VIDEO> The Spirit of Formula D Las Vegas
My recent trip to Las Vegas for round 5 of Formula Drift was one of minimal luxuries. Joe Ayala and I could only afford one night in a hotel and a rental car was out of the question. Day one, we got up around noon, grabbed some “breakfast” at the Blueberry Hill next to the hotel, and began our journey to the track at around two. The trek consisted of roughly 2-3 miles, on foot, in 108 degree weather. Luckily for us, we found a shopping cart to carry our backpacks, camera cases, laptop bags, and of course my skateboard. Before long, we had covered the cart in MotorMavens cards (gotta represent) and found fun stuff to do on the way, such as drifting and dirt dropping the cart on the side of Las Vegas Blvd. Joe and I had fun overall, but boy were we glad when an old woman (with a legit mustache) stopped and asked us if we needed a ride. She drove us about a quarter of a mile to the gift shop of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, complaining the whole time about how she would be late to work. Haha!
Anyone will tell you that there’s really no way to describe a trip to FD Vegas other than “hot.” I had a great time making new acquaintances, like when my buddy Josh Herron took us by Forrest Wang‘s shop to BS and look at all his rad cars. I also had fun catching up with friends, like when the amazing Drew Fishbein and Ross Fairfield from OMGDrift let Joe and I stay in their hotel room because 18andFamous Abbitt Wilkerson was too busy napping to answer his door. Haha!
Regarding the video, I apologize for taking so long to finish it. The song I chose has a small introduction that requires specific footage to go with the audio. Hobo and I had arranged beforehand to film what I needed while in Vegas. Unfortunately, the lovely security team at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was very strict about when and who could drive in or out of the gates, so we just couldn’t make it happen. That being said, I had to acquire the help of up-and-coming photographer, videographer, actor, and stunt driver Joe Ayala to finish the timeline.
Special thanks to Jason at ContourHD for hooking us up with the cameras. These things are a blast to use! Definitely one of the most fun moments of the trip was running around the grid, sticking cameras on cars. Thanks again!
Enjoy! 
:: Justin Shreeve
VIDEO> In Car Drifting with ContourHD POV
In Cars from Justin Shreeve on Vimeo.
The idea for this video came from a night of goofing off with friends and tossing ideas around. When this song began to play in the background, I knew I had to edit a drift video to it, but not just any drift video. That’s when I decided to make a video using only the help of wearable/mountable cameras. Many questions arise when considering such a project. How will I get my hands on enough cameras? My old, broken GoPro SD sure wasn’t going to cut it. Then, once I have enough cameras, how can I mount them in ways that keep the viewer interested throughout the entire video? I can assure you, this was a slightly daunting prospect that quickly found it’s home in the recesses of my mind. That is, until Antonio Alvendia introduced me to Jason from Contour at the Apex’i/Lexus SC430 debut party in Seattle. I swear, that guy knows everyone!
This video is far from perfect, but I feel it captures some of the excitement and carefree qualities of drifting that are often difficult to see or feel through a lens or computer screen. I chose to leave the colors/exposure/contrast/everything alone with this video. There is zero color grading and very little audio mixing. My intent was to not only create a fun, relaxed drifting video, but to also show the grassroots drivers what these cameras are capable of straight out of the box.
A huge thanks goes out to Jason at ContourHD for making this project a possibility. Without the help of the ContourHD 1080p, my dream of an all point-of-view drift video may have never come to fruition.
:: Justin Shreeve
CONTOURHD Cameras
Shreeve Films
VIDEO> Honda Day 2010 w/ EAT SLEEP RACE
EAT SLEEP RACE | Honda Day 2010 | Raceway Park | Englishtown, NJ from Justin Shreeve on Vimeo.
The clothing company EAT SLEEP RACE speaks for itself. The name is a motto that many people live by and represents a lifestyle of perseverance and dedication to the automotive culture. It is for those reasons that it was an easy decision when Francis and Brian Mabutas (the creators of the brand) invited me out to New Jersey to shoot the largest all-Honda event on the East Coast. How could I say no? My time spent out there was amazing. I made a bunch of new friends, saw tons of incredible cars, and even smashed around on a Honda Ruckus late one night.
