New Formula DRIFT Licensed Series

Formula DRIFT has announced a new official licensed international series in Drift Challenge of Sain Maur des fosses, France, from which the top 3 drivers will earn Formula DRIFT licenses.

The series will be starting June 2nd at Salbris.

“I am very happy, excited and especially proud to say that Drift Challenge is officially a Formula DRIFT licensing series,” said Tony Jouin, president of Drift Challenge. “Formula DRIFT has done so much Internationally for the sport and it is truly an honor to be a part of the family. Often times, France is behind the curve when it comes to motorsports, but we can finally say that the French drifting community is working hand in hand with the best drifting series in the world. We realize we have a lot of catching up to do, but we believe that we have many talented drivers that are waiting for the right opportunity to prove themselves, and they now have the chance of a lifetime thanks to Jim Liaw & Ryan Sage of Formula DRIFT.”

Behind the Smoke Episode 6

Dai had a rough time at Road Atlanta after having suffered a broken suspension in qualifying.

Chris Forsberg at Road Atlanta

Jersey Streets released a video for Chris Forsberg runs at Atlanta.

Achillies Tire at Atlanta

Here is a video for the Achillies Tires Team's experience at Road Atlanta this year.  During the round Robbie Nishida lost to Frederic Aasbo, who went on to take 2nd, in the Top 32 round and Daigo Saito defeated Chelsea Denofa in the Top 32, Vaughn Gittin Jr in the Top 16, Odi Bachkis in the Great 8, and losing to Aasbo in the Final Four, only to defeat Walker Wilkerson to take 3rd place, which puts him 2nd in Championship points.

Bloodmasters Bloodbath Extended Cut

The extended cut of Bloodmaster Bloodbath is up on YouTube now.

Another Drift FR-S to be Built

Canadian drifter Pay Cyr recently announced plans to run a Scion FR-S in the 2013 Drift Mania championship.  He will be testing it throughout this season while still using his AE86.

This should be the third Scion FR-S being taken on with help from drivers that have competed in Formula DRIFT, with Scion Racing drivers Ken Gushi and Frederic Aasbo being the others.

Photo credit to Wrecked Magazine.

SpeedHunters 2JZ Toyota 86

SpeedHunters is scheduled to received a Toyota 86 in early june, with the first event for the car to be July 13th - 15th at Gatebill in Norway.  The drivetrain will mostly be coming from the Team Need for Speed Japan Auto Supra, which includes the 700hp 2JZ-GTE.  The engine will later be added to with a Brian Crower 3.4 stroker.

The car is also going to get a TRA Kyoto Rocket Bunny widebody kit, among other things.

Here is the early rendering of the car from Fredric Aasbo's Twitter/Instagram.

Behind the Smoke - Season 2 Episode 5

Here is the Behind the Smoke look at Dai's qualifying effort at Road Atlanta.

2012 XTREME DRIFT CIRCUIT ROUND 3 AT CFRC RESULTS

While Nate Hamilton was able to take the top qualifying spot for the 3rd round of XDC competition, it was Formula DRIFT rookie and XDC defending champion Chelsea DeNofa that took the victory over Hamilton and another FD rookie Jeremy Lowe.

Photo credit to timscreations

Formula Drift Insider 2012 EP 2

Episode 2 of Formula DRIFT Insider 2012

FD Atlanta by Jersey Streets

"Formula Drift decided to run a different layout this year at Road Atlanta and ultimately made for some interesting tandem throughout the weekend. Enjoy this short piece of Formula D drivers taking you through the new layout at Road Atlanta."

Video filmed and edited by Brian Casse

ACT Clutches Giveaway

ACT Clutches is having a contest in which they are going to give out 60 ACT Schwag Boxes. Each Box contains: t-shirt, hat, magnets, stickers, lanyard, sunglasses, patches and a banner.  But, first they have to hit 60,000 likes on their Facebook page. (At this time they have 53,101)

If you are a fan of ACT and would like to enter, head to http://www.facebook.com/AdvancedClutch to enter and push them to 60,000 likes.

Clubloose 2 Event 2

Sunday, June 3rd will be the second Clubloose II event at Midvale Speedway for 2012.

For information on the event, visit http://www.facebook.com/events/300311430051980/305957189487404/?ref=notif&notif_t=plan_mall_activity

Rhys Millen FD Round 2 Recap

Rhys Millen Racing video from Formula DRIFT Round 2

2013 Mustang and Justin Pawlak at Atlanta

New video from Ford Racing on the weekend that Justin Pawlak and Vaughn Gittin Jr. had at Road Atlanta.

