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Interview with Terence Jenkins from Lateral G Racing
By DRIFTING.com
Terence Jenkins (2004 D1 Grand Prix P.A.)
(This Content is Copyrighted by DRIFTING.com and it can not be reproduced or distributed in anyway without documented permission.)
Why the name Lateral G Racing, who is behind it and how did it all start?
The name Lateral G Racing came to me after drifting in my car. I was always aware of the sideways forces or lateral G forces that you feel as a driver when you flick a car from left to right while drifting; so the name Lateral G Racing just seemed to fit nicely.
My background is professional BMX freestyle and fifteen years ago in England I was competing with the top riders in the world. I was also building and modifying streetcars, a big part of that was sliding around the docks and industrial areas of Liverpool which was inspired by my favorite rally drivers at the time. When I came across drifting in the U.S. almost five years ago it felt like I found an old pair of shoes. It was very familiar and I knew I needed to become a part of what was back then a very small community.
The concept for Lateral G came about four years ago when I was producing a video called Street Fury Blue that was based around the drifting scene and import culture. Street Fury Blue was probably the first domestic video to feature drifting and I had to fight to get it in.
Russell Naftal (CENTER)
Right after the 2003 D1 drivers search, Todd Seligman introduced me to Russell Naftal, an executive producer from Mandalay Entertainment, who is now my partner. I actually went into his office pitching him on a television show idea featuring drifting. The next day he had me sitting with one of the top execs over at NBC and he was pitching the show with me; he was more excited than I was. It was cool to see Russell get it; he was instantly hooked on drifting. Today Lateral G Racing is, I guess, an action motorsport team and media company. One of our sponsors, Limelight Media, is because of Russell. For us Limelight Media means that Lateral G Racing, the Mopar Dodge Viper and drifting will be seen next month in over 4000 movie theaters and malls across the U.S. on those big fancy plasma screens, it's a big deal for the sport in general.
What was the first event for Lateral G Racing?
The first official event that Lateral G Racing went to was the D1 drivers search. Lateral G consisted of three drivers, Rich Rutherford, Nick Kunewalder and Samuel Hubinette, but no cars. Well, not exactly no cars because we showed up with a couple of rental cars, which was supposed to be a secret, but somehow the press found out. But anyway, Rich and Samuel qualified to compete in the 2003 D1GP in a 350Z rental. The whole rental car thing is funny to me because back in England I had stopped drifting my car because of a few minor accidents with curbs and so forth. The next best thing for me, I thought, were rental cars because I still wanted to drift and push my limits. Consequently, I have a lifetime ban with two major European rental companies and not for denting rims, so renting the cars for the drivers search made me laugh, and I was thinking "here we go again."
Todd Seligman (LEFT) Russell Naftal (RIGHT)
How did you get the Viper?
We had actually contacted all of the automobile manufactures including Chrysler the previous years, but the problem was that back then we were too early. I recall that many of the conversations with the automakers where just about educating them on the sport of drifting and not about sponsorship opportunities. We were in talks with other automakers about a drift program more recently when out of the blue Mopar contacted Samuel - and when Mopar wants to move, they can move fast.
Was the Viper modified after it was transferred to Lateral G Racing?
Pretty much, all of the top drift cars are built to a certain level of performance in order to be competitive. So you can either take an inexpensive production car then spend all the time and money that is necessary to get this car to that level of performance, or as in the case of the Viper, the performance is already there.
Modifications to the steering were necessary because a drift car needs as much angle as possible. The stock Viper only allowed about 30 degrees of steering angle, which is significantly less than other stock production cars. We had panicked after learning about the Viper's limited steering angle. Fortunately, once the steering modifications were completed, the Viper was able to achieve about 49 degrees of wheel angle. The extra 19 degrees made a big difference, but it's still not enough.
How did you increase the steering angle?
The steering rod ends were relocated closer to the center axis of the wheel hub, which increases the Viper's steering lock for the same amount of steering input from the driver. The steering rack was also modified to allow for the increased travel.
These modifications were done by Nu-FormZ, who had already done previous work on a Viper, but there was not enough time for us to go through this learning curve.
Were there any other modifications to the Viper?
The front roll bar had to be modified, which involved relocating the end mounting points because the steering modifications had caused the steering rod to travel across and hit the roll bar. This is often the problem when you start modifying one component in that you end up having to tweak many other parts around the area in order to get it all to work harmoniously.
Tire setup and Selection:
Tires are without a doubt the most important component to a car whether you are racing or drifting. We choose to use Yokohama as they are a great tire and have a long standing history in drifting.
REAR Yokohama AVS Sport 295/35/19
FRONT Yokohama AVS Sport 265/35/18
Do you always use the same tire pressure?
Tire pressure starts out at 32 lbs for both the front and rear tire. Then adjustments are made depending on the track speed and surface type.
Does the track surface affect that?
