The end of the 2013 Formula Drift season is less than a week away, and we are celebrating this week with wrapping up our Texas coverage with our 3rd part of Round 6, dedicated to the 2013 Formula Drift rookies themselves! In just a few days, all the FD rookies will converge on Irwindale Speedway with hopes and dreams of making themselves a place in Formula Drift history. We will also be saying goodbye to these freshmen, and seeing them off to successful professional drifting careers. This year has been amazing. Being one of the smaller drifting outlets, we share the common struggle of learning, building, and bettering ourselves in the game of drifting. The cooperation and support the rookies have given us, not to mention the inspiration to keep going in the face struggle and challenges, make everything we have done this year worth every second and every single penny.
Before we send Texas to our archives forever, lets take a moment to read what the Texas rookies have to share. Big thanks to every single Texas rookie for working with us; Brandon Wicknick, Chris Jeanneret, Josh Steele, J.R. Hildebrand, Luke Pakula, Mats Baribeau, Nate Hamilton, Rob Primo, and Will Parsons…thank you!
Brandon Wicknick
In the weeks prior to Texas, what kind of preparation did you and the team go through? How was the car running, what did you have to fix or add, remove, or modify?
“Prior to leaving for Texas, we decided to make some changes to the car to get more out of it. We changed the exhaust manifold and went with a larger turbocharger exhaust housing for better flow. When we got to the dyno, we noticed right away the car was misfiring and way down on power. With limited time, we tried our best to find the problem and were unable. We tested the car at Miller Motorsports Park hours before we left for Texas and it was bad. We knew the weekend was not going to go smooth. We hoped to get to Texas and have time to get the car on a dyno there so we could perform more diagnosis. My suspicion was a faulty wiring harness since it had given trouble in the past, and we made “patch” repairs.”
How was the trip to Texas, did anything happen on the way there worth mentioning? What did you think of the event in Texas (venue, track layout, officiating, fans)?
“On the way to Texas, we suffered clutch failure outside Albuquerque. Thankfully Dan Brockett was able to make some calls for us (being a New Mexico local) and found a truck for us to borrow. Bubba Price came to the rescue and sent his truck with Santi Romero to pick us up. We left our truck at a small service shop with the intention of returning to replace the clutch. When we arrived in Texas, it was great to see the track layout and watch practice. We got the car on the track and found it to be difficult to drive, however I was able to link the course. We ran out of time to get on a dyno and attempt to fix the car.”
How did you perform, how do you feel about your performance in qualifying? What were your results from the event? What did you accomplish, are you and the team happy, etc?
“I ran the car the way it was and failed to qualify. I was 15 MPH off the median speed score. Had I earned the speed points, my score would have been in the Top 32 range. I have learned this year that drifting isn’t just a driver’s sport, but also a test of your machine as well. A great car with a lousy driver doesn’t go far, just as a good driver in an unreliable car can’t do well.”
Will you be making Irwindale? What are your thoughts going into Irwindale? What kind of prep are you and the team going to focus on?
“I have every intention of going to Irwindale. We have a lot of new parts to throw at the car. We secured some new sponsors and are excited to add these new parts to improve the reliability of the car. I have high hopes for doing well in Irwindale. We are a bit short on time to get the car ready, but we’ll put in all the time we can to do it. The main focus as always is to ensure the car is 100%, and that it will perform as I need it to so that I can focus on driving.”
Shoutouts to sponsors and friends/family:
“I have to thank my sponsors that make this all possible. Godspeed Project has made this season possible for us. Thanks to Driftmotion for their help. Richard Gibby at The Racing Edge always makes time for us to get on the dyno. I have to thank my team who isn’t afraid to change a clutch in the dirt on the side of the road in New Mexico. Shoutout to my wife Amber and my little boy Alton who are so supportive of my busy life. Finally, thanks to AMDRIFT.COM for keeping up with all the rookies and telling our stories.”
Chris Jeanneret
In the weeks prior to Texas, what kind of preparation did you and the team go through? How was the car running, what did you have to fix or add, remove, or modify?
“We pretty much just cleaned the car and changed the oil. The car after Seattle was in great condition, just a lil filthy.“
How was the trip to Texas, did anything happen on the way there worth mentioning? What did you think of the event in Texas (venue, track layout, officiating, fans)?
“The trip from Seattle to Texas was brutal, 39 hours straight. Luckily we had 3 people to rotate with. We got in a day early so we could relax and get ready for the week of heat that we are not used to. The event was pretty cool, just being in the middle of such a giant NASCAR track was definitely a different perspective and view then im used to from other tracks we compete on. It was great to do some high speed stuff. I myself have never really drifted those speeds in any form of competition, and was super stoked to be able to adapt pretty fast to the track. One thing I can say is that the Texas crowd didn’t disappoint. There were less then other FD rounds, but they were just as loud as if there were twice as many fans there. Definitely made it a good show.“
How did you perform, how do you feel about your performance in qualifying? Could you tell me a little about Top 32? What were your results from the event? What did you accomplish, are you and the team happy, etc?
