Drifting Geoffrey Chandler

Drift Mustang Rides again!

Back in May of 2007, Geoff and David of driftlive.com started an unorthodox drift project: A 1990 Ford Mustang GT. Since then, they have built the car from the ground up to make a unique and surprisingly competitive drift vehicle.

Nopi Drift Series is Canceled

The Wrecked Magazine blog has reported that the Nopi Drift series is no more. Read NOPI Drift is no more!. I am a bit sad to see another American drifting series fall apart, as it offered a forum for up and coming drivers to build the skills and sponsorship packages needed to compete at a higher level. I know grassroots events are still as strong as ever, but what does a driver hoping to jump the gap from weekend warrior to full-time driver on the circuit do?

Will anyone step up and offer a comprehensive amateur series? The 2008 Formula D ProAm is confusing a best, and unorganized at worst. I hope that this closure is taken as an opportunity to strengthen the ProAm with an influx of new talent.

OverDrift: Stage 3

Chris Forsberg and Daijiro Yoshihara team up in what is possibly the closest tandem battle ever captured on film. I remember standing on the Grid at Irwindale watching this on unfold and wishing that I had a video camera with me. Fortunately the SpeedHunters did have a video camera, and now we can enjoy it over and over.

Formula D Top Ten After Las Vegas

After McNamara, Gittin, and Grunewald all failed to join the Top 16 at the Las Vegas round, the points spread in the Top 10 spots is starting to widen a bit. Fortunately for our fallen heroes, newcomers Yoshioka, Kondo, and Orido managed to snatch a significant amount of Championship points and prevent any significant movement in the Top 10 slots, of course, if they keep it up, they Championship is still anyones game. Just consider that both Tanner and Forsberg, two of the series most consistent drivers, were both knocked out in Vegas at the round of 16.

From a fans perspective, this is a good thing for the series. So far the 2008 season has seen a more competitive field with a greater number of drivers vying for the top spots at any given event. It’s my opinion that they best thing that can happen is an overall increase in the number of competitive drivers.

Top Ten After Las Vegas:

1. Tanner Foust - 321
2. Samuel Hubinette - 313
3. Daijiro Yoshihara - 308
4. Chris Forsberg 282
5. Michihiro Takatori - 280 [-15pts]
6. Rhys Millen - 254
7. Ryan Tuerck - 254
8. Vaughn Gittin Jr - 182
9. Conrad Grunewald - 173
10. Darren McNamara - 172

Yoshioka Takes Las Vegas at the Helm of a Corolla

Not a newcomer to the top of the Podium in Las Vegas, as he won the D1GP Las Vegas event in July of 2006, but a first time winner in Formula D, Toshiki Yoshioka and his Toyota Corolla won the inaugural Formula Drift Las Vegas event.

The AE86, the one from the cartoon, the one that inspires countless parking-lot cone circles, the one that gives a first taste of drifting to aspiring amateurs, has finally stepped onto the top rung here in the United States. Of course it was followed in quick succession by a Dodge Viper and Pontiac GTO with Bald Eagle endangering displacements and Exxon Valdez fuel tanks, but a new hope is born.

Maybe this will be the warning shot across the bow that gets everyone to realize that drifting is not all about outrageous cars and million-dollar builds. Or just maybe, What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas?

1st - Toshiki Yoshioka
2nd - Daijiro Yoshihara
3rd - Samuel Hubinette
4th - Michihiro Takatori

Finals:

• D. Yoshihara vs T. Yoshioka
• S. Hubinette vs M. Takatori

Final 4:

• S. Hubinette vs T. Yoshioka
• D. Yoshihara vs M. Takatori

Top 8:

• M. Takatori vs T. Brakiohapa
• S. Hubinette vs M. Orido
• D. Yoshihara vs R. Nishida
• R. Millen vs T. Yoshioka

Top 16:

• T. Foust vs R. Nishida
• D. Yoshihara vs C. Forsberg
• M. Takatori vs C. Wan
• J. Russakoff vs T. Brakiohapa
• S. Hubinette vs R. Tureck
• M. Orido vs Y. Kondo
• R. Millen vs K. Gushi
• T. Yoshioka vs S. Verdier

Qualifying:

1. Tanner Foust
2. Samuel Hubinette
3. Rhys Millen
4. Michihiro Takatori
5. John Russakoff
6. Toshiki Yoshioka
7. Manabu Orido
8. Daijiro Yoshihara
9. Chris Forsberg
10. Y. Kondo
11. Stephan Verdier
12. Tony Brakiohapa
13. Calvin Wan
14. Ken Gushi
15. Ryan Tureck
16. Robbie Nishida

Formula D High Rolling Vegas: Unseeded Qualifiers

Formula Drift 2008 Las Vegas Unseeded Qualifiers:

1. Robbie Nishida - 94.42
2. Ken Gushi - 93.67
3. Manabu “Max” Orido - 92.75
4. Justin Pawlak - 89.58
5. Toshiki Yoshioka - 89.00
6. Yasu Kondo - 88.50
7. John Russakoff - 88.00
8. Taka Aono - 87.67
9. Tony Angelo - 87.42
10. Hiro Sumida - 87.08
11. Calvin Wan - 86.67
12. Joon Maeng - 83.67
13. Quoc Ly - 82.33
14. Tomy Suell - 77.92
15. JT Wharerau - 76.67
16. Tony Brakahopia - 76.08
17. Henry Schelley - 75.83***

***Due to issues with immigration, Irish driver Darren MacNamara (currently holding 10th place in points) will not be attending Saturdays main event, and 17 unseeded drivers will join the Top 32.