Track surface is a variable that few teams factor, I guess. Many surfaces that we drift on, whether it's from the early days of parking lots up to racetracks like Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca, use different materials such as concrete or asphalt, which greatly alters the tires traction, wear and ultimately the car's behavior. As a team, we need to educate ourselves about the surfaces from each track that we compete on. Some locations such as asphalt parking lots even have a special sealant to increase the life of the asphalt.
Does the sealant work against you?
Sealants do not always work against you because they actually increase tire life, although we have learned that it reduces traction. In most situations you want as much rear tire traction as possible relative to the car's engine torque so you can maintain or increase your vehicle speed through the corners.
Who studies the track for Lateral G Racing?
Track inspection has been my responsibility, which involves researching the types of materials that are used in the track surface. We collect data and use trial and error to study car/tire behavior on surfaces. Data is compiled from each event that we attend so we understand which settings work or have previously worked for us. This data allows us to start with the original settings if we go back to the same track and then see if we can improve upon that.
What type of data do you generally collect?
Driver feedback is essential. Samuel tells us how the car is performing and what type of traction he is getting and we may make suspension and tire pressure adjustments to try and make improvements. Getting the rear tire to grip while the rear wheels are spinning sounds contradictory to most people, but it is exactly what we are trying to do. A manufacture designs a tire to perform a particular job and a tire can only achieve 100% traction for the job that it is designed to do, whether that tire is designed to work on ice or on a track going 200mph. In drifting we exceed what the tire is designed to do essentially because the tire is constantly sliding and spinning. No tire is designed to slide or spin as we do in drifting. Drifting is a whole new world as we work the tire beyond what it was originally designed to do.
Spike TV film crew at the Streets of Willow
What changes would take place after you determine the track surface?
A wider tire might be selected if the surface is sealed in order to gain more traction, while a narrower tire can be a better choice on a track that offers greater traction because it makes it easier to bring the car sideways and may control speed better. At Willow Springs, for example, we were filming for the new TV show Redline. Well on the Streets of Willow there is a nice big straightaway that Samuel was drifting, and by the time he entered the first corner, the 295 Yokohama AVS tires had achieved so much traction while spinning that his entry speed was way too high. We switched to a narrower 285 Yokohama AVS Sport so the next time out Samuel's entry speed was perfect and he drifted the whole straightaway, in fact the whole track.
Houston, however, was a small parking lot and the surface was concrete. To the touch, the surface feels abrasive and you would expect lots of traction and tire wear. It couldn't have been any different. Traction on the surface was intermittent, according to Samuel, and we used only three sets of Yokohama tires during the race and practice. Three sets of tires is nothing when you consider that we can go through a set of tires in just a few laps.
Who provided the Viper?
The Viper was provided to us by Mopar for use in competitions, exhibitions and any other media opportunities we want to explore.
When did Lateral G first compete with the Mopar Dodge Viper?
Formula D Road Atlanta was the first time that Samuel and Lateral G Racing had professionally competed in the Mopar Viper. Samuel's only seat time in this Viper was the day before the official Formula D practice. Talk about pressure, but the Mopar guys were actually cool because they knew that a top three finish was too much to expect out of the box. Fortunately we have a very competitive team, a great driver and everybody pulled out all the stops to make the Road Atlanta win happen.
How did Laguna Seca compare to Road Atlanta?
These tracks could not be more different. Although they were both professional tracks that looked the same, their surface conditions had a different effect on the tires.
At Road Atlanta we were achieving great speeds through the corners, excellent angle, and the tires were lasting very well. However, Laguna Seca's surface looked the same, yet our tires needed to be changed about every four laps. Our tires were getting eaten up even though the speeds differed little from Road Atlanta. But there is another explanation for the difference in tire wear.
Road Atlanta had added a new section called the "horseshoe" which used new tarmac. New tarmac seeps an oily chemical through the track while it cures. During the practice day many drivers were sliding out because this residue was still on the surface. It was not until the second day that the drivers were able to burn off that residue and lay down rubber to get more traction.
So what did you learn from Road Atlanta?
We have learned that the Viper performs well on racetracks, because the V10 engine has great torque and racetracks have big sweeping fast corners.
Many teams were concerned about the Viper having a tube chassis; can you explain this?
When some other Formula D teams had learned that Lateral G Racing was introducing a Competition Coupe Viper in this series, they where concerned that we had an advantage because it's a tube chassis car. The Competition Coupe Viper is a tube chassis car, but it is no different than the chassis's that are found on the Vipers at Dodge dealerships. The Competition Coupe is a factory modified production car, bottom line. But let's look at drifting events anyway; we are not racing laps at over 150mph to a checkered flag where a tube chassis may be an advantage because it can shave 10ths of seconds on each corner. In drifting our average corner speeds are around 35-40mph, plus our Viper weighs almost 3000lbs, which is at least 500lbs heavier than our competitors' vehicles. When the Viper is carrying 500lbs more weight into a corner going 35-40mph, how is a tube chassis going to help? The judges need to take this into consideration because we feel this is not an advantage by any means. It's a great deal of work to drift a 3000lb car irrespective of the chassis, but Samuel is a talented driver and that is what drifting is about, driver skill.
