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Posts Tagged ‘Yoshi Shindo’

OH SNAP> Canadian Drift Union Rocks PGP

Pacific Grand Prix in Washington state has only been holding drift events this year, but they been doing so well that everyone in the Pacific Northwest looks forward to these events now. This past weekend, was the very first Team Tandem event that PGP held. Many of the regular familiar faces showed up, as well as a lot of new drivers that I hadn’t seen before.

Drift Union was one of the crews from out-of-town that showed up for this event. They came all the way from Canada (I don’t know the exact city) and even though they were new to the PGP course, they were killin it out on track. Their super ridiculously early entries and close-following tandem runs wowed the crowd and the judges enough to ensure that they took top honors!

Congratulations, boys! Stay tuned to MotorMavens for more photos from the PGP event very soon… but right now I have an appointment to buy some super wide wheels for my S14! Now I need overfenders! =D

:: Yoshi Shindo


CENTER STAGE> Superfine Serial Nine Cressidas

I can't imagine that, back in the mid 80s to early 90s, anyone thought of Toyota Cressidas as performance cars - after all, they were stuffed to the gills with power options and a plush interior. They were pseudo luxury cars that were made for taking trips to the grocery store and picking up the kids from school.

That perception of these four-door beauties changed when engines like the 1JZGTE and 2JZGTE started to become more accessible with the spike in JDM import parts coming into the US within the last decade. With minimal work, and a good knowledge of cars, one could have a powerful car with less investment than, say... a 240SX or AE86. Opting for the straight six turbo 1/2JZ engines was a no-brainer if you had a Cressida.   Read more...

PERSPECTIVE> Formula D Seattle Through My Eyes

Since Formula D Seattle, all the members of the crew have all been super incredibly busy handling all sorts of things related to the website and promotions, so we decided to hold off on our normal "event coverage" stories so that I could write different type of story - something more of a perspective piece. Normally, we always have Antonio write the event stories, because he seems to have the most experience, and he knows all the details of the drivers and everything. However, this time, the guys asked ME to write about my own personal experiences at FD Seattle.

This year's Formula D Seattle marks my first anniversary as a part of the Motor Mavens Crew. At last year's event, I didn't even know Antonio yet. In fact, I only met him at the end of the event, when he was out in the parking lot, chillin with our friends Ian Dillon and Raymond Vazquez.

I gotta say... this year has been one hell of a ride! Just in this past year, I've attended three other Formula D events, done multiple local drift event coverages, car features, cruises, meets, and everything else in between. As a local Seattle-based contributor for MotorMavens, my main goal was to blow up the Pacific Northwest scene since I know it has some of the sickest cars around! We also have some highly skilled drifters up here - such as Formula D drivers Roland Gallagher, Nikolay Konstantinov, Ian Fournier, and Victor Moore. Since this event was local, there was no doubt that all these guys would be attending. I knew this was going to be a great event!   Read more...

VIDEO> AWFILMS does Formula D Seattle

AWFILMS | Formula Drift | Seattle from Abbitt Wilkerson on Vimeo.

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!

:: Justin Shreeve

AWFilms on Vimeo

More Formula Drift stories on MotorMavens


DRIVER SEAT> Comrades To Invade Formula D Seattle!

I remember four years ago when Formula Drift first came to Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington. It was like we had won the lottery because, for the previous years, the closest FD ever came was California. If you have ever attended the Seattle FD event, you know how nuts it can get. I have heard that the crowd is among the loudest if not the loudest of all the stops on the tour. I'd like to attribute that to the large group of local drifters who sat right under the Judges booth that first year and got the crowd pumped up - even doing the wave! The next year they gave us cow bells - Big Mistake.

What I am getting at is simply that Formula D is a big thing here in the North West. This year FD has formally made the event a two day spectacle where you can come on Friday and witness the practice and qualifying - But, really, we've been going to the track on Friday to watch these pros rip it up on our home track for about three years now. Did they start the Friday thing this year because of us? Probably not, but it's awesome for the fans to get the full picture of the field of drivers that so desperately want to make it in the big Saturday show.

