Weekly Drift News 3-4

So after a hectic couple weeks of prepping cars and driving we got the news complete!

Formula Drift Round 2 Atlanta, GA

Dai Yoshihara wins round 2!

Vaughn Gittin Leads the Formula Drift Points series with his second place in Atlanta! Here is the official press release of this info via Vaugh Gittins website, I love how he has these pieces put together just total gnar!

Vaughn Gittin Press Release HERE

Here's how Joon Maeng prepped befor the ATL event. The Full Tilt Mazda Nitto RX-8 was equipped with a new e-brake handle, aligned, and even some front end damage repaired check it out..

Joon Maeng ATL prep HERE

Matt Waldin posted up his short lived adventure at Formula D with mechanical failures and a first round match with Tanner Faust. Read up on this and watch for Matt at DMCC Round 1!

Matt Waldins ATL Adventure HERE

Tanner Faust Backwards entry, and also an album from Tanner's website.

Tanner Foust Backward Entry from Jersey Streets on Vimeo.

Tanner Faust Album HERE

Ryan Tuerck Gardella Racing Promo Video. This was posted up in Ryan's site, from Deathmachines.net.

Gardella Racing Promo from Death Machines on Vimeo.

JDM Allstars Trafford video full on rad!

Professional Drift Mayhem - JDM Allstars Round 1 @ The Trafford Centre, Manchester from Trackday Films on Vimeo.

In the world of Grassroots drifting....

Evergreen Drift Round 1 Results. (taken from evergreendrift.com)

http://www.evergreendrift.com/

“Results//

1. Ian Fournier
2. Mike Phillips
3. Peter Funatake

• Top Qualifier  - Ian Fournier

First Place took home -

• $300
• Longacre tire pressure gauge
• $50 product certificate from Mishimoto
• Fluids and car service products from Campbell Nelson Nissan

Second place got -

• $200
• $50 product certificate from Mishimoto
• Fluids and car service products from Campbell Nelson Nissan

Third Place scored -

• $100
• $50 product certificate from Mishimoto
• Fluids and car service products from Campbell Nelson Nissan

And the top qualifier received a $25 product certificate from Longacre Racing.

The full results are being tabulated so be sure to check back to see the standings for all the drivers so far.

Pictures and video are rolling in and will be posted shortly!”

Just Drift Night and Day open drift session and drift clinic limited spots sign up now!!

Just Drift Open Drift Session info HERE

Street Wise Drift Pro-Am Round 3 at ATL Results!

http://www.streetwisedrift.com/

Podium Winners at SWD's Round 3 East Coast Formula D Pro AM Road Atlanta!! 

1st Dan Willie
2nd Chris Ward
3rd Harrison Ritchie 

Evergreen Drift announced another open drift day which will be held on May 23^rd. Original posting (with a nice video from the last open drift day)....

“Are you ready for the May Open Drift event?

We’ll have the 3/8ths open with the both the Competition Course and Hot Lap course on tap for the day.

The 5/8ths will be open for All ProAm drivers. ProAm drivers are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this event to get tech inspected for ProAm and get some seat time on the 5/8ths. Use this opportunity to make sure your car is on the lock down and you are ready to rip for ProAm Round 2 in just a few short weeks.

If you haven’t yet seen the guys Hot Lap the 3/8ths come by and check it out. There is always something crazy happening on track with this course setup.

Details//

• Date: Sunday May 23rd, 2010
• Location: Evergreen Speedway in Monroe
• Time: Gates open @ 10AM, Track goes hot @ 11AM
• Driver $80
• Pit Pass $20
• Grandstands $10 (kids under 12 free!)

For more information see the Event Registration Page

Media// - MUST PRE-REGISTER ONLINE HERE!

Everyone else does not need to register online. Just show up and pay on site like normal!

Take a peek at last months Open Drift edit from Justin Shreeve so get an idea of how much fun this event will be.”

Evergreen Open Drift 4/11/2010 from Sideline Northwest on Vimeo.

Taking a step back into Round one of the 2010 Formula Drift season is a video posted by Scion Racing featuring Tanner Faust and Ken Gushi and there crazy Scion TC drift cars!

Wrecked Magazine issue #15 is out now! Be sure to read this one through from start to end!

http://www.wreckedmagazine.com/issues/issue15/issue15.html

Sitting Shotgun: Hendrik Kuyt Switchback Racing/HK Welding

Now to finish this up I had an interview for Hendrik. And here is what he had to say about Switch Racing, fabrication, and of course drifting!