“Well, we really wanted to qualify Top 16 on our first run, and we just missed it by 0.4 points. That really kinda worried me because on people’s second runs, its easy to get pushed to the back of Top 32 really quick. We were sitting 31st, and our second pass we couldn’t better because I spun on my run due to track conditions changing. We later learned someone went of there just before me and put up a huge amount of dirt on the track, and yah, that pretty much explains that. We ended up having to go against Fredric Aasbo in the wicked fast Scion Tc. I really wanted to just put in 100% in my runs, so we changed the setup to give a little more traction in hopes to keep up with him. We found that after the first corner, we were too close and I had to let off and I straightened, I wasn’t sure how we kept up. Wasn’t ready for that to happen, and our second run was not well lived either. I transferred to the final sweeper too soon and went shallow and caused me to take a really bad line (sorry Fredric), handing Fredric and his team the win. I’m really bummed I didn’t finish two clean runs in Top 32. I think I just need more tandem practice. I hope to bring a new strategy to Irwindale and be ready for what is thrown at me.”
Will you be making Irwindale? What are your thoughts going into Irwindale? What kind of prep are you and the team going to focus on?
“I’m going into Irwindale with a mindset of making an impact in a good way. I want to break that Top 16 qualifying spot and not end up at the back of the pack, get alot of seat time and make sure the car is dialed in within a very few runs, and finally I want to make sure I’m comfortable following other drivers with deep lines as soon as I can. These 3 factors I think will definitely make for a much better showing from our team, and hopefully go out this season with a smile and a sense of accomplishment. We are currently 34 points behind for Rookie of the Year, and that is quite a ways to make up in one race knowing the other drivers I’m against can do everything I can do. We just need to try and do it better!“
Shoutouts to sponsors and friends/family:
“I always want to thank my sponsors for sticking it out with me. We have one more round in the STR Racing wheels S14, and we hope to bring the rain for this last round!”
Josh Steele
In the weeks prior to Texas, what kind of preparation did you and the team go through? How was the car running, what did you have to fix or add, remove, or modify?
“Basically, the car was running perfect, it was the operator who messed up…”
How was the trip to Texas, did anything happen on the way there worth mentioning? What did you think of the event in Texas (venue, track layout, officiating, fans)?
“Well, we live in Texas, so there wasn’t really a drive. What can I say? Ive driven the track more then any other driver there, and I choked, flat out choked!!! For the people who don’t drive FD and are the ones “e thug’n” online and shit, Formula Drift is bigger than me, meaning shit is not easy! There are pressures all over with fans, judges, crew, friends, wives, etc!!!!! There’s so much going on, you have to learn to focus and block everything out! In Pro/Am, we were the big fish. In FD, I’m like a fish out of water!!! Haha. Either way, the car, myself, and crew have made an impact at FD this year so far. The car will appear on the cover of Gasoline Magazine next month, as well as working with current sponsors and new ones for next year!”
How did you perform, how do you feel about your performance in qualifying? What were your results from the event? What did you accomplish, are you and the team happy, etc?
“As far as my driving goes, Im not being arrogant, but I know I can drive (wouldn’t of got an FD license if I couldn’t!). We drove every course that FD had this year with no problems, but what we’ve learned is that there is a fine line between driving the tracks, and killing it for the judges, if that makes sense? I mean, you cant skate by in FD. They wanna see you balls to the motha F’nnnn wall!!!“
Will you be making Irwindale? What are your thoughts going into Irwindale? What kind of prep are you and the team going to focus on?
“Yes, we will be at the House of Drift. One of my most memorable events there was XDC 2010, making podium with my friend Chelsea! Its the last event, so I’m sure its going to be nuts!”
Shoutouts to sponsors and friends/family:
“I wanna thank the fans first and foremost. Without them, there would be no FD! My crew Jory, Stephen, and Jason for keeping up with the madness, my 110% wife Ryan for putting up with the madness! Shout outs to Mike @ NST, Chelsea @ BC Racing, Wayne @ Achilles Radial, Even @ Kareless Original Clothing, Brian @ Rays Wheels, Shane @ Matco Tools, Thomas @ Go Wash, Dan @ SIKKY, Jenn @ Exedy, Jeremy and Brian @ Power Fab, Chase Bays, Sarah @ Mishimoto.”
J.R. Hildebrand
In the weeks prior to Texas, what kind of preparation did you and the team go through? How was the car running, what did you have to fix or add, remove, or modify?
“Leading up to FD Texas, we did a day of testing at Somoma Raceway working on higher speed transitions, but the day got cut a little bit short because of a couple issues. The biggest change we made to the car after Seattle was installing a quick-change rear end in the car. At Seattle, not being able to change gears was a big disadvantage, so it was a big help heading to Texas.“
How was the trip to Texas, did anything happen on the way there worth mentioning? What did you think of the event in Texas (venue, track layout, officiating, fans)?
“I’ve been to TMS before for IndyCar races, and it’s always a great venue. It was actually kind of weird going there and setting up for FD since I’m used to such a different environment at that track. The layout was cool because it was fast, but it seemed a little choppy to me with where the clipping points were for the first two clips. The fans were awesome, as they always are at Texas.“
How did you perform, how do you feel about your performance in qualifying? What were your results from the event? What did you accomplish, are you and the team happy, etc?