Now, for the first time since Seattle has been a stop on the pro drift series, we have our home team: Nikolay Konstantinov, Ian Fournier, Victor Moore and last, but certainly not least, Roland Gallagher. Four local guys we can cheer on and share in their glory and accomplishments. It's hard to believe these guys are stepping up to a national stage - ready to make their dreams come true and, whatever the outcome, the NW is proud of them.   Read more...

COVERAGE> Hot Rods at Washington Billetproof

I always feel a strong sense of pride when I go to a hot rod show. Hot rodding is as American as you can get - home grown and originating fully here in the States. Starting with young servicemen after World War II, restless and full of testosterone, the whole sub-culture that has emerged from it has even influenced styles for clothing, current cars, and music. So, I'm pretty sure you would be hard pressed to find a car enthusiast who didn't like old American rods - there is just an appreciation for the whole lifestyle.

Yoshi Shindo and I were able to make the trek down to Chehalis, WA on June 26th to attend the third annual Billetproof Hotrod and Custom Car Show, which bills itself as the "World's Least Important Car Show!". Sounds a bit self-deprecating to me as it is one of my favorite hot rod shows and, since this marks the second year I have attended, it's clearly important to me.

The show is a bit different from most current hotrod shows, as you can guess by its name, because no cars with billet are allowed to participate. You might ask why, since so many parts are now being produced with this technology specifically for the custom car industry, but it's because the technology didn't exist back in the classic days of hotrodding. Only cars that are traditionally modified and those that precede 1964 are allowed to attend.   Read more...

COVERAGE> Leavenworth Euro Cruise, Part 2

Summer is late this year in Washington state. Usually, around this time, the sickness of the overcast weather breaks and June is quite nice. However, this year the clouds are sticking around longer than expected - make that wanted. But the weather can be beaten - by those with enough motivation to attempt it.

Through the mountain pass where it looks the gloomiest and down the other side; hope shines through. The clouds break away slowly as you come down Stevens Pass and the rays warm you through the windows. As you get closer to the end of the mountains, the river next to the highway rushes and you can hear it now that you've rolled down your windows. There, nestled at the bottom of the east side of the Cascade Mountains, lies a small and amazing little town called Leavenworth - where every year, for the last 10 years, hordes of Euro cars descend from the mountains to disturb its unsuspecting calm.   Read more...

COVERAGE> Leavenworth Euro Cruise in WA

All my friends know that I stay up really late every day, so when I wake up early for an event, it's usually because I'm motivated to shoot a drift event or some kind of local Japanese car-based meet. However, waking up just to go to a car cruise is a completely new concept for me. I've heard about the Leavenworth Euro Cruise for few years now, and to be honest.. I never really cared to check it out until now! It's a good thing I stepped out of my shell though, because there were a lot of cool cars at the event that I probably wouldn't have ever seen if I didn't go!

It's true what they say - as we get older, things change, our minds open up, and sometimes... we realize what we been missing. This cruise from Bellevue Community College to the touristy city of Leavenworth, with a stop at Washington's famous Steven's Pass was definitely something I've been missing out on for a long time! I attended the cruise with our writer Lucas Perez and photo newcomer Jeff Santiago, and even though we rolled up with Lucas's R32 Skyline and Jeff's Honda S2000, mostly everyone seemed cool with our non-euro cars attending. Well, at least they didn't throw eggs at us or anything.   Read more...

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


VIDEO> Scraping Snohomish in a Slammed STi

Abbitt Wilkerson | 2004 STI from Abbitt Wilkerson on Vimeo.

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.)

:: Yoshi Shindo


COVERAGE> PGP Graduation Day Bash!

Around this time every year, school is finishing, with the stress from class and tests ready to be let out. For some, it marks a changing point; a time to move on, ready to take on the world... or off to the next phase of school after the summer.

Luckily for us, it was Rob Primo's graduation day on Saturday June 12th, because after several years of school, graduating with an MBA from Western Washington University, he went out with a bang, holding the second drift event at Pacific Grand Prix, inviting about 26 of his drifting friends and even more spectators. I couldn't think of a better way than drifting to celebrate and let loose after learning things like how magnets and rainbows work!   Read more...

