Happy New Year! If you’re into drifting, you’re in for a hell of a year this year, because all kinds of crazy things are happening. Keiichi Tsuchiya, Nomuken, Dai, and Tarzan Yamada are coming to see us drift… there is a possibility of drifting getting huge in the United States. I hope things turn out for the best. Anyway, I’m trying to get my car in top shape so that it doesn’t seem TOO crappy when all these celebrities from Japan see it. So last night I put in a Blitz new boost meter and turbo timer that Neen and Jeff got me for Christmas. They look great, and I’m happy that I have a cup holder again. Hahaha! So far, everything is running ok, except for some reason my engine is getting really bad gas mileage, and it’s still getting a little weak… I’m entertaining the thought of getting a new one. Anyway, this year seems like a pretty promising and exciting year. Hope to see you all on at the track!
Browsing Posts tagged drifting
I went to a Speedtrial event last weekend… there was a car control group reserved for us “car controllers”. The day was amazing. I couldn’t believe how akward it was for me that day… even though I’ve been out on that track many times, this time it felt like new. I think it was due to all of the learning that I’ve gained since the last time I was there. It forced me to look at the track in a different way… more possibilities, new entry speeds, new drifting lines, new techniques.
It was so strange being so unfamiliar with such a familiar track. I had a horrible time finding the correct lines and braking points and entry speeds of each turn… I was inconsistent throughout the whole day. But I am happy because this was the first time in a while that I was doing things to really challenge myself. It’s almost like when I first started learning and I had the hardest time trying to reach for something that was only a little beyond my reach.
In the end, I did a whole lot of learning… I noticed a lot of new things. I did 3rd gear braking drift at the bowl (and now I am getting much more comfortable with braking drift), I realized the importance of a few hundred rpms while entering a drift, I successfully feinted the skidpad 5 times, almost topping out 2nd gear at entry of the feint. I also learned that no matter what I’m concentrating on, I have to keep an open mind, because there is sometimes something I don’t see. I learned that from watching Hiro. Some things I brushed up on were smooth drifting exits, more precise steering, smoother drifting angles, and braking in the middle of a drift to change angle and speed.
So when’s the next event? Drift Day 4 held by Club4AG! Go sign up, I’m sure there will be plenty of learning and sharpening of skills that day. See ya there!
Pre drift event: I had problems with Discount Tire Center in El Monte… long story short – they ripped the bead on my new Potenza S-03 and wouldn’t admit it. I almost damaged my wheels and had to go back a total of 4 times to get the whole matter resolved. Anyway, hopefully it will be resolved if he holds up his end of the deal. After all that I had to rewire my MAF… it was messing up my car big time… since then, my car is idling a little higher, and boost is a lot smoother… on top of that, I think my gas mileage is better!
Post drift event: The event was GREAT. Thanks again to Moto for putting together yet another great event. I’m glad to see that a lot of people are getting better. So… Saturday was Nadine’s first drift event! I was so excited to teach her. First we went onto the skidpad where we learned how to negotiate the weird airport tarmac (it was almost like driving in wet conditions except it was dry). Even though she won’t admit it, she learned a lot that day and I’m really proud of her. She learned how to induce oversteer (and understeer), weight transfer, countersteer, and entry speeds. Kyle, Marc, and Johnny also did a GREAT job that day… they always amaze me on how quickly they learn and how much potential they have. As for me, I learned how great my LSD is… my KAAZ diff compared to a vlsd is like comparing night to day… like a KA to an SR (times 10). Also, I learned to stop trying to be so fast… I need to learn to master the slow and technical before I can REALLY be good at the high speeds. This is the same lesson I taught myself at the skidpad at the Buttonwillow event with Hiroshi and Shinji. Anyway, everybody did a great deal of learning… good job you guys. See you at the next event!
Well… my new wheels FINALLY came in!! Remember, how I used to have all these wheels… I had a fetish. And then suddenly they all disappeared and it seemed as if my fetish was gone? Well… it’s not gone! I’ve got a WHOLE NEW kind of fetish now. And if you’re lucky enough, you might see my car with them on! Hahaha! Anyways, Dec. 9, there’s a drift group at Willow Springs… I’ll be sure to make it! Also, there’s a private event coming up, and Nadine is gonna be learning how to drift!! I can’t wait… Also, I cannot wait to get some engine mounts put in. Hahah. Damnit.
If you didn’t make it to the Speedtrial event on Saturday, then you should smack yourself right now!! (… waiting for you to smack yourself …) Hiroshi Takahashi from Running Free and Shinji Minowa from Hey Man! came over from Japan and gave us all silly Americans a show. They were great… showing us manji, chokudori, feint drifts, high speed, and smooth technique. I myself had such a great time, I honestly didn’t have much time to pay a whole lot of attention to our guests from Japan. I’ve improved so much since the last event that I could barely contain myself. I learned more than I ever hoped to… in the early morning part of the day, I was already doing braking drift (there was only one turn in the track where I used my side brake), entering drifts at 75mph, s-turns, feint motion drifts, and I even found out that I can show the peace sign while drifting with one hand. I also had the chance to help out my friends Johnny and Richard… they were drifting great towards the end of the day. Nadine and Tsuyoshi amongst other people took great pictures of me… thanks guys! I’ll post some more thoughts about the event as well as pictures later on this week (hopefully). Stay tuned!
Recent Comments