When did drifting start in Argentina?

With public sources, in the late 2000s: Drift Sudamérica says it was founded in 2006 and AGR Drift Competición has presented itself as a team since 2008. The first public event we found documented is the free show announced at Tecnópolis for September 2014, and the first judged competition is Drift GP Argentina in Santa Fe, in March 2015.

What was the first drift championship in Argentina?

There are several claims. In March 2015, in Santa Fe, Drift GP Argentina ran a judged round that it presented as part of a national championship, and it announced the Campeonato Argentino de Drift for 2017; TargaSport called the Drift Series round of 13 March 2022 in Córdoba the "first national drift competition", although the same article mentions a 2021 championship. With what is published, the oldest documented judged competition is Drift GP in Santa Fe, in 2015.

He used the four-wheel drift, the 1950s technique of taking a corner with the car sliding on all four wheels to go faster, and Formula 1 describes him as a pioneer of it. It is not modern drifting, which is judged on angle and style, and Fangio did not invent it: according to Motor Sport, Enzo Ferrari credited Tazio Nuvolari with the four-wheel drift.

Which drift events are there at El Picódromo in 2026?

With a source, two: the Campeonato de Drift on Saturday 29 August, organized by Exposición del Automotor, and the Drift Day by Kamikaze Drift Team on Saturday, December 5, 2026, which the organizer moved from October 31 and which, as of October 13, has no published price or hours yet. El Picódromo is at Av. Olimpo 80, Esteban Echeverría.

Where is drifting held in Argentina?

In recent years there were events at the Autódromo Ciudad de Rafaela (Santa Fe), the Berta Experience test circuit in Alta Gracia (Córdoba), El Santo in Rodeo del Medio (Mendoza), the Autódromo de Buenos Aires and El Picódromo in Esteban Echeverría. Dates change every year and are almost always announced on Instagram.

Can you learn to drift in Argentina without your own car?

Yes. At El Picódromo, TROMPO teaches one-on-one drift classes: you drive a rear-wheel-drive BMW E36 328i with the instructor beside you, Monday to Thursday, from age 18. To compete in a championship, though, you will need a prepared car and to meet each organizer's rules.

Oct 3, 20261 min readUpdated: Oct 13, 2026

History of Drifting in Argentina: a Sourced Timeline

By Dmitrii McCarthy

History of drifting in Argentina: a sourced timeline

This article is currently available in Spanish. Quick summary: with public sources, Argentine drifting starts in the late 2000s. Drift Sudamérica says it was founded in 2006, AGR Drift Competición has presented itself as a team since 2008, and a free drift show was announced at Tecnópolis for September 2014. The earliest judged competition we found documented is Drift GP Argentina in Santa Fe in March 2015, and the Campeonato Argentino de Drift was announced for 2017. Then came Drift Series in Córdoba (2022), the South American Drift Championship round in Rafaela (2025) and, in 2026, two dated events at El Picódromo in Esteban Echeverría. Long before that, in the 1950s, Juan Manuel Fangio was what Formula 1 calls a pioneer of the four-wheel drift, though he did not invent drifting.

Every date and its source, the competing "first championship" claims and a citation line are in the Spanish version of this article.

Frequently asked questions

When did drifting start in Argentina?: With public sources, in the late 2000s: Drift Sudamérica says it was founded in 2006 and AGR Drift Competición has presented itself as a team since 2008. The first public event we found documented is the free show announced at Tecnópolis for September 2014, and the first judged competition is Drift GP Argentina in Santa Fe, in March 2015.
What was the first drift championship in Argentina?: There are several claims. In March 2015, in Santa Fe, Drift GP Argentina ran a judged round that it presented as part of a national championship, and it announced the Campeonato Argentino de Drift for 2017; TargaSport called the Drift Series round of 13 March 2022 in Córdoba the "first national drift competition", although the same article mentions a 2021 championship. With what is published, the oldest documented judged competition is Drift GP in Santa Fe, in 2015.
Did Fangio drift?: He used the four-wheel drift, the 1950s technique of taking a corner with the car sliding on all four wheels to go faster, and Formula 1 describes him as a pioneer of it. It is not modern drifting, which is judged on angle and style, and Fangio did not invent it: according to Motor Sport, Enzo Ferrari credited Tazio Nuvolari with the four-wheel drift.
Which drift events are there at El Picódromo in 2026?: With a source, two: the Campeonato de Drift on Saturday 29 August, organized by Exposición del Automotor, and the Drift Day by Kamikaze Drift Team on Saturday, December 5, 2026, which the organizer moved from October 31 and which, as of October 13, has no published price or hours yet. El Picódromo is at Av. Olimpo 80, Esteban Echeverría.
Where is drifting held in Argentina?: In recent years there were events at the Autódromo Ciudad de Rafaela (Santa Fe), the Berta Experience test circuit in Alta Gracia (Córdoba), El Santo in Rodeo del Medio (Mendoza), the Autódromo de Buenos Aires and El Picódromo in Esteban Echeverría. Dates change every year and are almost always announced on Instagram.
Can you learn to drift in Argentina without your own car?: Yes. At El Picódromo, TROMPO teaches one-on-one drift classes: you drive a rear-wheel-drive BMW E36 328i with the instructor beside you, Monday to Thursday, from age 18. To compete in a championship, though, you will need a prepared car and to meet each organizer's rules.

Reading about it is one thing, driving it is another

Try it yourself: 30 min at the wheel, no experience needed. From 300 USD (≈504,000 ARS at the P2P dollar rate), Monday to Thursday. 1-on-1 instructor in a BMW E36 and a 50% deposit to book.

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