Look forward to more videos from myself and ESR involving the always impressive Prayoonto Racing team and an R35 GT-R built by Bulletproof Automotive in the very near future!
Oh, one more thing. Miro, the guy with the red S2000 on teal VS-XXs is selling his wheels! Help me convince him otherwise!
:: Justin Shreeve
EAT SLEEP RACE
Honda Day
Englishtown Raceway Park
Shreeve Films
VIDEO> 24 Hours of DriftMania
Making this video was absolutely insane, but an awesome experience. Drift Mania Canadian Championship Round 4 was the only night-time round scheduled for DMCC this year, and it was my first time really doing a night-time event outside of my hometown. (It was also my first time really partying all night outside of my hometown, but that’s probably for a different post.) The most staggering thing about this event was that the entire event took place on one day, with all the practice sessions and qualifying during the day, and competition starting in the evening and going into the night.
In this video, the Drift Posse team is represented by Brad Carlton driving a grey and black 240sx s13 and Pat Cyr in his trusty F20 turbo-powered hachiroku. Some other notable appearances include Matt Waldin in his flame spitting 350z, who once again proved that his motto of stone cold consistency is a proven formula to getting wins. Surprisingly, Fred Girard and the Rockstar Energy 240sx decided to put a happy note on what has otherwise been a pretty tough season by taking the #2 podium spot.
VIDEO> Nikolay’s RBS13 Burnout at FD Vegas
AWFILMS | RAW LAS VEGAS | Shreeve Gets Wild! from Abbitt Wilkerson on Vimeo.
The heat of Las Vegas can make people do some crazy things. It makes some people stay out all night, drinking beer with new friends that they just met until 10AM, ensuring that they won’t have enough sleep to function as a normal human being at the actual Formula D Las Vegas event… and it makes some people stick their faces behind 180SX drift cars as they do burnouts in line for drifting practice.
Here’s our vote for the best looking S13 in the entire Formula Drift series… Nikolay Konstantinov‘s RB-powered RPS13, as seen through the lens of Abbitt Wilkerson as Justin Shreeve clowns around behind the car…
(Hey Abbitt… where’s that logo bumper?)
:: Antonio Alvendia
VIDEO> Gettin Ready For FD Vegas!
Pre-Grid to Post-Podium: Formula Drift Las Vegas w/ Jarod DeAnda 2009 from SHOOT FIRST media on Vimeo.
I just saw this link on Twitter and had to post up this video because this is exactly what our Formula D Las Vegas trips are like. (Well actually, on our trips, you have to add in stops at the Adidas/Nike outlets, Sapphire’s, Glitter Gulch, The Rio Seafood Buffet and The Get Back hip hop/funk/soul party in old town Vegas.)
Big ups to Jarod DeAnda and Andy Laputka for shooting this stuff and posting it up so quickly, before the Formula D Las Vegas event. I always love visiting the Undefeated Las Vegas shop too. Seeing this blend of fashion and cars is pretty cool. Actually, come to think about it… this is exactly what we do when we go to ALL the different stops on the Formula D tour. Fly in, hit up our favorite gear spots and grub spots, then go to the track…
We’ll be seeing you guys in Vegas!
:: Antonio Alvendia
VIDEO> Wangan Midnight Tokyo Highway
Mannnnn… following up on the cool video that 0-60 Magazine‘s Alex Bernstein shot of Nakai san‘s Rauh Welt Porsches cruising through the highways of Japan, one of the friends of the MotorMavens Crew, fellow Japanophile Edwin Reyes from NYC sent me this video through our Facebook page.
For those who haven’t heard of the Wangan Midnight comic book in Japan, it stars a certain S30 240Z and tells exciting stories of Japanese highway (wangan) battles with other high speed streetcars. I think the Wangan Midnight live action movie looks pretty cool – in fact, I can’t wait to see the entire thing. Hopefully someone has a torrent of it somewhere that they’d like to share? If you have it, let me know please!
