I'm stoked to be writing about the Bonneville Salt Flats for MotorMavens! I've been a HUGE fan of the site since it started last year. A super quick intro might be in order, I guess... I'm Chris Hecht, originally from SoCal, now living in Utah. I'm a husband of ten years, father of four boys, Quality Engineer for a medical device manufacturer by day, and car fanatic by... day and night. I live two hours from Lands End - where paved road meets the other planet known as the Bonneville Salt Flats.
I've been going to Bonneville's "Great White Dyno" for three (going on four) years. I was first invited out by my co-worker and friend Dallas Volk (too bad he's no relation to Volk wheels haha) - but he is a member of the prestigious 200MPH Club. He and his family have been racing a 1929 Ford Roadster his entire life. Dallas, his dad Larry (current President of the 200MPH Club!), brother Patrick and sister Allison (nicknamed "Hollywood") are all in the 200MPH Club. I'm not, but I have contracted a dreaded disease...
I've officially been diagnosed with Salt Fever - and it's uber contagious. Bonneville has its own culture and feel, just like drifting, time attack or drag racing. There are the old timers and veterans who keep the traditions alive with the new blood learning the ropes while adding their own style, flair and background.
I hope to bring to the MotorMavens readers a view of this motorsport and share the cars and culture that make it what it is today. For this first post, we'll have a look at some of the import land speed cars I've spotted. As you'd guess, the majority of cars built to make top speed runs down the long salt, of course, are American. However, the great part about Bonneville (and El Mirage) is that there are A LOT of classes to run in - many of which are perfect for Japanese and European cars because of their engine selections and aerodynamics.
Check the first picture. This Ferrari (#288) runs in the AA/BGMS class (AA = over 500 cubic inches, Blown (super or turbocharger), Gas Modified Sports). According to SCTA's site, it went 235mph and there's a comment on the notes..."Smoke?" Like any motorsport, land speed racing is all about the details. Check the front fenders...aero diffusers (not sure what they call them) to help direct the airflow and add stability. Most of these cars never see a wind tunnel, but the aero tricks are tried and true. Read more...
Abbitt Wilkerson needs no introduction. You know who he is. 18 and famous. Haha! Anyway, check out his new cut from Formula Drift Round 4 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington. Better late than never and definitely worth the wait. This video has great energy and had me excited from beginning to end. With plenty of creative shots and a surprisingly appropriate song choice, I couldn’t be happier with this video. Good work, Abbitt!
Sunday morning came quickly and, even though I hate waking up early, the pre-drift event excitement on my mind was enough to make me drag myself out of bed. I arrived at the track and headed over to the new paddock where everyone was setting up. The weather had taken a turn for the worse compared to the previous day's roasting hot sun. The wind had picked up a lot. So much, in fact, that it was blowing tents into the air and whatever else wasn't nailed to the ground. A quick glance up at the sky confirmed that the weather wouldn't be getting any better...But I wasn't about to go home because of a little bad weather and neither was anyone else! Bad weather is what we do best here in the UK so, either way, we were gonna make this an awesome event! Read more...
Last weekend’s Formula Drift Seattle event at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington was unforgettable. Tons of familiar faces and unusually warm weather made for the best FD experience I’ve ever had. Since I’ve been shooting at this location so much lately, I was able to take my time and really enjoy the event, rather than scrambling to get shots.
Last weekend also marked a milestone for me, as it had been one year since shooting my first FD event with a media pass. FD Seattle ’09 was also when I met quite a few friends in the industry, such as Antonio Alvendia, Larry Chen, Drew Fishbein, Ross Fairfield, Will Roegge, and Josh Herron, among many others. Last year around this time, I knew next to no one and now I can comfortably say I feel at home in the professional and grassroots drifting communities.
With this video, I chose to take a much lighter approach than last year as a representation of the comfort and relaxation I now feel among my fellow videographers, photographers, and drivers who congregate for these great events.
This year, I also met a guy named Jason from ContourHD/VHoldr, who was nice enough to let me test out a couple of his HD 1080p wearable/mountable POV cameras for some of the shots!
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me along the way, especially the MotorMavens Crew, Formula Drift, Evergreen Drift, and KP Race. Without all the love, it just wouldn’t be worth it.