You can read about what happens in the Vegas night after qualifying smoke clears over at SpeedHunters, as Antonio takes you behind the scenes and after hours.

Justin Pawlak takes on the Coyote

A great driver and a hot car, going downhill fast at Ziptied All-Star Bash. Read more about Justin and his car at www.justinpawlakracing.com.

Ziptied All-Star Bash

Today is the day it begins. Tomorrow is the day it ends. The question is, where were you when it happened? Click here to see how things go down

General Motors Dominates American Drifting?

The Cars:
The manufacture breakdown for vehicles in the Top 10 spots represents a shift in the drifting landscape, with GM makes and models accounting for 5 of the top 10 cars. Conrad Grunewald in a Chevy Corvette, Rhys Millen and Ryan Tureck in Pontiac Solstices, Darren MacNamara in a Saturn Sky, and Daijiro Yoshihara in a Pontiac GTO. Nissan follows GM with 3 cars and Ford and Chrysler round out the top 10 with a car apiece. Although the Toyota Corolla may still hold the hopes and dreams of amateur drifters out there, not a single Championship point has gone to a Corolla yet in 2008, the closest thing being Ken Gushi in 21st place with his Frankenstein Scion tC.

Points Race:
Enough about cars, lets take a look at the drivers. So far the Formula D winners podium in 2008 has been a game of musical chairs. After a strong start in Long Beach, neither Chris Forsberg nor Samuel Hubinette managed to break past the top 8 in Atlanta or New Jersey. Rhys Millen, who sat out the Long Beach event, and Tanner Foust have each made two appearances on the podium, with Tanner Foust taking the championship points lead. Most interesting to me is how close the points are for the top 10 drivers, only 87 points separate the number 10 driver, Darren MacNamara, from first place.

Looking Ahead:
The next event this season takes place in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on July 12th. The D1 GP has used this venue in the past, but this is the first time that Formula D hits the Vegas Strip. The track and air temperatures at this event will put a considerable amount of stress on engine and suspension setups and should make for an interesting show.

DriftLive unofficial Top 10:

1. 259 - Tanner Foust - Nissan 350z
2. 228 - Samuel Hubinette - Dodge Viper
3. 226 - Chris Forsberg - Nissan 350z
4. 217 - Daijiro Yoshihara - Pontiac GTO
5. 206 - Michihiro Takatori - Nissan Skyline
6. 199 - Ryan Tuerck - Pontiac Solstice
7. 187 - Rhys Millen - Pontiac Solstice
8. 182 - Vaughn Gittin Jr - Ford Mustang
9. 173 - Conrad Grunewald - Chevrolet Corvette
10. 172 - Darren McNamara - Saturn Sky

See the Full Formula D Score Sheet

In 2008, Tanner Foust Conquers New Jersey

1st - Tanner Foust
2nd - Tyler McQuarrie
3rd - Rhys Millen
4th - Daijiro Yoshihara

Final:

• Tanner Foust v Tyler McQuarrie

Final 4:

• Daijiro Yoshihara v Tyler McQuarrie
• Tanner Foust v Rhys Millen

Top 8:

• Daijiro Yoshihara v Chris Forsberg
• Samuel Hubinette v Tyler McQuarrie
• Tanner Foust v Ryuji Miki
• Rhys Millen v Conrad Grunewald

Top 16:

• Daijiro Yoshihara v Darren McNamara
• Chris Forsberg v Vaughn Gittin Jr
• Samuel Hubinette v Blake Fuller
• Tyler McQuarrie v Tony Angelo
• Tanner Foust v Stephan Verdier
• Ryuji Miki v Ryan Tureck
• Rhys Millen v Ross Petty
• Michihiro Takatori v Conrad Grunewald

Qualifying:

1. Daijiro Yoshihara - 98.75
2. Tanner Foust - 97.50
3. Rhys Millen - 97.13
4. Samuel Hubinette - 96.88
5. Tyler McQuarrie - 96.75
6. Michihiro Takatori - 96.75
7. Ryuji Miki - 96.38
8. Chris Forsberg - 96.25
9. Vaughn Gittin Jr - 93.63
10. Ryan Tuerck - 93.38
11. Conrad Grunewald - 92.50
12. Tony Angelo - 92.50
13. Blake Fuller - 91.5
14. Ross Petty - 91.38
15. Stephan Verdier - 90.63
16. Darren McNamara - 90.63

Results via www.everythingdrift.com

Alex Pfeiffer: [insert clever headline]

Drifter’s Have Blogs

Seems like a theme for 2008 is to step up the visibility and accessibility of drifting on the Internet. Now in addition to all their youtube and myspace content, you can get stories right from the drivers keyboards. All these blogs have been added here to the sidebar of DriftLive, which is automatically updated every time one of the driver blogs gets an update, or follow the links below:

Vaughn Gittin jr - speedhunters.com/members/2262172425/default.aspx

Colin Frost - shift-lock.net/cfrofosho/nfblog/

Tony Angelo - wreckedmagazine.com/tonyangelo/

Samuel Hubinette - blog.samuelhubinette.com/

Chris Forsberg - www.chrisforsberg.com/blog/

Michihiro Takatori - sa-drift.com/

added (06/06/08):

Dai Yoshihara - www.gtchannel.com/user_blog.php?uid=38

Ken Gushi - www.kenshirogushi.com/blog.html