It’s too bad NBC Universal didn’t make their Fast&Furious movies into something more like this. Movies like this would be off the hook! In fact, watching this makes me want to drive a black JZA70 or JZA80 Supra on the highway right nowwwwww!!! Or a Porsche GT3RS! Or an R34 Skyline GT-R V-Spec… Or… (What else?)
:: Antonio Alvendia
VIDEO> Rauh Welt Porsches on Japan Streets!
I just posted up a Papercuts story about 0-60 Magazine’s newest issue, which includes a feature on Nakai san and his Rauh Welt Porsches and on one of my favorite cars of all time – the AE86 Corolla GT-S, but I thought I should just go ahead and post this video as well! This video features clips from 0-60′s photo shoot in Japan, and some handheld video footage so that you can hear the Rauh Welt Porsche 911′s AMAZING exhaust note as it cruises through Japanese city streets and freeways!
Enjoy!
:: Antonio Alvendia
VIDEO> XDC Round 4 – Englishtown, NJ
Let me start this off by saying that it was a blast to return to the United States for a drift event this year. It’s been a solid year at LEAST (maybe a year and a bit even??!) since I’ve been in the Land of Freedom and Hotdogs, and I gotta say it was good to be back. This video covers the one Drift Posse member who was available to make it out to XDC Round 4 at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey; Pat Cyr in his F20 powered AE86 coupe, as well as the stylings of some of the top players in the Xtreme Drift Circuit today. This includes event winner Matt Waldin in the two-tone 350z, Steve Angerman in the Gardella Racing Solstice, and the series points leader Chelsea Denofa in the wicked green NST BMW E36.
The competition was fun and everything, but honestly the most exciting part for me was just being in a different country, and realizing really how different our cultures can be, even though we only live a few hours away from each other. The biggest and most obvious difference though, is food. Crossing the border into the States is kinda like crossing this line of sugar, chips, and fast food, and I love it. My first order of business once we hit a gas station across the border was to buy myself some Mountain Dew Code Red, along with some Milk Duds; with a 5th Avenue Bar for dessert (I can still feel my teeth hurting). It may surprise you, but none of these is available in Canada, and as a self-proclaimed sweets aficionado, you can imagine that I was in heavenly bliss for basically the rest of the ride to New Jersey. (more…)
VIDEO> Japanese Nostalgic Tire: Falken MC.
I just saw this from a Twitter link earlier today… it’s awesome! Check out this old school JDM television commercial from the late 1980s for the Falken MC tire… pronounced Faruken Macu taiyah if you have your Japanese pronunciation skills on point! This is a fun little commercial – I wish Falken still made cool clay-mation videos like this! Come on Falken! How about it? The Return of the Mac!
Can you believe it? Back in 1989, Falken was a sub-brand tire. Back then, the Falken brand wasn’t perceived as being cool at all. Back then, Yokohama, Dunlop, and Toyo were the ish. Falken certainly didn’t have much brand awareness in the United States. Falken’s sister company, Ohtsu, which is better known for making truck tires, was considered a much, much bigger brand in the SRI Group (Sumitomo Rubber Industries), which included Ohtsu, Sumitomo, Dunlop and Falken.
It’s funny how things have changed. I remember back at SEMA about 10 years ago, I was at the Falken booth talking to someone named Jim Stobie, and he told me that he was hoping that Falken would bring the Azenis tire to the USA. At that point, they were only talking about doing it… maybe.
When the Falken Azenis RT215 tire came out, everyone loved it because reputable aftermarket performance magazines like Grassroots Motorsports and Sport Compact Car endorsed it after making it go through several tire tests. Those tires were dope back then – they were pretty grippy (it had grip because of the RT215′s big tread blocks, not because of a soft rubber compound) and they were pretty cheap. (I think I paid like $35 per tire for 195/60/14 size?) In fact, we thought the RT215 was pretty cool, because the fact that it used a harder rubber compound meant that the tire would actually last a long time! That was a great selling point for broke canyon runners and weekend autocrossers who also drove on the same tires daily.