Keep Drifting Fun Full Video

Here is the full video for Keep Drifting Fun

Keep Drifting Fun from Will Roegge on Vimeo.

Initial D Manga Translation

If you are a fan of Initial D, check out the blog started by William Kinchelow regarding the translation of the manga from the Initial D series.

http://wekmanga.blogspot.com/

Thorough Concepts Round One

Thorough Concepts is having their first ever two day event for amateur grip and drift drivers (no pros allowed) at Willow Springs Horse Thief Mile on June 2nd & 3rd.

To register or find out more information for the event, visit http://www.thoroughconcepts.com/Competition-Signup

Behind the Smoke Episode 4

GTChannel's Behind the Smoke Episode 4, which features in-depth information on Dai's Formula DRIFT car.

Keep Drifting Fun

The Thursday prior to Formula DRIFT Round 2, Keep Drifting Fun premiered their movie at two theaters in the area.

While the full video will not be on Vimeo until Wednesday, May 16th.  You can view the first 90 seconds here.

Current Formula DRIFT Points Standings Top 10

1.    Justin Pawlak                    209
2.    Daigo Saito                       157.5
3.    Frederic Aasbo                 152
4.    Rhys Millen                       127
5.    Matt Powers                     126.5
6.    Ryan Tuerck                     120.5
7.    Daijiro Yoshihara              118
8.    Aurimus Bakchis               117.25
9.    Ryan Kado                       114
10.  Kyle Mohan                    109.5

Road Atlanta Podium

The podium finishers for Round 2 Road Atlanta are:

1. Justin Pawlak (defeated Ken Gushi, Ryan Tuerck and Michael Essa)
2. Fredric Aasbo (defeated Robbie Nishida, Kyle Mohan, and Rhys Millen)
3. Diago Saito (defeated Chelsea Denofa, Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Odi Bachkis)

Also up for mention is a strong showing for Walker Wilkerson (defeated Ken Moen, Tony Angelo, and Joon Maeng), who finished 4th in the event.

This is also your top three in points after two rounds, but with Saito leading Aasbo.

The Great 8 included the four above and Michael Essa (defeated Matt Field and Corey Hosford), Joon Maeng (defeated Toshiki Yoshioka and Tyler McQuarrie), Odi Bachkis (defeated Patrick Goodin and Matt Powers), and Rhys Millen (defeated Luke Longberger and Ryan Kado).

Formula DRIFT Road Atlanta Top 32

Here are the Top 32 after Formula DRIFT qualifying.

1. Michael Essa
2. Vaughn Gittin Jr.
3. Frederic Aasbo
4. Chris Forsberg
5. Conrad Grunewald
6. Ryan Kado
7. Matt Powers
8. Justin Pawlak
9. Dai Yoshihara
10. Odi Bakchis
11. Rhys Millen
12. Kenneth Moen
13. Joon Maeng
14. Dennis Mertzanis
15. Daigo Saito
16. Matt Field
17. Danny George
18. Chelsea Denofa
19. Kyle Mohan
20. Tyler McQuarrie
21. Wwalker Wilkerson
22. Luke Lonberger
23. Patrick Goodin
24. Ryan Tuerck
25. Ken Gushi
26. George Marstanovic
27. Jeff Jones
28. Tony Angelo
29. Toshiki Yoshioka
30. Robbie Nishida
31. Darren McNamara
32. Corey Hosford

 

 

Formula DRIFT Atlanta Top Qualifier: Michael Essa

Michael Essa took the top qualifying spot and the RETAKS insane entry award for Round 2.

Carroll Shelby

No matter what type of cars you are into, you surely have heard the legendary name of Carroll Shelby from the muscle-car side of things.

On Thursday, May 11, 2012, Carroll Shelby International announced that he has passed away at the age of 89.

It is truly a sad day for the auto industry with the loss of this pioneer of the hot-rodding (or tuning) industry.

