $5 ride-along raffle entries offering the only cost — and the only way in- for those hoping to ride shotgun with a professional drifter.
