Cheb sideways and full-on: the first big drift of the year delivered rain, emotion and the SIXTOL-wi

Fun Arena Cheb on Sunday, April 19, 2026 literally pulsed with the sound of engines, the smell of tyres and a tension you could cut with a knife. The only event of this year’s national championship in the region drew almost two thousand fans and showed why drifting has such strong energy in the Czech Republic. On the new track drivers pushed flat out from the first practice sessions to the final battles — and it was there that Daniel Pelikán took the win in the PRO category and Radim Němeček in PRO2.

The Cheb event had everything a drifting fan could wish for. A technical track, changeable weather, tight tandem duels and moments where centimetres, courage and a cool head decided the outcome. When rain joined the mix, the asphalt turned in moments from a fast, readable track into a slippery test of concentration. It is precisely in such conditions that real driving quality stands out.

In the top PRO category Daniel Pelikán performed best. His road to the top ran through strong opponents and in the final he faced Lukáš Souhrada, aka Dj Lucky Boy. Pelikán, however, confirmed his form and composure at the decisive moment. An exceptional story was also written by the car he brought to Cheb — the winning Toyota Supra MK3 with around 600 horsepower belongs to SIXTOL, the main partner of the series.

The combination of power, perseverance and trust in the machinery gave the Cheb weekend a special dimension. A car that had gone through tough moments and repairs stood up to the pressure this time and reached the very top. For SIXTOL this was not only visible partnership on the banners around the track, but a real presence directly in the centre of events — in the paddock, on the asphalt and on the podium.

The PRO2 category also delivered a strong performance. Radim Němeček progressed through the knockout rounds past Alekseis Talanov and Jan Prokop to the final against Zdeněk Zelinka. He handled the decisive run with ease and confirmed that this season he will be one of the drivers worth watching. It was also important that his team managed to resolve technical problems during the day and get the car into a condition where it worked exactly when it mattered most.

The atmosphere itself left a strong impression. From the morning it was clear that Cheb would be going all out. After the gates opened at 9 a.m. queues formed along the access road and spectator interest did not wane even hours later. Although the weather did not make things easy for drivers or organizers, the venue buzzed all day. Families with children, hardcore fans and people who came to try drifting for the first time created a backdrop that gave the whole event an extraordinary charge.

From an organizational point of view the race was also an important signal for the 2026 season. Czech drifting is entering a new phase of unification and greater collaboration across the scene this year. Thanks to this, the SIXTOL Drift Corp League appears more compact, clearer and more ambitious than before. The partnership between the SIXTOL brand and the organizer DRIFT Corporation is therefore not just a marketing link between two names, but part of a broader effort to push domestic drifting forward — in sport, organization and in its appeal to fans.

Cheb showed that when a quality track, a strong starting field and an audience that lives the race from the first to the last battle come together, an event is created that is not easily forgotten. And that is exactly what this weekend was — loud, raw, unpredictable and electrifying. For SIXTOL it had one more dimension: victory.

Quick recap

• Venue: Fun Arena Cheb
• Event date: 19. 4. 2026
• Attendance: nearly 2,000 spectators
• PRO winner: Daniel Pelikán
• PRO2 winner: Radim Němeček
• Main series partner: SIXTOL - sixtol.cz
• Organizer: DRIFT Corporation
• Next stop: 26. 6. 2026, Nisa Liberec