SpeedHunters visits ASD

SpeedHunters' Larry Chen recently visited ASD and got a behind the scenes look at some of their builds.

http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/05/where-drift-cars-are-born/

Driftstream Road Atlanta

The live stream for Formula DRIFT Round 2 at Road Atlanta is set to start around 2PM EST today.  There is supposed to be a special surprise during the stream.  Practice is set to being at 4:30PM EST.

http://www.twitch.tv/driftstream



Here's the weekend's schedule of events (from FormulaD.com):

Friday, May 11, 2012 – Practice & Qualifying

8:00am - 6:00pm - Will Call: Open for Vendors/Sponsors/Teams
10:00am - 10:30pm - Gates Open to the Public - Venue
10:15am - 10:35am - GTA: Session #1 - Track
11:35am - 11:55am - GTA: Session #2 - Track
12:10pm - 1:55pm - Pro /Am: Qualifying - Track
2:25pm - 2:45pm - GTA: Session #3 - Track
3:00pm - 4:00pm - Autograph Signing Session - NOS Energy Drink Booth
3:45pm - 4:15pm - GTA: Session #4 - Track
4:30pm - 5:30pm - FD: Open Practice - Group 1 - Track
5:30pm - 6:30pm - FD: Open Practice - Group 2 - Track
6:45pm - 9:00pm - FD: Qualifying - All drivers in reverse ranking order
9:00pm - 10:30pm - Pro/Am: Top 16 Competition
10:30pm - Gates Close to Public

Saturday, May 12, 2012 - Main Event

8:00am - 7:00pm - Will Call: Open for Vendors/Sponsors/Teams
10:00am - 10:00pm - Gates Open to the Public - Venue
10:15am - 10:45am - GTA: Session #2 - Track
12:00pm - 12:15pm - GTA: Session #3 - Track
1:15pm - 1:30pm - GTA: Session #4 - Track
2:00pm - 4:00pm - FD: Top 32 Open Practice - Track
4:00pm - 6:00pm - Main Competition: Round of 32 - Track
6:00pm - 7:30pm - "Half-Time" Break - Venue
7:30pm - 8:00pm - National Anthem / Opening Ceremonies - Track
8:00pm - 10:00pm - Main Competition: Round of 16 to Finals - Track
10:00pm - 10:30pm - Trophy Ceremony and Closing - Main Paddock

*SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

New Road Atlanta Layout

Here's one of Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s practice runs, that shows the new track layout for the Road Atlanta event this weekend.

Hell King of Europe Backstage by Drift.ro - Episode 1

Here is a video that was posted by www.drift.ro from the European Drifting Championship series.

YouTube video description:

"Hell King of Europe Drift brings you Episode 1 of a series aimed on showing you an insight of what it means to be part of this true European Championship that brings together some of the best drifters around the continent and even around the world.

Hop aboard and witness what drivers, organisers, media teams and spectators see and feel during this 2012 Series of Events. Words cannot begin to describe what you can see inside the video!"

Drifting Ban Makes Local News in Atlanta

The Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB TV recently had a segment regarding the drifting ban in the city.

During this segment they stated that with a dB meter they measured the noise level to be below 76db and commented that the fireworks for the baseball game at that same location register between 145 and 150 db.  The fireworks would be set off more times and later on week nights than any drifting events that would take place at Turner Field.

The broadcasters even brought up that Cindy McCain (Senator John McCain's wife) openly supports drifting and has drifted herself.

For more information about the effort to support this ban being lifted, visit the Save Drifting in ATL Facebook page.

Driven to Drift Episode 1

The video for the first episode of 2012 Driven to Drift is up.

Formula DRIFT Atlanta Nearing

Many drivers and crews are posting to Twitter and Facebook that they are arriving in or leaving for Atlanta for this weekend's round of Formula DRIFT.

Should be a great one, I'll be following it on the DriftStream as much as I can.

Win Tickets to Formula DRIFT Atlanta

Go to http://www.iamformulad.com and enter to win tickets to Formula DRIFT Round 2 Atlanta.

Winners will be announced on the Formula DRIFT Facebook page.

*This blog is not affiliated with I am Formula D or Formula DRIFT and does not have any say or responsibility for this contest.

Scion Racing Driven to Drift Season 4

Scion Racing's Driven to Drift Season 4 Episode 1 is about to be released.

Here is a teaser of the upcoming release:

If you missed it previously, check out my interview with Scion Racing's Ken Gushi.