“I felt pretty good for most of the event. We made a couple changes midway through Thursday that really brought the car to life. I was last in line to qualify since I’ve only done one other event this year, and definitely got the short end of that stick because it started raining literally right as I was getting ready to run! I was the only car that has to make a run in the wet. I could tell right away it was slick, but stuck with it and I thought I put together a solid run. I got judged a low score because my speed score was low and I just dropped a wheel off once, but it was a bummer that there aren’t provisions for that kind of thing in the judging… I had a bunch of guys come up and tell me how rad they thought it was, but unfortunately that doesn’t count for much on track!
When I went out for my second run, I was on it through the first two clips and outer zone, but while transitioning into the sweeper I got a little caught out by the handbrake not grabbing as much as usual and straightened out too much before I could adjust. That was on me to know the car better, but we continue to sort things out and I’m looking forward to getting back in it.“
Will you be making Irwindale? What are your thoughts going into Irwindale? What kind of prep are you and the team going to focus on?
“I will be at Irwindale and I’m pumped for it. I’ve learned a lot and feel WAY more comfortable in the car now than I did at Seattle. We’ll work on the car some and will be as prepared as possible when we get there.”
Shoutouts to sponsors and friends/family:
“Big thanks to Mobil1, GoPro, Hankook and Chevrolet Performance for all the love!”
Luke Pakula
In the weeks prior to Texas, what kind of preparation did you and the team go through?
“My preparations for Texas were very stressful, since this was our first far trip towing the race car. In the past I have gone as far as Vegas, which was only 5 hours towing and it was a one to two day events. This time it was a 24 hour trip, and I had to be prepared for almost a weeks’ worth of time. Luckily my friend Michael Essa helped me out by taking some wheels and tires for me to the event in his monster trailer, otherwise there would have been no way for me to load up everything in my Toyota Tundra.”
How was the car running, what did you have to fix or add, remove, or modify?
“As for the car itself, the preparations were serious. Since I have gone through an engine failure shortly before Formula Drift Washington, I was forced to pull out and rebuild the motor. Luckily I had 2 months to get the motor rebuilt and re-tuned, but that still felt like not enough time since I pulled/rebuilt/installed the motor myself in my garage in between working a full time job and going to school part time. Multiple trips to the machine shop and parts stores had me stressing over time. I had the car back up and running 3 weeks prior to our trip, got it tuned at Road Race Engineering with a help of my friend Chris from ChrisTune, and got it out to the track to do some testing and shake down 2 weeks prior to the event.”
How was the trip to Texas, did anything happen on the way there worth mentioning?
“Well it was just me and my wife that went. I worked a full shift at work prior to us leaving Tuesday night, so I let my wife take the first turn behind the wheel. As it started to get dark, I wanted catch a little nap and get energized to drive through the whole night. Well that didn’t work out very well since it was my wife’s first time towing. I could not close my eyes for more than 5 minutes without worrying. But she still did very well, and she’s definitely going to be behind the wheel while towing more often now. We drove straight for 24 hours till we got to our hotel right outside of Texas Motor Speedway. Danny George, who was in the same hotel as us, was kind enough to let me store all my belongings in his enclosed trailer for the night. I had nowhere to hide it since I was towing with an open trailer. Anything else worth mentioning? Sure, after that long drive I smelled like a bum who hasn’t showered for weeks. I was seeing things that weren’t real, and yet all I could think of was how California has the most expensive gas in the damn country!”
What did you think of the event in Texas (venue, track layout, officiating, fans)?
“Texas is awesome! People are much nicer, kinder and friendlier then in some other states I’ve been to. I use to live in the Midwest for a portion of my life, so leaving California and coming here to Texas almost felt like old home to me. As for the track itself, well it looked a lot slower in videos I watched then in reality. The track layout was very smooth and car friendly except for the long straight away connection right before the last sweeper. That long connection is hell for someone with lower horsepower car, because if you tried to use speed to carry you through, then you’d end up flying off the track. The venue itself is still new to me in general, this being only my second event running in Formula D still had me confused and disoriented. I felt more comfortable acting as a fan since I’ve walked the pits for years in the past prior to getting my license.”
How did you perform, how do you feel about your performance in qualifying?
“Well, I was shorthanded that entire weekend not having a crew chief. My wife focused on media coverage and some spotting while I focused on the car and driving. I changed my own tires, controlled my own tire pressure, and even fixed my own water hose that popped off from under the manifold during practice. I really wish I had more practice time on that track layout as this was my first time ever where I could enter a drift in mid 4th gear. Such high speeds take time to get adjusted to if you have never experienced it. I just simply didn’t adjust quickly and perform well enough to qualify into Top 32.”
What were your results from the event?
“I managed to put a score on the board with my first run, but it was nowhere near enough to let me move on, compared to Long Beach where I got a 0 on both runs. I do take this as a positive result, receiving a score and actually getting a replay of my run on livestream was nice. Maybe at Irwindale I’ll manage to put 2 scores down and maybe, just maybe it will be high enough for Top 32.”
What did you accomplish, are you and the team happy, etc?
