PERSPECTIVE> Drifting Changed My Life
There are so many cool aspects of being a part of MotorMavens but, to me, one of the coolest is witnessing the heart and passion of the automotive industry through the eyes of the ones who live and breathe it - the true mavens. We here at MotorMavens consider ourselves to be in that number as well but we're not here to tell our own story. Our vision has always been to showcase your story - your passion. Seeing this industry through the innovative eyes of guys like Roland Gallagher, Justin Shreeve, Lucas Perez, Yuta Akaishi, Daniel Bridle, Yoshi Shindo and all of the many others who love and live what they do (including you) - that's our way of keeping our eyes glued to the real motivating force behind the stats.
That's why this story by Jonathan McWhorter was so compelling to me. It's not about the money or the fame. It's not about your company budget or your connections. It's not even how long you've been in the industry. Those are not the things that make this industry so awesome. I could tell you but Jon did such a great job - I'll leave it in his capable hands. After all, he reminded me. So, without further ado... Read more...
That's why this story by Jonathan McWhorter was so compelling to me. It's not about the money or the fame. It's not about your company budget or your connections. It's not even how long you've been in the industry. Those are not the things that make this industry so awesome. I could tell you but Jon did such a great job - I'll leave it in his capable hands. After all, he reminded me. So, without further ado... Read more...
NEWSWORTHY> Formula Drifting on Hollywood Blvd
With Round 1 of the Formula Drift Championship finished this past weekend, and the Formula D Team Drift competition at Long Beach this upcoming weekend, some of the Formula D stars put on a very special show earlier today (Thursday night) in Hollywood. Apparently, this was part of a promotion for the IZOD Indycar Series and the Long Beach Grand Prix coming up this weekend, but whatever... we don't give a two sh!ts about Indycars - bring on more drifting!
There were actually several rotary powered vehicles in attendance for the drift demo, but by far, the best looking car (in our opinion) was certainly Justin Pawlak's mean green FC3S RX7. Read more...
There were actually several rotary powered vehicles in attendance for the drift demo, but by far, the best looking car (in our opinion) was certainly Justin Pawlak's mean green FC3S RX7. Read more...
COVERAGE> Formula D Tech Day at UTI
There sure were a lot of car events to hit up this weekend in Southern California, and the Formula D season hasn't even started yet. Man, it's going to be a super hectic year for sure. On Saturday morning, Formula Drift held their annual pre-season tech inspection at Universal Technical Institute in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. This tech inspection is open to the public, and it gives drifting fans an up close and personal glimpse at the cars that will be running in the series before the season starts.
For those who don't know, Universal Technical Institute is a mechanic's training school, located out in the IE (Inland Empire), right across the street from the old Falken Tire headquarters, and right next to Kumho on Sixth Street and Haven. I've had an increasingly extremely full personal calendar, filled with things I need to do and places I need to be... and this weekend was no different. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't even make it out to the tech day myself, so I am super appreciative that new MotorMavens contributors Horacio Flores and Mike Kim (no, not the Mike Kim from UrbanRacer) offered to go to UTI and see what was going on. Thanks a lot guys! Enough about these details though - let's have a look at the cars! Read more...
For those who don't know, Universal Technical Institute is a mechanic's training school, located out in the IE (Inland Empire), right across the street from the old Falken Tire headquarters, and right next to Kumho on Sixth Street and Haven. I've had an increasingly extremely full personal calendar, filled with things I need to do and places I need to be... and this weekend was no different. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't even make it out to the tech day myself, so I am super appreciative that new MotorMavens contributors Horacio Flores and Mike Kim (no, not the Mike Kim from UrbanRacer) offered to go to UTI and see what was going on. Thanks a lot guys! Enough about these details though - let's have a look at the cars! Read more...
VIDEO> Joshua Herron's FD Year In Review
Formula Drift 2009 from Joshua Herron on Vimeo.