I just realized that I haven’t posted up a “Papercuts” story in quite some time. To tell you the truth, it’s because I haven’t even bought any car magazines in quite some time. There was a time in my life when I would go to bookstores and hang out, just to check out all the car magazines that were out. My friend Kenta and I would meet up at Barnes & Noble or Borders (or better yet, the Kinokuniya Bookstore in Little Tokyo or Torrance) to check out the latest car magazines every single month. I miss going to bookstores just to chill and check out magazines… I’m not sure if I haven’t been going because I’ve just been busy, or if the magazines these days don’t intrigue me…
Whatever the case may be, I stumbled upon this copy of Project Car Magazine at the CVS Drugstore in Studio City. This issue caught my eye because I saw my friend Taka Aono on the cover; after all, he is the USA’s undisputed top AE86 driver. I thumbed through it really quickly, and decided within 20 seconds, “that’s it. I’m actually gonna buy this issue.” While my 10+ years of Living the 86 Life have led me to own just about every AE86 book or manual that has ever been produced in Japan, it’s honestly pretty rare to see magazines that actually produce good stories about AE86s stateside. I definitely think this magazine was worth the $6 or 7 (ouch!) that I paid at the cash register.
Even though he’s probably the one Source Interlink magazine editor I don’t really know, I really gotta give props to Project Car editorGary Narusawa and his crew over there. (more…)
Well apparently, our resident sick stanced sticker cutter got bored today, since he is out of high school and has all this free time on his hands now. I suppose boredom sometimes leads to creativity, because Abbitt broke out his Canon 7D and busted out a short film to try out his newest piece of non-Canon glass (FAIL) on a video of his car… the super slammed Subaru STi that’s been scraping driveways and road reflectors all over Snohomoish Washington.
Enjoy the video! (Buy some Canon glass, next time, Eighteen and famous.)
Day two of free practice for the World Time Attack Challenge saw a host of various cars come out to tempt their fate at Sydney Australia's Eastern Creek Raceway. Competition begins tomorrow... are all the challengers ready for the heat of timed competition?
Most of the cars on the track were the competitors for the WTAC, but since it was technically an open practice drive day, several non-competing cars were also out on the track. Let's take a look at some of the cars on the circuit from today! Read more...
The World Time Attack Challenge has arrived. Sydney, Australia plays host to some of the greatest time attack cars from around the world. The hype leading up to this event has been huge here in Australia, with some of the world's greatest time attack cars set to battle it out on Sydney's Eastern Creek Raceway. Here is the run down from today's practice session... Read more...
I’m beginning to notice a trend. It seems as though during my adventures with Formula Drift there is never any down time, sleep, boring moments, or lack of awesome activities to shoot.
For me, Formula Drift Atlanta this year began with a cross country journey involving three layovers and an entire day of flying. After losing three hours, getting no sleep, and feeling noticeably more sick, I touched down in a little town they call Atlanta, Georgia. Just kidding! That place is huge!
This being my first time visiting Georgia, I was sure to soak it all in. The hot, humid air and enormous, flying insects were easily overshadowed by the incredible scenery, delicious sweet tea, and of course that good ol’ Southern hospitality. (more…)
You might be thinking, “what are you talking about?” After all, we don’t normally post up photos of incomplete cars that are getting painted on our website. This particular snapshot comes from a post on the Honda Tech forum that my friend Terry Pham linked me to.
You might be thinking… wait, is that a GDB Subaru Impreza WRX STi hood scoop bondoed to an EG6 Honda Civic hood? If that’s what you guessed, then you would be correct. However, before you go and pass judgment on whether you think it’s cool or not, let me give you some insight into the story.
This EG6 Civic hybrid is the first of its kind, that’s for sure. It features not only an engine swap, but an entire FRAME and running gear swap from a GDB Subaru Impreza WRX STi! So YES, you would be correct if you guessed this was an AWD Honda Civic EG6… and if you ever heard it driving down the street, you should know that its engine is not blown; in fact, that’s the sound that a 4 cylinder Subaru boxer motor is supposed to make… even though it’s not supposed to make that sound from underneath the hood of a Honda Civic!
While we don’t normally feature these types of cars on our site, I thought I should post it up, because the fabrication work behind this build-up is pretty damn fascinating! The original Subaru body panels were cut off from the Impreza’s frame to make this work, and the owner of this car cut up the body of a perfectly good EG6 Civic hatchback, and pretty much welded it onto the Subaru frame! Whether you like the look aesthetically or not, you just GOTTA give the builder of this car props for his originality and workmanship – c’mon!
I know you've been waiting for it, so here's the second installment in our HellaFlush 3.5 event coverage from Buttonwillow Raceway. I'm not sure that there have ever been this many cars with aggressive fitment and stance at the Lerdo Highway exit off the California Interstate 5 highway.