COVERAGE> Comrades Invade Pacific Grand Prix

As with most things in life, there are goals that people set for themselves in whatever they do. Some aspire to be the best in their field and pit themselves against others to see where they stand. For others, just being a part of the camaraderie or community is enough. They participate just for the sheer excitement rather than competition. Luckily, in the North West, we have a huge mix of both ranging from the new Formula Drift Pro and Pro-Am drivers to the guys who keep it strictly fun. Whatever category any of these guys fall under, it's with great pride that I can say all of them are grassroots drivers. Which brings me to Comrades.

For those that don't know, Comrades started from humble beginnings when four local drift teams decided to unite under one banner years ago. Now that banner has grown to include all NW grassroots drifters from Oregon to Canada.

May 15th set a new benchmark for drifting in the NW when the Comrades were invited to tear up the track at Pacific Grand Prix in Kent, WA. New Pros and old schoolers came out to drive on this newly created track, owned and operated by Paul Zalud, that spans a little less than a mile with a layout "that kinda gives you that Bihoku vibe."(Haha, it's a reference to a Japanese race track, Bihoku Highland)

The Mighty MotorMavens Crew was out in full force as well. Covering the entire event from the driving (by me), video from Abbit Wilkerson and Justin Shreeve to, of course, photos from Yoshi Shindo and new comer Jeff Santiago - both armed to the teeth with their new Canon EOS 7D cameras.   Read more...

VIDEO> Pacific Grand Prix Drift Invitational


Pacific Grand Prix | Drift Invitational

The first Pacific Grand Prix Drift Invitational was a blast! So many good people, live DJ, beer garden, skateboarding, dirt drops, four car tandems. What’s not to love? If you haven’t been to this track, make plans to attend a future event. This thing is beautiful! Super clean grass; I can’t believe dudes were dirt dropping in this shit!

Filming, on the other hand, was quite a challenge. With only a 15mm F/2.8 and a 50mm F/1.4, the strict media regulations made it difficult to shoot good footage without breaking the rules. The super bright sun half the day didn’t help either.

It is what it is. Enjoy.

:: Justin Shreeve

Justin Shreeve Films
More Motor Mavens coverage from Pacific Grand Prix


VIDEO> Pacific Grand Prix Drifting

Pacific Grand Prix Drift Invitational – May 19th, 2010 from Abbitt Wilkerson on Vimeo.

Last weekend, the smell of tire smoke penetrated the crisp Evergreen air of the Pacific Northwest. In the state of Washington, the MotorMavens Crew and friends attended the Pacific Grand Prix Drift Invitational, which took place at a go-kart track in the city of Kent. Many of the usual suspects were out there driving at the event, and you can be sure that out crew members Yoshi Shindo, Lucas Perez and Justin Shreeve will be posting up their stories from the event very soon, as they work to expose and blow up the Northwest car scene even further. Before we release the photos that Yoshi’s new Canon 7D captured from the event, we thought we’d post up Abbitt Wilkerson’s video from the event, which was also shot completely with a Canon 7D DSLR.

After watching this video, it makes me even more excited to return to Seattle to hang out with all our friends in the Northwest. I really like the Evergreen drifting scene; it has everything! Clean air, cool people, and stylish cars! Enjoy!

:: Edward Uche


OH SNAP> The Demon That Makes Trophies of Men

A lot of times when you buy a car, you have a plan. Sometimes it can be just a mild street car build, or full on race car that will never see a day on the streets. In my experience my builds are always unexpected, starting off with just a daily driver that turns into a full blown money eating machine. Either way, planned or not planned we all have the same passion on getting our cars to become what we imagine in our minds. It always amazes me how far we go to do that. (more…)


VIDEO> One Of One Show at Long Beach


Fatlace OneOfOne Showcase | FD Long Beach Extra Footage

So yesterday I was sitting at my desk, cleaning up my external hard drive. I realized I’ve got TONS of extra footage of Formula Drift Long Beach and quite a bit of footage from the Fatlace OneOfOne Showcase that didn’t make it into the final edit.