While 2009 may have come and gone, Joshua Herron dug through hours upon hours of footage to give us one last glimpse at what the ’09 Formula Drift season held in store for us. This video is amazing on so many different levels. The cinematography is top-notch, it is jam-packed with unreleased footage, transitions through three songs – each with a unique vibe, and it does it all seamlessly. The last segment definitely feels like a throwback to the old skate videos I grew up with.
Amazing work on this video, Mr. Herron! I’m going to go watch it again (and again, and again)!!!
:: Andy Sapp
COVERAGE> Seibon Customer Appreciation Day
Living close to the beach, as I’m sure you are aware, certainly has its fair share of advantages, most of which I’ve grown numb to. Sure, I can enjoy a nice dip in the ocean every now and then, but dealing with the crowds and limited parking associated with a day at the beach does start to annoy after awhile. So much so that, despite living mere minutes from the ocean, I prefer to spend my free time sitting in the comfort of my home watching reruns of Dr. Who.
One of the many benefits of beach living I now take for granted is the constant cooling effect of the ocean breeze. The weather in my ‘hood is always mild and pleasant, and if I ever see the thermometer crack 80, I panic and feel that my life, if not the world, will immediately come to a global warming-induced end. Moderate weather is good weather, and it is for that reason I humbly suggest that carbon fiber goods manufacturer Seibon ditch its grounds in Walnut, CA and move west towards the ocean.
Seibon just so happened to hold its Customer Appreciation Day smack dab in the middle of a heat wave. As the hills across California burned to the ground, the ground at Seibon was cooking me alive with an ambient air temperature of 108 degrees. The acres of asphalt surrounding Seibon’s warehouse trapped this heat, melting my shoes and roasting my feet in the process. The sky-high temperatures made me want to cry like a little girl and run home, but as I made the hour-long trek from the beach to the 626, I did my best to man up and tough it out. Read more...
One of the many benefits of beach living I now take for granted is the constant cooling effect of the ocean breeze. The weather in my ‘hood is always mild and pleasant, and if I ever see the thermometer crack 80, I panic and feel that my life, if not the world, will immediately come to a global warming-induced end. Moderate weather is good weather, and it is for that reason I humbly suggest that carbon fiber goods manufacturer Seibon ditch its grounds in Walnut, CA and move west towards the ocean.
Seibon just so happened to hold its Customer Appreciation Day smack dab in the middle of a heat wave. As the hills across California burned to the ground, the ground at Seibon was cooking me alive with an ambient air temperature of 108 degrees. The acres of asphalt surrounding Seibon’s warehouse trapped this heat, melting my shoes and roasting my feet in the process. The sky-high temperatures made me want to cry like a little girl and run home, but as I made the hour-long trek from the beach to the 626, I did my best to man up and tough it out. Read more...
COVERAGE> Formula D Seattle, Part 3
I'm sure many of you have been waiting for my photos and stories from Formula D Seattle, so I apologize to our readers for uploading these kind of late. It's been a pretty hectic weekend. There was plenty of drama at Formula D on Saturday, and I apparently added to it by pissing off the Formula D safety steward while grabbing a quick shot of Dai Yoshihara's smashed Lexus IS350 as it was getting loaded up onto a tow truck and pulled off the track.
It's a long story, but in a nutshell, the Formula D/SCCA guy Randy Hembrey got pissed off at me and pulled my hard card on Saturday (competition day), which allows me to get track access for shooting photos. This was definitely a problem, as I was expected to produce good images that weekend (I was shooting the event for clients, who helped pay my way to get up to Seattle). I had a hell of a time trying to get photos for the rest of the day, especially without access to the hot areas, but I still managed to get some photos somehow.
So here it is... Formula D Seattle through my eyes. Read more...
It's a long story, but in a nutshell, the Formula D/SCCA guy Randy Hembrey got pissed off at me and pulled my hard card on Saturday (competition day), which allows me to get track access for shooting photos. This was definitely a problem, as I was expected to produce good images that weekend (I was shooting the event for clients, who helped pay my way to get up to Seattle). I had a hell of a time trying to get photos for the rest of the day, especially without access to the hot areas, but I still managed to get some photos somehow.
So here it is... Formula D Seattle through my eyes. Read more...