“Making the event and trying to play in the big leagues on my little budget, with my little car and with almost no help, was the greatest accomplishment I can ask for. All of the experience taken in from this event was an accomplishment in its own way as well. I was upset about not qualifying, but my friends’ text messages were heartwarming and having to give out my hero cards with autographs to fans right after definitely made me get over it quickly.”
Will you be making Irwindale?
“Yes! Irwindale being less than 30 miles away from home will definitely be an enjoyable event that will put me in my comfort zone. It’s almost like a freebee if you look at the expenses point of view: minimum gas to tow needed, no hotel needed, no going out to eat every morning/night and well rested nights prior to event instead of driving through the night.”
What are your thoughts going into Irwindale?
“All or nothing! I have driven that track in the past but never have I pushed myself to its limits. This being the last event of the season and me having 0 points, I really feel like I have nothing to lose but to truly give it my best.”
What kind of prep are you and the team going to focus on?
“Well, I just went to shake the car down a bit last weekend since Texas weather and high speeds had its ways with it and I managed to break another axle … Not a surprise to me at this point, since I have gone through A LOT of rear end issues this season with yet so little driving I have done. Corollas are not meant to have 400+ horse power. So with that said, we have 2 weeks till Irwindale and I will be spending all my free time under the car, fixing what’s broken or damaged and just going over all the nuts and bolts to reduce any failure at the track.”
Shoutouts to sponsors and friends/family:
“Super happy and thankful for my co-pilot on this trip who just so happens to be my wife Rachel, Love You!
Formula D staff, awesome job running the event! After experiencing Long Beach I had my doubts, but they did warn me about that event being the craziest and that other events will be much smoother.
Rob Primo and his crew, thank you for being my pit buddies!
Mike Essa, keep doing what you’re doing and let me follow your steps and sink it all in!
My parents, thank you for watching livestream and experiencing this with me together for the first time.
All my friends and fans, thank you for the kind words and continuing support in chasing the dreams.
And to all my sponsors and supporters, thank you for all your help! Falken Tire, XXR Wheels, PTB Performance Tube Bending, Weir Performance, Radium Engineering, Stance-USA, FineLineTuning, RoadRaceEngineering, HwyAuto, Focus Elements, AMDRIFT.COM, Just Drift, Slide Assassins.
“Like” me on Facebook @LukePakulaMotorsports, Instagram@ LP_Motoring and Youtube @LukePakula“
Mats Baribeau
In the weeks prior to Texas, what kind of preparation did you and the team go through? How was the car running, what did you have to fix or add, remove, or modify?
“Where do I start lol… The weeks leading up to Texas were definitely not easy for myself and the team. It was definitely a yoyo up and down effect. Long story short, we went out testing the weekend before we had to leave for Texas and blew a head gasket. Tuesday morning we sent off our head to the engine shop to get inspected. Turns out we got extremely lucky and it hadn’t severely damaged anything. Once we got the head back the following morning from Enrico over at “Pièces De Moteur National”, it was time to rebuild it. That in itself was a handful. Anyone who has done so, can attest to it. By Wednesday night the head was assembled. Thursday night, the engine was back in the car fully assembled and ready to hit the dyno. Friday morning we went to the dyno to verify that everything was good and it was! After the dyno we came back to the shop to install our power steering pump. As soon as we opened up the box, we noticed they sent us the wrong one, GREAT its now Friday night and we were supposed to leave for Texas Saturday around noon. All in all, in one week, we managed to rebuild the head of our 1jz, go through 3 power steering pumps, 1 power steering rack, 1 power steering pulley and 1 fuel pump. We were determined to make it to Texas and we were prepared to do anything we could to ensure we make it down to the event.”
How was the trip to Texas, did anything happen on the way there worth mentioning? What did you think of the event in Texas (venue, track layout, officiating, fans)?
“Our trip down to Texas went smoothly and we managed to make it down a day early before the event. We took that time to make a team outing and go visit the Cowboys Stadium (AT&T Stadium). We got a tour of the entire facility, and wow that place is amazing! We even managed to see the Cowboys practice and once their practice was done, we managed to get on the field and try to kick a few field goals. Lets just say, my field goal kicking skills are not up to par and I wont be switching to that anytime soon.”
How did you perform, how do you feel about your performance in qualifying? Could you tell me a little about Top 32? What were your results from the event? What did you accomplish, are you and the team happy, etc?
“Thursday practice, well it was pretty uneventful for us. Everything ran great and we were feeling good about the track.