The only bad thing about the RT215 was the fact that they were kind of dangerous in the rain. The big tread blocks that were an advantage in the dry months became a huge disadvantage in the rain – they made you hydroplane a lot if you ran them in wet weather! This is probably why Falken redesigned the Azenis in favor of the newer RT615 tires, which have big grooves in the middle for channeling water and siping down the sides for water dispersion. Anyway, I should stop rambling.
By the way… this is not an ad for Falken. They don’t pay to advertise on our site, and MotorMavens doesn’t get free tires from Falken. I’m just saying… this old Japanese TV ad made me remember the way things were… before Nick Fousekis and his original Falken Motorsports Team (which consisted of Mickey Andrade, Kelvin Tohar, Greg Hatton, Joyce Lex, Courtney Day, MJ Castillo, Calvin Wan, JR Gittin and everyone else who I forgot to name drop) began hitting the road and doing all sorts of events, connecting with motorsports fans to make Falken’s image cool. The team would get up early, set up at events, work really hard at promoting the brand, and we would all go and party after the events! Everything was so grassroots back then. Sometimes I wish we could take it back to those days.
Man, those were some good times.
:: Antonio Alvendia
VIDEO> UK Drifting Is Exciting With JDM Allstars!
JDM Allstars NISSAN FACTORY – Round 3, 2010 from Josh Allen on Vimeo.
At last! Here’s Josh Allen‘s latest installment of this season’s JDM Allstars video coverage. It also happens to be the debut of his new production company – Will Shoot For Food. Although it might be a little schizophrenic to some, I love the way this video has been cut. It’s a huge mix of intense action, great camerawork, a dope soundtrack and a certain human element that you don’t see that often in drift videos.
To me, the video has a great balance between good footage, a good song and some slick editing, and the (usually) boring motorsport “who won what and championship points” style coverage.
Keep up the good work Josh!
::Daniel Bridle
VIDEO> BMW M3: Come Ride With Me!
BMW M3 Film from 3seriesblogcom on Vimeo.
I came across this inspiring video from 3seriesblogcom, featuring the new E90 BMW M3 Coupe and thought I’d share. The new M3 is the first to get a 4.0 liter V8 engine, which kicks out an amazing 414 horses and 295 ft-lbs of torque, taking you from 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds. Oh, and daaammmn if you won’t look good doing it.
There’s a lot more I could say about this car, but let’s be honest – I’d drive that girl anywhere she wanted. Except my home…..where my lady would be…… waiting to kick the ever-loving @#$! out of me. Well, as long as I got to drive the M3, it’d be worth the beating…I guess. (Actually, knowing my gal, she’d probably forgive me if I just handed over the keys, hot girl or no hot girl.)
So check out the sick ride this video takes you on and dream of the day that you get to pick-up your luscious lady from the airport and take her for a ride… in… your… M3… *cough*cough*
Enjoy!
:: Travis Hodges
VIDEO> DMCC Rd. 3 at ICAR Motorsports Complex
Before we get to the video hinted at in the title, I’ve decided to take a moment to introduce myself and my team for those who may not recognize me.
My name is Dan Cyr, and I’m the guy behind the Cyrious Productions lens and computer screen. I’ve been following drifting in Canada for several years now, riding along with my brother, AE86 driver Pat Cyr and the Drift Posse. We’ve been at drift events from Quebec to Edmonton and in between, as well as a few down south… You can be sure to see us at more of them this year.
I’m not going to go into the meaty details of this event, since the actual Driftmania Canadian Championship event coverage will be taken care of by fellow Ontario MotorMaven Jover Papag, who was an absolute blast to hang out with all weekend, as well as being wicked help on the track.
What I can tell you though is that the event was great, and the whole team had piles of fun. This round was the first ever round of Drift Mania held at ICAR Motorsports Complex at the Mirabel Airport. It was a pretty neat looking track, being extremely flat and paved entirely in concrete. (more…)
VIDEO> Format67′s Dreamy NSX Edit
HONDA NSX (EXTENDED VERSION) BY FORMAT67.NET from FORMAT67.NET on Vimeo.