My girl had the car for the day, and I wasn’t getting anything else done… so I decided to make another edit. This one has a much lighter vibe than the first, with no color grading and very little audio work; just lots of familiar faces, pretty cars, and loud engines.

Enjoy.

:: Justin Shreeve

Vimeo.com/JustinShreeve
YouTube.com/Shreeveco
More Formula D Long Beach 2010 stories on MOTORMAVENS


CARSPOTTING> TE37s on a Five and Dime

I have a certain soft spot for Datsun 510s, and not because of my affinity for Japanese cars. It stems more from what this car stood for at one point in time; an outcast in a foreign land. The 510 is truly one of the first import tuner cars sold in the US, long before the existence of cars such as the AE86 and RX-7. Released when cars from Japan were thought of as inferior tin cans, it certainly was not expected to become such a classic - being reborn decade after decade.

Before the advent of the Internet, before forums and blogs, these cars were being raced and modded. Now, with technology literally at your fingertips, it's made these cult cars more accessible to a new, younger audience. Parts are available if you need them, despite possibly being scarce in your area. Information is readily available for any trouble shooting or restoration you may choose to embark upon.

As the years go by, the 510 has endured a lot in the changing automotive climate. As with most classics, even with the help of the Internet, these beloved little cars share the same pitfalls as others; NOS parts being near worth their weight in gold, beat up used parts hoarded, and the barnyard finds that the owner may "someday" restore. These cars seem to present a picture in extremes; either restored to immaculate condition, or beat up and oddly modded. After 40 years of being a fan favorite among motor-heads it's harder and harder to find a clean, unmolested dime. Luckily, that's exactly what happened to Steve Keely when he found this natural beauty - a four door bamboo colored 1972 Datsun 510.   Read more...

COVERAGE> Insider’s Look at FD Long Beach

It's hard to believe that it has already been a week since Formula Drift took over the Streets of Long Beach. This weekend, the famous street course is still home to many a race fan. However this time, Long Beach has been taken over with open wheel racing fans that have been going to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for years and years. Since we don't really cover open wheel racing on Motor Mavens, I thought it would be good to post up some more photos from our experiences at Long Beach last weekend. (I know, some of you are thinking, it's about damn time!)

The first photo in our series is from one of the practice sessions. I think the practice sessions were actually a lot cooler and funner to watch at times than some of the tandem bouts, because it felt like freestyle drifting chaos within the confines of the white cement barriers and tire stacks that lined the streets of the LBC.   Read more...

COVERAGE> Formula D Fun at Long Beach

I know, everyone has been waiting to see our first installment of Formula D Long Beach pics. So have I! We just had to get some other deadlines out of the way before we could begin posting our images from this weekend's Formula Drift event on the Streets of Long Beach!

This past weekend was certainly an exciting one. I was excited to see all the new cars that were debuting at Long Beach, as well as seeing a lot of good friends from different parts of the world, even if it would be only for a brief moment. Unfortunately, when you're working at the event like I am, you're usually hustling about, going from one spot to the next, and you don't have as much time as you'd like to just chill and spend time with good friends. This event was definitely like that for me.

I was trying to juggle shooting photos for the website while overseeing the Motor Mavens Crew's event promotions efforts. Not an easy task! Also, on the Saturday of the event, I was asked to help out with the filming of The Grid, which is a UK-based motorsports television show that airs in 120 countries around the world! And... on top of all that, we debuted the new MotorMavens X DSTROYR "Follow The Leader" shirt at our booth, which was managed by super designer Jon Chase, the creative genius behind the brands DSTROYR and Famous Stars and Straps. I and the entire Motor Mavens Crew definitely had our hustle mode switched ON this weekend!   Read more...

VIDEO> Evergreen Drifting by Justin Shreeve

“Nothin’ to Worry About” – Evergreen Invitational (MotorMavens) from Justin Shreeve Films on Vimeo.