Friday…… That day is definitely the most stressful as the pressure is on to perform and to qualify. If we don’t qualify, our weekend is over. All the hard work that was put in to make it to the event gets wasted if we don’t qualify. We get a 1 hour practice before qualifying to ensure everything is good and for the drivers to warm up and adapt to that days track conditions. Well for us, Friday practice in Texas didn’t go too well. We managed to make our first lap around the track, and as a driver, I felt great and ready to qualify, but wanted another 2-3 laps to see if I could adjust my line. After my first lap, there was a long track delay as one of the drivers had gone off track and nearly missed the portable lights that were in the middle of the infield. FD decided to pause practice so they could make appropriate safety adjustments. Roughly 30 minutes later, practice had resumed. On our second practice lap, I felt a big vibration in the front of the car as I was entering the outer zone of the last sweeper. As I tried to power through the vibration, I noticed that I had lost all steering input and the car was now riding on the front bumper and side skirts. Once I saw that the other driver wasn’t behind me, I safely stopped on track to discover that we had front right suspension damage. After further inspection, our two lower ball joint bolts stripped all the threads out of our front spindle. After a flatbed tow truck ride to our pits, we only had about 30 minutes or so to make it back out for qualifying. Luckily, we had a spare front right spindle arm. My mechanic Korey was able to swap out the front right corner to the new arm and install everything to make it back out in time for qualifying! Im lucky to have such a great friend and mechanic there to repair the car when things go wrong. As soon as i managed to get into the car and finish strapping myself into the seat, I looked up and the car ahead of me had already started their qualifying lap. I hit all the clips/zones/lines that the judges wanted us to hit. After the first round of qualifying was done, we heard that we had qualifying 15th which locked us into Top 32 for the following day! We were pumped to see all our hard work finally pay off again!
We matched up with Miro Ovcharik for top 32. Having faced Miro twice before in competition ( Hold The Line and DMCC), I knew what to expect. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy as Miro is a great driver. Once we left the line, it was basically pedal to the floor for me going through the gear box trying to enter with as much speed as possible. I threw it into the first corner as aggressively as possible while keeping my foot to the floor to maintain as much speed as possible through inner clip 1 & 2. Once I got through there on the right line, it was just a matter of keeping as much speed and angle through the touch and go section and then locating the outer zone section at the start of the sweeper. The judges wanted us to throw it into the sweeper aggressively with as much angle as possible while holding the outside line of the track. We did just that with keeping our rear tires on the outside line and as I started to get back on throttle, I felt a slight bump from Miro which upset our suspension for a slight second which caused us to lose grip and spin. The judges reviewed the footage and made the call that Miro was at fault and gave us the advantage. We took a couple minutes to inspect the damage and ensure we didnt have any suspension or wheel damage. Luckily the impact was made on the rear quarter and rear bumper which did not touch our wheel/suspension. We knew that for our chase run, we needed to just run a clean run without mistakes and we should move onto top 16. We did just that and got the word from the judges that we had won!! For me, it took a bit to sink in that we were going to Top 16, as I had to have my spotter (my father, Norm) repeat it to me a couple times!!!
Being one of the 16 cars during opening ceremonies was definitely an awesome feeling!!!
Our top 16 opponent was Fredric Aasbo. Fred is a former Formula Drift “Rookie of the Year” winner and an excellent driver which currently sits in the top 5 of the Championship. We knew this wouldn’t be an easy battle and we would need to drive at 100% to have a chance to move on. Fred lead first and I tried my best to keep up to his Scion (which has couple hundred HP more than us) heading towards the first corner. Once initiated, the car went a bit off line where I had to left foot brake a split second to avoid hitting the second inner clip which was definitely a noticeable correction. Having to correct there left a bit of a gap between myself and Aasbo, but I was able to close it back up heading into the sweeper where I came inches away from Aasbo’s car, but again with his HP being a couple hundred over us, he was able to get on throttle for the sweeper and pull away from us again. Over all I was pretty happy with my chase run. I know Aasbo had a slight advantage going into the second run. With that being said, I knew I had to give it 150% to get a chance at the possibility of a OMT. My lead run was hands down the fastest run ive had all weekend using the entire track. During my lead run vs Aasbo, I was able to get and maintain a good 1-2 car gap on him from the first inner clip to midway through the sweeper. I was happy to have run such a hard and fast lead lap but unfortunately for us, Aasbo didnt make any mistakes behind us and moved on to top 8.“
Will you be making Irwindale? What are your thoughts going into Irwindale? What kind of prep are you and the team going to focus on?
“Yes we will be in Irwindale. We are already down here. We will be working on the car today and tomorrow doing adjustments to get it ready for Irwindale, as well as our regular maintenance between rounds. We are really paying attention to reliability aspects. We really want to make sure the car runs 100% for the entire event.”
Shoutouts to sponsors and friends/family:
“Id really like to give a shout out to all my sponsors/partners! Without them, none of this would be possible and am truly appreciative for everything they have done to support myself and the team.
Gold in the Net – Ontario
Falken Tire
DSTROYR
Wiring Specialties
Loctite
Clutch Masters
Quickstyle
Sims Customs
Crappy Car Customs
Patinka Motorsports
Id also like to thank Norm at NormAlexperts for all the help so far this season, Enrico at Pièces de Moteur National for an awesome turnaround time with our head, Sajan at Synoptic Tuning for fitting us in last minute, my mechanic Korey for all the hard work and dedication, my girlfriend Michaela and my parents for all their support!“
Nate Hamilton
In the weeks prior to Texas, what kind of preparation did you and the team go through? How was the car running, what did you have to fix or add, remove, or modify?