I love everything about this breathtaking edit from Format67… the concept; the cinematography; the grading; the sound design… EVERYTHING. The superb attention to detail reveals a master craftsman at work. This video breaks the barrier between its creator and the viewer in an attempt to capture the soul of the automobile; the soul of racing; and the soul of the enthusiast; to which I think Daniel Michaelis and his crew accomplish a stunning victory.
:: Andy Sapp
VIDEO> Apex’i Lexus SC430 Drifting at Evergreen
With all the great things I’ve been hearing about last week’s Formula Drift Seattle event, it’s getting me amped to see what will happen at the Las Vegas round of the championship series. I’ve been checking out a lot of our video footage from the event, but I remain drawn to the great POV (point-of-view) footage that Justin Shreeve captured with a ContourHD mountable/wearable video camera.
This particular video clip shows former D1GP Series Champ Ryuji Miki drifting his newly built Lexus SC430 on the banking at Evergreen Speedway. For those who havent driven or ridden along on the Evergreen Speedway course, this video is a great way to check the track out – from a driver’s perspective.
We’ve got more clips and we’ll be showing some of our favorite POV footage from time to time. Meanwhile click this link to see other shots from Formula D Seattle and Formula D Irwindale, as featured on the new MotorMavens Channel on ContourHD’s website.
:: Travis Hodges
VIDEO> KP Race LSx14 Debut
To be completely honest, up until earlier this year, I knew next to nothing of KP Race. I knew it was an auto shop located somewhere in Washington (With names like Snoqualmie and Skookumchuck, the towns all seem to blend together in my mind). That was, until I received a call from a guy who goes by the name of “Victor Moore.” Hey, I’d have an alias, too, if I were him. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me, Tiger. Haha! Anyway, the conversation consisted of a request to travel the US with Victor, Chris Jeanneret, and Matt Brandow as they work their way up the Formula Drift Ranks in 2010. How could I resist?! Free rides all over the country and food along the way! Say no more; I’m in!
Traveling with these fine young gentlemen took me back to a simpler time in life. A time when all that mattered was having fun. A time when you jumped in a 1988 Ford Probe and drove all day, just to bomb a hill in San Francisco or skate a new park in Vancouver, BC. From late night In-N-Out runs, to shenanigans at Hooters in Long Beach, drifting was far from the best part of the journey, for me. That’s probably why I love it so much! Just like skateboarding in my younger years, drifting has given me the opportunity to meet literally hundreds of new people who share a common love.
This video documents the adventures of KP Race as they fight for the Formula Drift podium. Despite a privateer budget and terribly timed mechanical failure, these guys are always upbeat and having a good time. Don’t get me wrong, though. These guys are seriously dedicated to the sport and have the drive and motivation necessary to reach the top. Expect to see plenty more of KP Race in the 2010 season!
:: Justin Shreeve
VIDEO> iPhone 4 & Owle at Pike’s Peak: 156 Turns
Many of you know about Apple’s new iPhone 4. What you may not know is that it now shoots 720HD video! That, my friends, is epic to say the least. While doing some research on one of my favorite directors of photography (Vincent Laforet), I came across this amazing video shot entirely on a iPhone 4, with no color correction from Hoptocopter Films on YouTube. Titled “156 turns,” it features Team Ducati Spider Grip‘s Greg Tracy on a stock Ducati Multistrada during the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb.
I know we normally don’t follow much motorcycle racing, but this video is definitely worth watching. 156 Turns captures the power, passion and precision involved in this race. Rhys Millen even makes a powerful statement in the video, “Somebody once asked me if I ever caught air up here….I said, ‘no, but if I ever did, I don’t think I’d ever come down…’”
All I can say is, great racing, great film making, and DAMN, I want an iPhone 4!
Enjoy!
:: Travis Hodges
VIDEO> Donington Alpine Drifting w/JDM Allstars
JDM Allstars DONINGTON ALPINE Round 2, 2010 from Josh Allen on Vimeo.