MotoIQ Joins the Fight To Save Drifting in Atlanta

MotoIQ recently chimed in, as many Formula DRIFT drivers have via Twitter and Facebook, to petition against the new ordinance that would ban drifting in the City of Atlanta, which would lead to the end of (legal) drifting at Turner Field.

http://www.motoiq.com/magazine_articles/id/2521/proposed-amendment-to-outlaw-drifting-in-atlanta.aspx?3

Also, don't miss MotoIQ radio tonight, which will include this topic. http://www.motoiq.com/magazine_articles/id/2520/motoiq-radio-episode-41-thomas-smith-and-element-tuning.aspx

Clubloose ii Drift Day at Midvale Speedway

If you weren't able to make it to the first Clubloose II Drift @ Midvale Speedway.  Here's a taste of what you missed.

2013 Mustang RTR

Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Ford Racing released a rendering of what the 2013 Ford Mustang RTR is expected to look.  For more details on the car as it nears release, visit MustangRTR.com

Save Atlanta Drifting

There is a push on Twitter now to get #saveatldrift trending..let's do it!!

Team SIKKY Atlanta Prep

This video was just posted with Team SIKKY getting ready for Atlanta.

Drift Stats App for Android

Available now in the Google Play Store for Android is the free Drift Stats Basic app.  This would be good app for anyone following drivers or participating in Fantasy Drift.

Features:

- 100+ Drivers

- Select all tracks or a specific track

- Every event in the Premier US Drifting Series from 2004 to Present

- Current statistics updated after each event

- # of Matches: Overall competition pairing for the selected driver

- Match Win %

- Event Wins

- Event Podiums

- Highest Finish

- Lowest Finish

- Highest Qualifier

- Highest Championship Rank

Pro version coming soon with Driver vs. Driver comparison

Download the App today!

Drift Indy Rage Cancelled

The Drift Indy RAGE event has been cancelled.  We wish the best of luck with the circumstances that caused the cancellation.

From the Twitter of DriftIndy...

"DEAR FRIENDS AND DRIVERS, DUE TO UNSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES RAGE IS CANNED FOR 2012 DRIFT INDY WILL NEVER DIE SO KEEP."

Atlanta City Council Ordinances bans drifting

There is a petition to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed regarding the recent amendment to Atlanta City Council Ordinance 12-0-0502, which now includes the following:

"Car drifting on private property within 1000 feet of a residentially zoned district. For purposes of this section, car drifting shall mean a driving technique or motorsport where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. A car is drifting when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle, to such an extent that the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn (e.g. car is turning left; wheels are pointed right or vice versa)."

This would drastically effect the grassroots scene in the Atlanta area.

If you wish to sign the petition, visit DrifterMama's Twitter for a link.

There is also a Facebook page

BloodMasters Extended Cut Teaser

Matt Powers Long Beach Preparation

Matt Powers recently posted this video on Drift Party regarding his preparation for the Long Beach event, where he finished 4th.

Robbie Nishida Testing SC300

Recently, Charlie at Just Drift took a snapshot of Robbie Nishida testing his new Formula DRIFT car, a Lexus SC300, which should debut in Atlanta. The car is sponsored by Achilies Tires and SPEC clutch.

*Photo from Wrecked Magazine

FD Round 2 Atlanta

Another reason to go to or watch (via Driftstream) the second round of Formula DRIFT at Atlanta...there is talk of a new track layout. While not vastly different, it may make things difficult on the cars that have lower horsepower numbers.

Formula Drift Insider Episode 1

Here is the first installment of Formula DRIFT Insider 2012.

XDC reaches out to Wrecked Magazine

XDC reached out to Wrecked Magazine recently regarding staffing and driver debt issues. Please go to XDC on Wrecked for the article, as I don't want to take anything away from Wrecked as it appears to be a direct contact to them from XDC.

Formula Drift Insider

Formula Drift made an announcement that the Formula Drift Insider online program will be starting back up for the 2012 season, with the first episode premiering on Thursday, May 3rd.  This first episode is to include an interview with 2011 champion Dai Yoshihara, a new release from one of the top teams in the series and a surprise regarding the upcoming Atlanta competition.

New episodes will continue to be released every other Thursday until the end of the season in October.  Ryan Sage will continue to host the show.

"We are really happy the Insider was received well by fans last year.  Now we have the chance to cover the entire season and it should make for some really exclusive and captivating content to share with our fans." - Jim Liaw, co-founder of Formula Drift.

Dai Yoshihara

Along with Ken Gushi and Ryan Sage, I was able to ask a few questions to the defending Formula Drift champion, Dai Yoshihara.