“Heading into the Dallas event, we had plenty of time to get the car checked over and track ready, oil change and small maintenance etc. We had a test day a few weeks prior to the event. I am really starting to feel comfortable in the 2013 chassis. One minor, but important change we made was our radiator setup. Our good friends at Mishimoto sent us an upgraded dual pass race radiator for the Texas heat. We dropped that in the car and felt excited for our home track!”
How was the trip to Texas, did anything happen on the way there worth mentioning? What did you think of the event in Texas (venue, track layout, officiating, fans)?
“The drive was a nice and easy one. I live about 40 minutes outside the track! We arrived to the track and started setting up. Track layout was the same as XDC 2011 if I remember right. It’s a really fun layout, quick yet challenging.“
How did you perform, how do you feel about your performance in qualifying? What were your results from the event? What did you accomplish, are you and the team happy, etc?
“We felt on fire during Thursdays practice. Our speed, line, and angle felt great and according to our spotter, Joseph. They looked great too. We burnt up a few sets of Falken Tires and got some dinner and felt ready for Friday’s qualifying. Friday came and we got together as a team and felt excited. I got in the car and took my first run of the day. Entered in at 96 mph, hit the first clip, felt great. As I transitioned following my buddy Pat Mordaunt, I felt a dirt drop, I was off line. I stayed in the gas in attempt to stay on track. Unfortunately I ran into the ONE spot on the track that was basically a curb. In the driver’s meeting, many of the drivers mentioned filling this hole in so we as drivers wouldn’t break our cars if we accidently went off line. I even heard someone mention “this would be a weekend ender”. The judges must have felt this was not an issue. So long story short, I found that curb and took flight. One mistake ended my hometown showing. I was honestly was in shock at how the weekend played out. My team and I worked hard to put the car back together after the accident. The strut towers moved and the car literally would not drift. Our FD weekend was over before it even started.”
Will you be making Irwindale? What are your thoughts going into Irwindale? What kind of prep are you and the team going to focus on?
“We will 100% be ready for Irwindale. We currently took the car to the frame shop to pull out our strut towers. One thing you can count on is we are not going to give up on Formula Drift. This season has been a real learning experience, but we have made it to every round and we are dedicated to finish the season and get ready for Long Beach 2014.“
Shoutouts to sponsors and friends/family:
“First the FANS, they have really been supportive in the hardest year of my career. Everyone has really kept my head on straight with support. I also respect my sponsors as if we are family. Everyone helping my stay on the track and keeping my program going. Thanks ENJUKU RACING, ENKEI WHEELS, HOONIGAN INDUSTRIES, HOLLEY PERFORMANCE, ELECTRIC VISUAL, MISHIMOTO RADIATORS, FALKEN TIRES, ALPINE STARS, BLUEMEDIA, WHAT MONSTERS DO.”
Rob Primo
In the weeks prior to Texas, what kind of preparation did you and the team go through? How was the car running, what did you have to fix or add, remove, or modify?
“Weeks before Texas the car was running solid. There were a few minor issues but nothing major. However the car was still at a point where we weren’t totally satisfied. We were maxed out on injectors, the wiring harness was cracking, the Garrett Tubro was solid but I wanted a GTX Turbo, and the wheel track was still not where we wanted. Of course things came down to the wire on the car. Garrett sent out a brand new GTX3582R. I picked up some 2000cc injectors, Mark Panic with the help of Motorsport Wiring Supply and John Reed Racing built me an amazing custom slim wiring harness with all new wire and connectors. Lastly we were able to widen the front wheels on the S14 with longer FLCA’s. Without the help of Garage Autohero and Portland Speed Industries, we wouldn’t have got all those items installed and working before we would have left for Texas.“
How was the trip to Texas, did anything happen on the way there worth mentioning? What did you think of the event in Texas (venue, track layout, officiating, fans)?
“Luckily enough even though we seemed to wait until last minute to finish the car, thanks to my Dad/crew chief, we were all ready with our tow rig, trailer, and tools. Once we finished up at Portland Speed Industries on Monday evening, we took off with the plan to drive straight to Texas. It was uneventful because it worked. We traded off driving shifts and only stopped for diesel. We arrived at Texas Motor Speedway on Wednesday at 5pm.
I loved the Texas track. In the months leading up I have been practicing as much as I could on fast road tracks so this layout translated well. I never once thought I was going too fast and I can happily say I was going as fast as I could into the first turn. The fans were all great! Officiating was justifiable. I want to go back!“
How did you perform, how do you feel about your performance in qualifying? Could you tell me a little about Top 32? What were your results from the event? What did you accomplish, are you and the team happy, etc?
“I knew that I was running pretty well in practice. I didn’t think I’d qualify first but confident that I could get in the show for my first Top 32. Just as the starter sent me, a rush of wind blew into my window and blew my tinted visor down. Distracted but still pinned in the run up, I flipped the visor back up. Once I got to my initiation point I went for it. Going into the final sweeper, I transitioned too early. I ended up straightening. I was awarded a zero. As I drove back to my pit area it started to downpour rain. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
The storm came in and it littered the track with water. I thought that would be the end of it as making an adjustment from a 100+ mph entry in the dry to a wet track would be a significant adjustment. We could see the clear sky in the distance and I believe the FD staff saw the same thing. So we all waited for the track to dry and even got a chance to take the fastest most smoky parade lap I’ve ever been a part of in order to check out the track conditions.