I’m currently sitting here preparing to leave for Round 3 of JDM Allstars, but I thought I would just post something that landed in my inbox before I head off. Josh Allen’s been working non stop to get this video from Round 2 up before this weekends event. In the time he’s had to make it, he’s done an incredible job. I’ve got to say, this is probably the best drifting video I’ve seen in a long, long time. The variety of action shots and exciting angles, mixed in with fun lifestyle footage and brilliant editing… those other bigtime drifting videographers had better watch out for Josh Allen!
Stay tuned for more JDM Allstars coverage on MotorMavens very soon!
::Daniel Bridle
VIDEO> Texas Drifting at Gulf Greyhound Park
A few of Texas’ notable drifters descended upon Gulf Greyhound Park about a month ago for a day of drifting. It was ridiculously hot, but everyone seemed to mow through all their tires by the day’s end.
I’ll go ahead use this post to make my formal introduction as well – My name is Henry Swasey and I’m from Houston, Texas. I’m a photographer/videographer who has a thing for drifting (street drifting specifically). As you may have seen in my other videos that were previously posted on MotorMavens, I’m with a local drift crew called Team Silhouette, and we have a shared interest in dope street drifting and getting it captured on camera. I have a few big projects in the works, so stay tuned to MotorMavens for more Lone Star drifting!!
::Henry Swasey
View more videos from Henry Swasey on Youtube
View more videos from MotorMavens on Youtube
VIDEO> Ronal Racing Rims Rebarreled by Rotiform!
Wheel Mavens, where you at?! This past weekend, I drove down to Rotiform in Orange County CA to drop off my wheels to be refinished. I’ve been steadily working on the newest MotorMavens Project Car, Project BMW E39 Touring, in attempt to step out of my ” vintage Japanese car shell” and learn a bit more about European cars, and connect with the community as well. I’ve been learning a lot about BMWs lately (like how BMW power window regulators are not your friends), and have been enjoying the process.
I had to get my wheels rebored out to fit my E39′s larger center bore, as the factory BMW CB is normally 72.56… and my E39′s factory CB is 74.1mm. Thanks a lot E39 designers at BMW! WTH.
Anyway, in order to fit my new 19×9 and 19×10 wheels on my 5 series BM double, I had to rebore them out. However, when I was dropping off the wheels, my eye was caught on a couple sets of these super aggressive, concave face, super fat lip Ronal Racing wheels. Needless to say, I was JOCKING them!
Enough typing… just watch the video. If you’re a wheel guy like I am, you’ll be drooling all over your keyboard…
:: Antonio Alvendia
VIDEO> RMR/Hyundai Dawn of the PM580
The dawn of the PM580. Set a drift on torquey bliss… HOLY shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinsplints! Just take a look at Rhys Millen‘s new RedBull/RMR/Hyundai PM580 race car testing at El Toro Airfield in Irvine CA! This thing sounds and looks nuts!!! Built by Rhys Millen Racing and powered by a turbocharged Hyundai Lambda engine, the PM580 puts out 775 HORSEPOWER and 750 ft/lbs of torque… and only weighs 1900 lbs, giving it the ability to do 20-120mph in 5.9 seconds!
Don’t expect to see RMR’s new PM580 at the next Formula Drift event, however… this thing was built for the toughest hill climb of them all. Can anyone take a guess as to what that is?
Thanks to Stanley Tran for showing me the video!
:: Antonio Alvendia
VIDEO> Formula D Atlanta Part 2
Experience Atlanta | FD Round 2 | Part 2 from Justin Shreeve Films on Vimeo.
Formula D Round 2 Atlanta has been a subject of the past now, but our boy Justin Shreeve had extra footage and decided to make a sequel to his original FD Atlanta video. In my opinion Justin did a great job showing the great experience a Formula D event can have on someone. These events are more than just the cars and drifting to me. It’s about the people, friends, vendors, and of course the girls! I’m not going to lie though, that clip of Daijiro Yoshihara dirt dropping was sick! Great job Justin Michael Shreeve!
::Yoshi Shindo