Honestly, I gotta give props to all the Northern California people who came down to this event. Not only does it show that Northern Cali folks are super down and committed, but it was also great to see a lot of cars come out of the woodwork that we normally don't see on blogs and websites. I'd love to expand the MotorMavens reach from doing mostly Southern California events all the time, but it really is kind of difficult as we're doing this as privateers, and we don't have a big corporate budget of several hundred thousand dollars to spend each year like some of the other blogs out there. However, we're resourceful, so we will keep trying to break boundaries, and keep doing our best with the Macaroni-and-Cheese/Cup-o-Noodle budget that we currently have. Hope you like the photos! Read more...
Peanut butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. Ham and burgers. What do these things have in common? It seems nearly impossible to have one without the other. Ken Block and Subaru also share this likeness. Regardless, it seems that Ken is leaving the Japanese Pleiades Oval for that of the classic American Blue Oval.
DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 6, 2010 – Ford Motor Company announced today that it is teaming up with Ken Block, the California-based action sports icon-turned-rally driver, for future global motorsports opportunities.
Block, the 2005 Rally America Rookie of the Year and a three-time medalist at X Games, has cultivated a tremendous following with his Gymkhana videos on YouTube. In 2010, Block will campaign a Ford Focus in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and a Ford Fiesta in Rally America and X Games.
“I am stoked to be rallying in a Ford. They are an impressive force in the sport,” said Ken Block. “From the days of the 1970s Escorts to the Group B RS200 to the modern-day Focus and now the Fiesta, Ford just does an excellent job at rally and I couldn’t be happier to now be part of this amazing heritage. Not to mention my dad would be proud. He was a dedicated Ford guy.”
“Ken Block has established himself as an action sports competitor and a rising star in the world of American rally racing,” said Jamie Allison, director Ford North America Motorsports. “We are excited to have him on our team to help promote our new global products, the 2011 Ford Fiesta and 2012 Ford Focus.”
Rallying is a crucial part of Ford’s global motorsports strategy and provides the company with the opportunity to showcase the true performance capabilities of Ford’s products. Since its support of rallying began, Ford has won three WRC titles and 73 individual events. And, last year in North America, Ford’s participation in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and X Games 15 were key elements for the launch of the Ford Fiesta for the U.S.
“Thanks to our participation in WRC, rallying has always played a key role in Ford’s global motorsports programs,” said Allison. “Ford is the only manufacturer that could provide Ken with global rally opportunities.”
“We’re delighted that Ken Block has chosen to team up with Ford to develop his rallying activities beyond America and into the global arena,” said Gerard Quinn, Ford of Europe’s senior motorsports manager. “Ford and its U.K.-based rally partner, M-Sport, is looking forward to welcoming Ken to the wider team of talented rally drivers using Ford vehicles to compete in this demanding sport at the highest level internationally.”
While it may seem implausible to imagine Ken piloting anything but a Subaru… something tells me that his wild antics and crazy style will follow suit behind the wheel of a Ford.
Wow! Travis Pastrana‘s record breaking car jump 250 feet over the water in Long Beach Harbor for Red Bull’s No Limit New Year’s Eve! I’m posting this for those of you who live in other parts of the world, and those who don’t have ESPN! This was LIVE tonight at 9:00pm PST/12 midnight EST. Wow, Red Bull does some pretty damn cool things with its money.
If you’ve had a hectic, mind-numbing, soul-searching day, I think this video from Clash Production might just help you to forget all of the “craptasticness” (my own word) of life. Give yourself a timeout and enjoy a few moments of pleasure.
Granted, it is old, and it has two of my favorite people in it: Nobushige Kumakubo and Kazuhiro Tanaka from Team Orange. Some great camera work inside and outside of the car, with a mellow song to bring it all home. Speaking of home, Clash Production says Silverstone is the “home” track for a lot of the UK-based drifters. It’s a pretty sweet track to call home – especially when considering the F1 history there. It also happens to be one of my personal favorites. So sit back and watch some sick drifting and let the BS of the day go away.
There's no doubt that every single hachiroku lover in the world has been eagerly anticipating news, photos, and information on the new front engine, rear wheel drive Toyota FT86, which is rumored to be a joint project between Toyota and Subaru. Thanks to friends at Hachiroku.com.au and The Motor Report, Motor Mavens is proud to show these sneak peeks at the new generation hachiroku concept.
While it certainly doesn't look like it shares much of its looks with Toyota's original AE86 design, which was sold in the USA from 1984-1987, the new FT86 concept sure looks intriguing. The front/headlights sort of look ISF-ish to me, while the hood reminds me of a Toyota MR Spyder, the side windows look like an R35 GTR, and the rear C pillar reminds me of a Scion TC. Read more...
Just a few years ago, aggressive fitment wheels were a pretty rare find on cars in the United States. Most people thought that getting wheels that "fit" well meant that the wheels wouldn't have any rubbing or clearance issues. Nowadays, the trendsetters in the scene have completely changed the game, and all the "cool kids" with the best wheel fitment are all about stretched tires and seeing how close you can get your wheels/tires to the fenders.