I had to wait for an additional 33 drivers to run before I would get my final chance to qualify in the dark. Up to this point, I really never felt that I threw down a run that would set me up to qualify within the field of 52 very skilled drivers. Before I got in the car, I totally removed my visor on my helmet. I didn’t want anything to distract me.
I moved myself in position at the start line. I was just trying to calm myself and focus on a few key things that I needed to do when running this track.
I got the go ahead and ran up though first gear. Then in to second gear. Then to third where the engine started to suddenly miss again. Down on power I just kept my foot in it and shifted to fourth. The engine continued to break up but still got me up to a speed of 86 mph (I had been hitting the high 90’s during practice) where I initiated my drift. I transitioned out to the touch and go section and from there I just kept my foot planted. I really thought that I was going to fly off the track (I thought that multiple times during practice but never did. The track is just that fast), but then I dabbed the front brake and threw the car to lock. I went right by the clip when my rear bumper fell off and carried enough speed to run the outside of the sweeper and get some of those crucial points.
As I went back to the hot pits, I knew it was a good run, and even if I didn’t qualify, I was happy that I would be leaving on the best run I had put down. Ryan Davis, Justin Shreeve, and David Sully Sullivan all ran over and were jumping up and down. My Dad and Ray couldn’t really see the run and they had only heard the break up on the run up so they thought I didn’t make it. I was smiling which made them think something good happened. Then I got the call from my spotter and I scored an 80.4 putting me in 23rd position. We were all elated! It was a very cool moment that still makes me smile just thinking about it. After all of our hard work and long travels it was 100% worth it all at that moment.
Top 32
Yoshioka and I both lined up at the start line. I would chase as he qualified 10th. After the last run chasing JTP I thought that I would be in good shape. As we launched, I kept it close. We entered together and as we transitioned I put too much angle in causing me to go off track and drop two tires. Automatic zero. Certainly not the way I wanted to start. I thought this was all but over. However I was going to go for it nonetheless and put down a good lead run.
In my lead run I went as hard as I could in the run up. I hit 102 mph on entry and as I transitioned into the touch and go portion of the track where I scrubbed off probably a bit too much speed, Yoshioka then shallowed up and passed me. The judges deemed that there was no passing portions on this track, so as soon as he did that, I knew we were going one more time.
One More Time.
In my chase run I tried to keep it close. After the touch and go, I transitioned a bit early which caused me to not get out as far as I would have liked. I made a couple steering corrections and finished the run. The judges said I straightened my wheels, and therefore I would be awarded a zero.
In my lead run I knew I was behind (but didn’t know I had a zero), I just went all out again. This time Yoshioka got right behind me and I think he got lost in the Achilles smoke. As we transitioned to the final sweeper with a bunch of angle, he went flying off track when I navigated the rest of the course with a lot of smoke. I had no idea that he went off until I looked in my mirror at the end of the run and he was nowhere in sight. I saw his twisted rear wheel. I thought that I was either going to win due to him going off or that I might win due to him not being able to compete. The judges called one more time.
However Yoshioka and his team would have 5 minutes to fix their car. From my position it would be tough. However, these top level teams are prepared for the worst. I had my team swap tires while I was in the car. Then I went and did a burnout, checked the tires again, and got to staging. I was waiting to see if they would do the impossible.
Just as the 5 minutes were up I saw Yoshioka get in the car and make his move for the starting line. We both lined up when the technical judges went and looked at Yoshioka’s right rear wheel. Being on the left side of him I couldn’t see the wheel, but only assumed that things were back to normal. I saw the staff go up to Yoshioka and ask him if he was good and I saw him give the nod. Here we go again. They came over to me and said he was good to go.
One More One More Time
So I got ready to launch. The lights came down and we took off. Now I will say in our first two battles, we were flat out to entry. This time when Yoshioka shifted to 2nd, he immediately slowed. I then had to lift. He shifted to 3rd and sped up. I shifted to 3rd and floored it. He then slowed again. I was confused, and if I was able to stop by the restart cone, I would have but that was past. So I slowed again. He then shifted to 4th and floored it. I shifted to 4th and tried to catch up. We entered drift and got to the touch and go, then I made the crucial mistake of putting too much angle in again and I scrubbed too much speed causing me to straighten out. Advantage goes to Yoshioka. I didn’t know if it was his car causing him to go slow and fast during run up or if it was him messing with me. That was the only thing that has bothered me, as I was always just going as fast as I could.
We finished the run and I saw his right rear wheel. It was totally buckled. I couldn’t help but point and at the wheel confused. I didn’t think that was a safe situation for me to follow. The track is pretty fast and some bad things could happen if that was to fall off. But I wasn’t going to stop. FD made their call and I wasn’t going to make waves.
We got to my lead run, and like the rest I put down a solid run. However this time Yoshioka didn’t zero out his run, therefore the judges awarded him the win. I gave him the nod and drove back to my pit area. Once in the pit, I got out and went over to his pit and congratulated him for his win and wished him well in the Top 16.