Even a broken foot and multiple equipment issues didn’t keep me from running around Evergreen Speedway last Sunday. Evergreen Drift’s invite-only season opener was a great success, despite several wrecks… and even fires. Tires were destroyed on track, while old friends caught up with one another in the uncharacteristic warmth of the Washington sun.

This event was a testament to the true nature of drifting. Pushing through misfortune to create something beautiful, all the while having the collective time of our lives. I find it ironic that although times may be hard, when we come together to share what we love, we find a feeling of euphoria. (more…)


COVERAGE> Evergreen Drift Season Opener

A familiar roar pierced the air. Throttles stressed to their maximums; tires screaming for their very lives, as if their torturers were cold and heartless killers. A battle was taking place; a fight between practicality and the absurd. Some chariots were wrecked in the process, but none were left behind. In the end, after the smoke cleared, we were all blessed. Friends reunited in a common bond, new and old alike. Make no mistake; the 2010 drifting season has begun! Hell yeah.

March 14th marked the triumphant return of some of the Northwest’s most seasoned veterans. An invite-only drift event was held last Sunday to start off the 2010 season with a bang. It was a great mix of old school friends, with up and coming drivers all the way from Canada to Oregon. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect, with a steady 70 degrees all day with almost no clouds in the sky. It was as if God himself found favor in the boys from Evergreen Drift.   Read more...

WEBMINING> Super Fresh with BBS Mesh

Brandon Nero’s ’04 Jetta GLI from wagenwerks on Vimeo.

When I’m bored at work, I constantly listen to MP3s and surf the web. The other day, I decided to look at Volkswagen related videos because I was interested in finding more cars that looked similar to my friend Zach’s Well Dunn Passat.

I stumbled across this older video from Wagenwerks Productions, that featured a Volkswagen Jetta GLI owned by a guy named Brandon Nero. I think this video is sick – the music went well with the feel of the video. The Jetta is so simple and clean, yet it’s so aggressive! I gotta hand it to Brandon Nero, he made one dope looking Jetta! I obviously love the car’s super low stance, and the fitment of the BBS mesh wheels? Perfect.

While replaying the video about 4-5 times, I read the comments on the Wagenwerks Vimeo account and saw that they used roller blades to get all the moving camera shots! No fancy rigs or easy dollies used here! I can go on for days about how good this video is, but I think I’ll just shut up and let you watch. Awesome, right?

:: Yoshi Shindo

Wagenwerks
Well Dunn Passat on MOTORMAVENS


CARSPOTTING> Walker, Texas Drifter

The drifter archetype has changed. Today in America, drifting has become the life, in part or whole, to many different people from all walks of life. When I met Russell Walker for the first time and learned he piloted this ready to rock machine, I wasn't too surprised. However, meeting him outside of a drifting event, you probably wouldn't suspect that he's a newly licensed Formula D driver.

In high school, where most young men start to entertain their desires, he started to cultivate an interest in the automotive world. He grew up in Texas, so of course he had a truck at first... but that didn't stop him from causing mayhem. Running over curbs, signs and getting sideways in the rain was a common occurrence for Russell and his truck. However, as far away as Japan is from Texas, the drifting bug still bit him. He picked up this Nissan S13 240sx for $500 at the age of 17 and never looked back. It's his first actual car, and I'd say it's come quite a way from being the white hatch with black Silvia front end that it was a few years ago.   Read more...

CENTER STAGE> A Touch of Class in the Party

Washington mornings are crisp in the fall. Past the hustle and bustle of Seattle's technology saturated east side lie country roads that meander through the landscape. The dew turns to light frost and everything seems to quiet down. So when Mark Couts and his 1997 BMW E36 328i hit the street, you hear it long before you see it.

Mark is as tall (6'7") as the reputation that Team Instant Party has in the Northwest, and despite being a relatively new crew, most have been around for a long while. He's had different drift cars in the past, and they have come and gone for one reason or another. Having drifting as a hobby isn't easy for a poor college student trying to make ends meet, as I'm sure a lot of you can relate. While making the best of it, Mark has built an amazing looking E36. Clean and mean.   Read more...