The owner of this slammed Subaru Impreza WRX STi is a seventeen year old (Yes, I said 17 years old!) high school student named Abbitt Wilkerson from AW Films. Abbitt has been making a name for himself; not only because he shoots some of the most popular car videos up here in the Northwest, but also because he has a driving passion for building Subarus with the common thread of aggressive wheel fitment. Read more...
My friend Eric just got his driver’s license, and along with it: his first car. Now, most people get a crappy, beat-up, old junker for their first car. But up here in Reno NV, due to the crazy winters and icy roads, that just won’t cut it. So instead he took out a loan from his parents and got a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX. How lucky!?
While browsing the internet, looking for inspiration on how to fix it up, we stumbled across this awesome Impreza video. Aside from the amazing videography and post-production, these two modified 2002 Subarus just look bad ass.
Now he may not be able to go racing on an airport runway, but I’m pretty damn sure Eric found his inspiration.
It's been an extremely busy week for those of us working on the Motor Mavens site! We're all making lots of steps toward positive growth for the site, which is exciting! This past weekend, Travis Hodges and I went out to the IDRC Finals at the AAA Auto Club Dragway in Fontana CA. We thought it would be interesting to show a little bit of drag racing content on the site, since our site is just so populated with drifting content all the time (not that it's a bad thing!).
Fontucky was extremely hot while we were there; the sun and Southern Cali fires weren't helping matters at all, burning through our sunscreen like a magnifying glass being held over ants. If you're interested in play by play bracketed info on all the classes, you'll need to check an upcoming copy of DSPORT Magazine. However, if you're like us and you just want to check out the cars at the event, please read on! Read more...
I'm still sorting through all the photos I took during my trip to Seattle... believe me, there were A LOT. However, I thought I'd just take a brief detour from the Formula D action to showcase some of the cars I saw at the event, which really clue you in on how dope the Pacific Northwest cars are. I just don't understand how people can sleep on the scene up there so much! All the big car magazines and media sites seem to only focus on Southern Cali, but those of us who have traveled all over the world can tell you that the Northwest has style!!! Tons of it. Let's take a look! Read more...
Okay, it's already past 2am now, and I need to get to sleep because we have a long day at the track ahead of us tomorrow! But before I sleep, let me just throw a few quick photos up on the site!
Above, here's a real dope R32 Skyline 4door that came from British Columbia (that's Canada, to those of us who are ignorant Americans). More photos of this car coming soon!
It's so cool that you can register a car like an R32 Skyline, A31 Cefiro or C33 Laurel and just drive it on the street, legally in Canada. What the hell are we still doing living in Southern Cali, anyway? (Who am I kidding, I love Southern Cali...) Read more...
Las Vegas local video star Joshua Herron put out his Formula D Las Vegas video today. The footage recaps all the highlights from the Vegas Pro-Am event, practice and the main event in the blistering desert heat. I’ve personally been waiting for this video because it was his first video out using his new Panasonic HMC150 video camera, and like always, I’m super impressed by the footage he puts out. Thanks again Josh for covering all the Formula D events and putting out some of the best footage there is. Check out his site as well for his other videos at JoshuaHerron.com.
So check it. Our homie Tree just linked us to this new video that Eddie from Dynamic Autosports was talking about in Las Vegas. It was shot by this video crew that has experience doing extreme sports (Is that what he said? Can’t remember, due to the intoxicated state we were in. We apologize).
It’s great to see well produced footage of the Dynamic Autosports/Apex’i/Hankook team. The video team definitely had some great equipment, and we were glad to see someone showcasing the Hankook drivers this way! It’s about time those guys got some love – they’re the most slept on group of drivers in the Formula D series!
:: Motor Mavens
PS: What’s with the S&M outfits on the girls? It looked like it was HOT out there; those chicks must have been dying! LOL at their facial expressions and poses when the cars pass them by!
Continuing our Motor Mavens Coverage on Formula D Las Vegas... many of the fans and media members seem to have been focused on only the Top 32 tandem competition, but those who braved the Vegas heat earlier in the day were treated to some pretty exciting tsuisou action from the Formula D Pro Am drivers. Props go out to all the Pro Am drivers for coming up through the ranks and doin it big! Read more...
An amazing tribute to an amazing motorsport. I cannot stop watching this video. I can’t even begin to fathom the amount of footage that went into this… and could it be edited any better? This video and it’s soundtrack just feel like a match made in heaven. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did. Hats off to ‘Miika’ for creating this gem.
