Halfway Hangs is the perfect entry point to the Australian drifting scene

You've bought a car, spent some dosh, and on your way to finishing your mods. Now what?

One of the most awkward issues with car modifcation is that nobody seems to guide you once you've finished.

After all, not everyone is into hanging around in sheds these days. And despite the overwhelming mechanical support you can get from techies on forums, car modification can sometimes feel like an isolating experience. Particularly if you don't have anyone to share it with.

Enter Halfway Hangs. One of the most easy-going car meets I've ever been to, and one that's ready to explode in popularity.

Born out of the 'rational' need for a decent car meet locale for Sydneysiders and Brisbanites alike, Halfway Hangs serves as a classic halfway compromise that offers both polar-opposite features of the typical full-blown car meet. There's a sparkling 'Show & Shine' style car show for owners who like their cars pristine, and an unshackled drift day for those who don't.

Organised as a yearly, four-day event by Street Karnage back in 2014, and helped along by heavy appearances of car clubs such as Cursed Sundays, Secret Drift, and Brookes Street, Halfway Hangs omits most of the commercialism that is normally associated with car meets this size.

You meet everyone and arrive on Thursday, polish your ride for the car show on Friday, drift with your brand-new mates on Saturday, and then go home Sunday.

Everything has been done internally - there's no outside sponsoring or business. Put simply, everything has been organised by car enthusiasts for car enthusiasts. Brilliant.

After hanging out with the new friends you made on Friday, you can drift around with them on Saturday.

But don't get the impression that Halfway Hangs is an overly serious meet for overly serious people. It isn't. Far from it.

Everything is spoken with a friendly attitude and an open mind. Doesn't matter how weird or unorthodox your mods are, there will be people who are interested enough to ask you about it.

Doesn't matter what they drove - everyone was up for a good time and a few laughs.

And seeing as how the entire event - minus the drifting - is based inside a caravan park (obviously), there's be plenty of time to chew the fat and have a yak.

And that's where Halfway Hangs comes into its own.

Not to sound like I'm puckering my lips to *get in for free next year, but the brilliance of Halfway Hangs is highlighted by how it manages to juggle everything so well.

Drifting was done in pairs, separated by a 15-second window.

It's small enough to be community focused, but big enough to be worth the six-or-so hour trek. There's enough action to avoid it feeling like 'just another' static car meet, but it all happens at a reasonable time in the morning. There's plenty of epic drifting when it comes to the track day, but if someone can't hold the arse out, then it's all good. It's all in good fun.

However, if your hands really are made from ham, then you'll probably win the highly coveted "Worst Driver" award at the final awards ceremony.

Award catergories ranged from 'doing a boardslide', 'best tip in', to 'registered vehicle award'.

It's incredibly passive, and probably one of the best entry points for a novice to get into the car community. In fact, I'm already thinking about getting my life together in order to participate next year. 

*It's free every year too, which is just another reason why you should go.

Want to know more about Halfway Hangs, read Mitch's take here.

Does Halfway Hangs sound like something up your alley? What's the best car show you've been to, and why? Tell us in the comments.