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How
did you get into the sport of Drifting? |
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Well, to begin
with, I started off with playing around with motorcycles in
my teenage years and I loved taking my bike through the
mountain passes at night and it was around that time that drifting
was very popular in Japan, especially among the younger
generations.
When I saw these Drifters
in action on the mountain passes, it not only looked cool
but very exciting and very skilful as they slide their cars
in and out of every corner at high speeds and that it when I
decided to go into it. |
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What was your
first car and did you start drifting with it? |
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My first car was
a 1985 Toyota Corolla AE86 Levin with the legendary 4A-GE
engine and yes I started drifting in it almost everyday and
always practicing with it. |
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What is your
current drift car? |
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Currently, I
drive a Nissan S13 Silvia which is also the Nissan 240SX in
the United States. |
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How is the
setup like for your drift car in terms of engine performance
and handling? |
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I have a Chevy
V8 All Motor NA engine installed in my Silvia S13. I chose
that engine as it has a very huge amount of torque on demand
which makes it easy for me to plow my car sideways for high
speed drifts. My car is also equipped with a KW Suspension,
all custom made and almost every item related to ride and
handling is custom made, like a custom steering rack,
suspension arms, bushes and adjustable camber kits. |
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Who are your
drift idols? |
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It can only be Nobuteru
Taniguchi. He's my personal favorite. |
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I understand
that tire choices are a pivotal choice for drifters and how
would you choose your tires? |
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Tire
choice is very important and is one of the key factors in
drifting. However, most beginners will opt to use
second-hand tires for drifting which is alright as they need
to get the feel and understanding of the car and the
rudiments of drifting. But as one progresses and upgrades
their skill level, they should opt to use better tires as
one graduates from fun to serious competition. |
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How different
are American Drifters drifting styles compared to the
Japanese Drifters? |
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The
biggest difference between the American and Japanese is the
variety in car and car makes which makes it interesting.
In Japan, the cars are from Japanese manufacturers and most
of the cars are no longer in production. The difference in
car makes makes for very different styles in drifting as the
nature of the cars are varied from high-revving NA's to
turbo-charged 4-pots to big capacity V8's and V10's. In
America, you have the JDM Hot Imports (Nissan 350Z, 240SX,
Mazda RX-7) going against American Muscle (Ford Mustang,
Dodge Viper) and European Marques (BMW M3's). With a growing
number of circuits for Formula Drift in the States, it has
become more competitive, more aggressive drifting styles
which leads to a higher level of energy from the drifters,
the judges and the spectators.
Every
year the sport is pushed to a higher level and standard and
the only way is up. The judging system is also different
from the Japanese D1 Drift Championship.
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How would you
describe the feeling of sliding your car sideways at
3-figure speeds? |
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One word,
Ecstasy. I get a very natural driver's high every time my
car slides sideways at that speed. |
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Who among
your current drifting peers that you consider to be your
closest competitor and rival? |
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Oh, that
would be everyone in the Formula Drift Series. (Laughs). I
would consider Rhys Millen to be my closest rival. He's a
very good drifter and he's a good tactician and he's got
very good strategy. |
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What's next
for you in year 2010? |
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2010 Formula
Drift Champion (Laughs). I had a bad season in 2009 and I
aim to put this season behind and fully concentrate on 2010
to work harder and hopefully win the championship |
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On a personal
note, how or what would you do to improve the sport of
Drifting? |
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Well, globally,
Drifting is still relatively a new form of motorsport. It
was an underground form of motorsport which was in its hey
day an illegal for of sport. We aim to make it legit and for
it to be organized professionally in the interest of both
driver and public safety. Drifting always has a place among
grassroots motorsports enthusiasts and its very easy to
relate to as the cars competing are the cars you'll find
driven on the street.
We aim to grow steadily,
taking one step at a time to improve it and make it more
accessible to a wider audience.
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Any hints and
guidelines for individuals who want to start drifting? |
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First up and
foremost, get yourself a RWD (rear wheel drive) car whether
its FR (Front Mounted Engine, Rear Driven) or MR (Mid-ship
Engine, Rear Driven). Don't spend too much money on getting
the car and souping it up for high horsepower. Save your
money for tires, coilover suspension, LSD (Limited Slip
Differential), chassis stiffening components and for more
tires. Outright horsepower is not the essence of drifting,
its about skill and finesse and the driver's ability to make
the car's chassis respond to his / her steering and throttle
input.
One more thing, practice
and practice.
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Thank you and
all the best for you in 2010! |
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Thanks Eric and
hope to see you again soon. All the best to you as well. |