Hendrik Kuyt- Switchback Racing

How long have you been fabricating? Well, in one form or another for over 10 years, however only professionally since 2005

How did Switchback racing come to be? The name "Switchback" was derived from a handful of sources ... it's a passing technique in racing, a term for a twisty road or trail, in drifting for transitions, etc... I came up with it several years ago ('01 or '02) with a few friends. The shop part (Switchback Racing) was the long term idea, but we mostly were a crew (Team Switchback) to start with. Years past, we added a bunch of new members over time, and we'd attend different meets and help each other and our friends out with car stuff, but things were pretty casual. In '07 I officially started HK Welding, LLC and registered "Switchback Racing" and "Team Switchback" to it. After a couple years working in industry I started looking more seriously into getting my own facility. Then in April '09 I finally got my own space, and May 2nd was Switchback Racing’s official shop opening!

What is it like sharing shop space with Auto Expectations? Things are pretty sweet . . . we work really well together as a team, and the way things are right now, we all get to focus on what we’re good at.

What are the people you work with like on a daily basis? I really enjoy our shop environment. We’re always messing with each other, and there’s always lots of shit talking. For onlookers things sometimes look and sounds serious, but that’s what makes our odd sense of humor work!

Whats the craziest thing you've fabbed to date? hmm, that’s a hard one . . . I’ve done tons of odd, random, and artistic stuff over the years. But if I were to single one thing out, I’d probably have to go with that 1200rwhp (on 93) Viper I did. That job had so many factors to consider, in order to get it done right. There were tight clearances all over the place, components and systems that had to be moved, eliminated, or have one-off replacements fabricated. All in all, the end result of like a week and a half of hard work with 16 to 18 hour days paid off with huge improvement in every single category! . . . and here’s a bit of a spoiler for ya; that same customers looking for an ’06 SRT 10 Viper coupe, so we can do the same thing ;) 

How did you get into fabrication in the first place? Really, I’d have to say it was mostly out of necessity because of the lack of aftermarket support for the hooptie I used to drive . . . then as it turned out it was something I really enjoyed and was good at, so I ended up running with it! =)

What put you into the drift world? I grew up in Australia, where Rally (WRC, etc.) is hugely popular. Me and my goofball buddies used to go around tearing up the neighborhood streets, sliding “rally-style” as we called it, around every sweet corner, roundabout, or whatever we could find. The word “drifting” to me back then was what touring car and F1 drivers did when pushing their cars to the maximum slip angle their tires allowed without spilling out! ;) . . . Then when I moved here in ’99, like most of us, I discovered the Japanese drift scene in magazines like “Option” that I picked up at the Tower Records in Fairfax (R.I.P. Tower, we miss you)

What do you plan on doing as far as business goals and fabricating for the future? I want to keep doing good work, and growing my business so I can get a nice group of people working for me, and expand to a large operation, fielding several top level competition cars, and producing our own extensive line of highly developed top quality parts =D

What’s the future look like for Hendrik in the drift world driving wise, or is there one? Lol, we’ll see how it goes, but right now I’m in the process of building my fly-ass-hooptie (beige ’85 Rx-7) . . . last time she drifted was the US Drift Nationals @ Hyper fest 2, back in 2003. At the time the 68hp the original beat-down 12a was pushing wasn’t exactly cutting it! This time she’ll have a black-top SR, and lots of other new goodies, so things look a little better. I however, I am a little rusty, so I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t go and total my baby, first time out =p

What are your final thoughts on drifting? Drifting’s without a doubt, the best sport I’ve ever been involved in. And it keeps growing and getting even better with every event!

What are your final thoughts on 1k DRIFT? I really appreciate what you’re doing here, helping to promote our scene, and in the process bringing everyone closer. Everyone working together’s the best way to get our scene to really blow up and move to the next level! . . . Thanks Corey, see ya at the track!

Now I must say, this was one of most bad ass of trips I have ever made to any shop. The crew at Auto Expectations and Switchback Racing will surely take care of all your automotive needs!

Out of the Box: Auto Expectations/Switchback Racing

In 1981 a shop was born. Datsun Dynamics, did it all from street cars to full on race machines. Ran by Brian Downey, Ryan's father, who raced and still races to this day, Nissan's and Datsun's. Ryan always hung around his fathers shop as a kid and got his hands dirty with the rest of the gents. Datsun Dynamics ran for a wondrous 23 years until Brian's partner fell ill. 3 years ago they opened the doors to Auto Expectations.

Auto Expectations is a joint operation in part with Switchback Racing. Right next door to the shop formally was Switchback Racing's facility. The owner Hendrik Kuyt, talked things over with the Downey's and they moved switchback into the shop to help each other move forward.

Together Auto Expectations and Switchback Racing can do whatever your wallet will alloy you to do to a vehicle. From changing your oil to making you legal for Formula Drift. Its all a possibility at “AutoSwitch”. I took a ride down to the shop and talked to Ryan and spent a couple days seeing for myself what they were up to.