How did the announcement of a new racing surface at Long Beach affect how you went about preparing yourself and the car for the event?
We didn't really change our preparation because of the surface change. We were a bit worried about that the car might be a little twitchy since the new surface gives more grip, but we got the new motor which has more power so it didn't really bother me.

Since you finished second, you appear to very comfortable with the changes that were made to the S13 for this year.  Were there any adjustments you had to make due to the added power of the newly reworked engine?
We got more power but because the tire rule changed, we had to use skinnier tires. We changed the suspension setup for that but still it wasn't making good traction. So honestly, I was having a hard time keeping up with some of the cars out there. I had to short cut the line at the turn 9 to the turn 10 to catch up.
In fact, after LB we changed the setup and added some weight to get back to the same tire size as last year, and we just had testing last week. I think the car is a lot more competitive now!

Did the change to the tire rules affect the amount of power that you and your team are allowing the car to use?
Yes, as I said above. I wasn't really able to use the extra power.

Do you feel your results at Long Beach are an extension of the momentum you had going for you last season?
Not really.  I didn't really do well in the last 2 rounds in 2011. This year is an another year. We started over. Well the fact that I won the championship was helped though.

Did you feel more pressure to perform well at Long Beach since you are the defending series champion?
Actually, it was opposite. Because I [won] the championship, I got more confidence and I felt less pressure.




A very big thank you to Dai Yoshihara for allowing me to send him these questions and for his quick response.  I know many fans out there were thinking "It's about time." when he won the championship last season.  Don't forget to look for Behind the Smoke from the GT Channel on YouTube Mondays.

Darren McNamara to drive Falken 350Z

Due to the damage sustained to the Saturn Sky during a crash in Long Beach, Darren McNamara will be driving the Falken 350Z, which was a point of controversy last season when Tyler McQuarrie was pulled out to let Justin Pawlak use the car.

Ryan Sage

Along with Ken Gushi, I was fortunate enough to be allowed to send some questions to Ryan Sage, the co-founder of Formula Drift.

How has the atmosphere leading up to the season opening event changed over the years?

The atmosphere leading up to the season opening hasn’t change dramatically over the years per say, but if I were to say anything, I think the vibe is a bit more refined and calculated. Not only from our end, but also the teams. This year in particular was a quiet off-season. I say that not to refer to it in a good or bad way, just to make an honest observation.

 

Was there more pressure for you and the event crew going into this season due to the new racing surface?

No, no real pressure there. If anything, we knew it would be better.

 

Do you feel that the rule changes regarding tires worked in the direction you were hoping for?  Do you foresee any future changes regarding power to weight ratios?

As far as I can tell most people think the tire rule to weight ratio is a good thing. It seems to be the most effective, cheapest and easiest way to give everyone a fair shake. Will there be more adjustments in the future, maybe. For now, we are happy with how things are. As far as power to weight rules to be implemented, no, I don’t see that being realistic or even good. The tire to weight is the best way right now.

 

Do you feel the early success of Daigo Saito will help branch out the popularity of Formula Drift to new fans?

It might. I think Daigo, like most FD drivers, brings a certain swagger to the game. I believe it is good to have another champion in the series (with his own car) and thus able for us fans to see the best in the world knock it out. I enjoy it.

 

How has the sport changed due to the loss of veterans such as Tanner Foust and Sam Hubinette?

Well I think it’s changed like just about any sports who has athletes that either retire or move on to other things. It doesn’t fundamentally affect what we do, but it’s something that happens. Having done this for close to ten years now, drivers moving on, or retiring, is a reality. I say that knowing that those guys are still very much in their prime and having them blow up in general, for me, is a token of how powerful the brand has become and what it can do for careers. FD is not taking credit for their individual successes, but it’s something of note I think that is admirable about the series. I also know that both Sam and Tanner, if given the right opportunity, would be back to slide for a bit.

I realize that a lot of folks might have asked Ryan about the judging "conspiracy" of the past few years, but I opted not to ask about this, as there is a new dynamic to the judging this year with Tony Angelo going back to driving and he himself has addressed this numerous times in other medium.  I have always felt that they are open regarding why the judges made their decisions and Wrecked Magazine analyzed an event and made it clear that the judge that people thought was being unfair, was toward the opposite of the perception.

I wish the best of luck to Ryan Sage, Jim Liaw, and the entire staff at Formula Drift on their continued growth of the series.