In hindsight, it was really funny to me. When I qualified to the Top 32, I didn’t care about if I won or lost to go to the Top 16. Then I got to Saturday and went through everything. I smelled top 16. I wanted it. I don’t necessarily think I deserved it this time, but I am hungry. I will get there. I now know that I really need to just keep on working on my chasing. But I also know that I belong in FD, which is an awesome feeling. I can’t wait for Irwindale.“
Will you be making Irwindale? What are your thoughts going into Irwindale? What kind of prep are you and the team going to focus on?
“I think I answered that with my last answer. Yes I’ll be making Irwindale. We aren’t going to make any changes unless we see the need to at the track. Honestly, I’m just going to go in like last time and have fun. Hopefully we can make the big show again.”
Shoutouts to sponsors and friends/family:
“Thanks to Garage Autohero, Ten Gun, Portland Speed Industries, Achilles, Turbo By Garrett, Hoonigan, Apexi, Era 1, John Reed Racing, Northwest Nissans, Kaaz USA, Doc Race, Big Country Labs, Battle Version, YAER, Factory 83, Rays Wheels, Motorsport Wiring Supply, Radium Engineering, Northwest Riders, Sully Life, Lindsey Wright, Mark Primo, Ray Stonehocker, Brian Hartstock, Jason Oefelein, Mark Panic, Lucas Perez, and all the rest of my friends and family that support me.“
Will Parsons
In the weeks prior to Texas, what kind of preparation did you and the team go through? How was the car running, what did you have to fix or add, remove, or modify?
“The weeks before Texas went pretty smoothly for us. Since we only had to make a 4 hour drive to get to Texas Motor Speedway, a lot less time was spent traveling and spent working on the car instead. We installed a much needed spec twin plate clutch and new suspension links in the rear. I also had to do some major repairs on my trailer that fell apart in Palm Beach, but luckily it wasn’t too bad.”
How was the trip to Texas, did anything happen on the way there worth mentioning? What did you think of the event in Texas (venue, track layout, officiating, fans)?
“I had a great time at TMS. Luckily I had driven the track a few times before in XDC and pro-am, so I was pretty comfortable with the lay out heading in. It was such a change for us not having to learn a totally new track and having the home state crowd pulling for us. I really hope FD will keep coming back here as it is a very fun track to drive and adds some new challenges to the series.”
How did you perform, how do you feel about your performance in qualifying? Could you tell me a little about Top 32? What were your results from the event? What did you accomplish, are you and the team happy, etc?
“This was definitely my best performance this season. Going into qualifying, I was feeling pretty confident and the car had been flawless all day. I felt like my first qualifying run was my best of the whole weekend, but the judges disagreed giving me a score in the low 70’s which put me around 30th spot. I knew I would have to do better on my second lap if I wanted to make it into the big show. I was able to lay down a pretty solid lap, but I felt I made a lot more mistakes than on my first run. Surprisingly to me the judges gave me a score in the 80’s which put me in 20th position. I was very excited to make it into the Top 32 and would be paired up against Matt Field. He lead first and let me stay with him until the restart cone, from that point until the first turn his car was so much faster that he was able to put quite a bit of distance between us. I tried to short cut the first turn to catch up and hit the second clipping point cone giving me one strike. By the end of the track I had started to catch up but not nearly enough. I knew to win I would have to have a very solid lead run and hope that he would make a mistake. On my lead lap I drove as hard as i could putting the car on all the clipping points. He was able to stay pretty close to me going into the sweeper. I was riding the very outside of the sweeper and ended up dropping a tire off the track which caused me to spin out almost instantly. Matt had no where to go and hit me in the rear quarter panel. I knew my weekend was over, but I was still super happy with the results.”
Will you be making Irwindale? What are your thoughts going into Irwindale? What kind of prep are you and the team going to focus on?
“We are heading into Irwindale with the same mindset we have had all year, which is to have fun and learn as much as possible. Our main focus is just keeping the car reliable so we don’t have to do any emergency fixes and just focus on driving.”
Shoutouts to sponsors and friends/family:
“I’d like to thank all my sponsors that made this season possible: Non Stop Tuning, AutoComp Racecars, SPEC Clutches and Flywheels, D3 Performance Engineering, Turbo by Garret, BC Racing NA, Culture Clash Media, MyCulture, Weir Performance, Injector RX, Jtran Studios, 86 Motoring, MAK auto service, and Eight6Mafia
I’d also like to thank my crew/people that have helped along the way Victor Correa, Davy Parsons, Nelson Ayra, Mike Rahimi, James Nixon, Matt Sevco, Laura Grabarschick, Aaron Rue, Marty Mary, Trey Yenger, Aaron Losey, Mike Peters, Jarrid Hasse, Dave Donnals, Chris Delgado, Evan Davis, Johnny Tran, Joshua Garcia, Brad Burnett, True Taylor, Kevin Williams, Sonny Janczak, Mark Congrains, and many many others.“
Well, thats a wrap for Texas. Into the archives everything goes forever. What an experience it was to be a part of hitting such an iconic track with great people. We will be at Irwindale the entire week bringing you the most intimate details with the rookies. Say hi, and make sure you stop by every rookie and show them your support!