Riding in Formula Drift Cars is INSANE!
This course is brutally deceiving.
Despite drivers initiating their drifts in excess of 100 MPH into the first corner, they scrub off a lot of speed sliding sideways for so long. Monster power, and bravery is required to bridge the gap between the first and second corners. It’s hundreds of feet long, and a very narrow corridor to attempt to slide sideways through at speed.
In my second ride-along with Formula Drift fan favorite, and YouTube vlogger extraordinaire, Chelsea Denofa, I noticed that for a brief second, he hesitated and briefly lifted off throttle coming out of the first corner. He was able to successfully link them together, but this put the car on a more shallow line, leaving the car closer to the inside wall, for longer. Having the car shallow out against the wall (to the rightside of the Firestone bridge) is a risky proposition. The car can straighten out and tap the wall, which, at these speeds, can turn ugly.
This is exactly what happened to Kyle Mohan, and his rotary-powered ND Mazda Miata in one of the practice runs. Mohan tapped the inside wall after the car straightened out, and the resulting force of the impact caused the car to spin and loop out. Both Mohan, and his passenger were alright, but a broken wheel and some damaged bodywork meant exercising the tow truck.
Mohan’s Miata will live to fight another day. After some quick wrenching in the pits before Friday’s race, of course.
Afterwards, I was back in pit lane, being directed into the passenger seat of another drift car. This particular build has some Internet fame, and hype surrounding it.
A 1,000-wheel horsepower C6 Corvette
Matt Field is another Formula Drifter-turned-YouTube-legend. Encouraged and filmed by Donut Media, Field bought a salvage-titled C6 Corvette and turned into into a competitive Formula Drift car in just months. American muscle has a spotty attendance history in Formula Drift, and usually it’s Japanese iron dominating the grid. Though, with the entry cost of LS-powered American sports car rapidly dropping, the Corvette is starting to gain popularity in the drifting world. The cars are generally reliable, easy to work on, and, crucially, already have the potent V8 powertrain ready to go out of the box.
This is another new platform, with a lot of new parts thrown at it. In fact, Field’s Corvette is one of the first in the country to feature it’s specific modified steering angle solution. This C6 Corvette is an effective test bed for many Corvette drifting modifications. I’m sure that as prices continue to drop, and the aftermarket swells, many enthusiastic drifters will flock to the Corvette.
That said, don’t expect the prominence of powertrains like the venerable Toyota 2JZ engine to fade from popularity any time soon. This gorgeous MKIV Supra demonstrates that ever-potent power of those robust Toyota engines.
Watch the rest of the video to learn more about Toyota Racing, and Formula Drift 2018, including FD Long Beach. It’s going to be a killer show, which you can catch online via Formula Drift livestream, or on actual television. Check with your local cable provider on that one.
As an weekend warrior drifter, riding in a pro car, with some of Formula Drift’s finest was a game changer. Hopefully, I can get Project E46 up to speed quickly and get on track with the new platform. In the mean time…Who do I need to talk to to get behind the wheel of an FD car? It’s a drug, and one I must have more of.
Join the 6SpeedOnline forums today!