I talked with Ryan about his Z31 drift car and what that car is about. Ryan said, “The Z31 has always been a race car and we have had it since 1987.I'm am the second generation driver in the Z. The Z is big and heavy but you need to work with what you have. We made some suspension changes but the motor is still NA. It worked well enough to win the Joes at Drift Nirvana in my first year of drifting.WE are currently building a new car(240SX),the lack of funds makes take longer than we want.”

Ryans new 240SX will be a very interesting car once complete. Even sitting bare with its cage setup makes the mind wonder what is next....

I also asked Ryan about his future with drifting and how he felt about it. Ryan says, “I want to run more PRO AMs with new car to see how far up the drifting ladder I can get. It seems drifting is starting to grow again and I looking forward to this year.”

While I was at the shop I took a gander at the cars around and did some digging. I was shown this gem, a Honda Fit with a JDM Fit conversion. With the JDM front and rear end the car lost a total of around 9 inches. This task was of course no problem for the guys to get done for its debut in the Spocom world.

In front of the shop is the usual load of projects and customer cars just waiting to be moved inside for work.

Once inside the shop there is the big AE on the wall symbolizing you've entered a world desire. Sitting right under this would be a very one-off built Lotus Exige. Just about every piece of this car is carbon, kevlar, or lexan. The body is a one-off made piece, carbon of course. The silver “paint”, is actually a very cleanly laid down vinyl wrap. Seeing this built K-series engine shows you it is no joke. No power adder. Just not needed for this, although things are in the air for its future. We will certainly be re-writing the book on this some day!

Now this shop does it all. Once again proving this is the Camaro. This Camaro was just incredible, and why was it there? To be finished off with a sound system. From head unit to a fiberglass trunk enclosure it was getting the works.

Once again to show the field of play that goes in the shop, this EG Civic hatch time attack car. The EG was getting some modifications to its cage, aero, engine ect. Here is a fine example of the amazing fabrication work Hendrik can put down. This dump tube was ran through a tight space with very nice clearances and spotless welds.

There was also the usual s13 customer car. This car was running terribly. After being through many engines, builds, ect with the SR I knew something was up with this thing. We went over this car for hours rewiring the 02 sensor, and checking the MAF (I volunteered my personal one to drop this off the list). We found out the SAFC had been wired incorrectly. The car then still had problems so we pulled the valve cover, finding 2 rocker arms and all but 2 shims were missing on the intake cam. Nothing AE couldn't fix! 

4 AM rolled around and it was time to close up shop. However, Hendrik and the boys were still hard at work with the EG and Camaro!

I knew the moment I left the shop I would be returning to have some mad work done to my S13 (and to eat more dogs from the keg grill!) Thanks for the rad experience guys!

Part 2 will finish this visit up with a gnarly interview!

Sitting Shotgun: Hendrik Kuyt- Owner/Master Fabricator of Switchback Racing/HK Welding ...

Driver Profile # 92 John Davidson

Name:  John Davidson

Age:  21

Location: MoCo

Years Drifting: 1

Vehicle of Choice:  s13 240sx

Why:  It was found under a tree and got it for cheap

Mods:  Gutted Rear, Welded Diff, Tein Springs on KYB Adjustable Struts, TC Sportline Control Arms

Favorite Track to Throw Down:  Summit Point!

Personal Accomplishments in Drifting:  Getting this car ready and it actually drifted. Even when it was stock. 

Personal Goals for the Future:  Win a Drift Nirvana or Slideways trophy.
 
Random Fact:  Chipotle FTMFW!!!

Last Comment:  Check out www.randomracing.net

1K DRIFT Shirts and Vinyl For the Saleing, limited!

Here they are, Drift Drama Fail. And the most recent of the 1K vinyls.

TO ORDER- Email me, Corey at slide.racer@hotmail.com and I will give you the paypal!!

Shirt Quantity as of  5/9/2010-14  (1 S, 1 M, 6 L, 3 XL, 3 XXL)

Price- $15 SHIPPED

Vinyl Quantity as of 5/9/2010- 35 (20 RED. 15 BLUE)

Price- $5 SHIPPED

Driver Profile #91 Josh Lowell

Name:  Josh Lowell

Age: 23

Location: south jersey

Years Drifting: 2 but not with much seat time


Vehicle of Choice:  s13 couple

Why: light cheap to repair

Mods: ka-t. welded diff. hks coilovers, seats and a wheel

Favorite Track to Throw Down: summit point

Personal Accomplishments in Drifting:  third gear entry wit ka na

Personal Goals for the Future: drive the car even nuttier everything else will fall into play

Random Fact: 

Last Comment:  enterfasterpussy!