An explanation for the argument against tube chassis cars is that it allows engineers to design a chassis specifically for drifting, which I completely understand because it is out of the range of everyone's budget. A custom tube chassis vehicle, aside from being astronomically expensive, allows you the flexibility to build a car specifically for drifting by placing components such as the engine, transmission and suspension in the most optimal positions. This is why the Formula D rules confine everyone to a production chassis. But the Viper is a unique case because it is one of the few production vehicles that are built on a tube chassis.
Lateral G Racing is fortunate because I believe that some other teams that drift on a professional level have spent close to $130,000 or even more on their cars to get to the level of competition that they are right now. Our approach differs because instead of spending over 3 months building a racecar, Dodge already had a car that was ready, aside from a few modifications.
The Laguna Seca drift event was a clear indication that drifting all comes down to driver talent, and on that day Ken Gushi was unstoppable. Ken battled with Samuel, Rhys, Tanner and everyone for first place and he deserved it. Ken did not beat the other cars, he beat the drivers. If you pre-judged Ken by his car alone, you might have believed that he had a clear disadvantage. That's what I love; drifting is all about the driver's ability to control a car sideways, transition corners and follow lines.
Samuel Hubinette (TOP)
Who is Samuel's greatest threat during the competitions?
When you are competing in a drifting event, your greatest competitor can be yourself. It is not always the case that another driver can take you out, but that you can possibly take yourself out of the competition by making a mistake. Therefore, you are as much in competition with yourself as you are with the other drivers.
How does Samuel analyze his techniques on the day?
Lateral G sometimes uses track spotters who communicate to me via radio. Each spotter reports to me Samuel's angles and speeds at different points on the track so this information can be relayed to Samuel in order for him to know where improvements may be needed. Our spotters are essential because it is difficult for one person to see the entire track in some cases.
Has Samuel adapted a drifting technique based on the feedback from the judges during previous competitions?
Samuel is a very adaptable driver. During a drivers meeting with the Japanese judges during our first Formula D event, which was at Road Atlanta, all of the judges had a conversation with the drivers so they would know what they would be scored on. Because the judges spoke only Japanese and they were translated, it was difficult to understand what they were looking for. However, they did comment that they would not score speed highly in this competition.
Adding more drift angles during each run was our original strategy. While looking at the Road Atlanta straightaway, I had noticed that everyone was trying to drift at a high speed. We were told that if the judges were not looking for a high-speed drift then our plan should be to add a few more drift angles and just maintain speed. As Samuel came out of the horseshoe, he whipped the car left and right to add more drift angles, instead of keeping it as one drift angle down the straightaway, thinking that this would award us more points.
Our spotters who were close to the judge's tower reported that the judges were not impressed with our current plan. This spotter report caused us to change our strategy during the final round because we knew that our previous plan was a potential mistake.
After lunch the judges performed a demonstration on the track, where they all did a big single fast drift down the straightaway. I thought that if this is what they are doing during their demonstration, then the remark about speed during the drivers meeting was out the window, meaning they were judging on speed. Our strategy had changed, so now Samuel was doing a big fast drift down the straightaway.
Is it foolish to deviate from the judge's track demonstration?
I believe so. Despite what may have been said during the meeting, you need to focus on their track demonstration. Actions speak louder than words, especially if those words have been translated into English, it seems.
Who are the sponsors that you would like to mention?
Mopar firstly, which I know sounds obvious, but if I could only tell you about the behind- the-scenes stories of how much these guys went out on a limb to take a chance on a new sport and all the internal battles that went on to make this happen, it would be a movie unto its self. Definitely Marko who owns the Viper and has graciously lent it to Mopar, Nu-Formz who has taken time from their own racing schedule to get this car in shape, and John from Nu-Formz who makes sure the car is at every event location. Then there is Yokohama. I don't know if any other company has single handedly helped so many drivers from the very early drift days. It may sound funny but we are proud to wear down Yokohama AVS sport tires because they work so damn well and we love those guys. Then there is Drifting.com which helps promote our team by publishing photos and news updates online, Eibach Springs, and Jesse at Euphoric Designs for all the graphics. Not to forget the boys at ES Motorsports who have supported Lateral G since day one. I also want to thank every single fan and spectator who comes out to the events because without them drifting would not be growing at the rate it is today.
If anyone reading this interview is at the next drift event, stop by and say "hello." If you can't make it, email us. We'd love to hear from you! We're just a bunch of guys who love drifting just like you!
www.lateralgracing.com
By DRIFTING.com
Terence Jenkins (2004 D1 Grand Prix P.A.)
(This Content is Copyrighted by DRIFTING.com and it can not be reproduced or distributed in anyway without documented permission.)
Why the name Lateral G Racing, who is behind it and how did it all start?
The name Lateral G Racing came to me after drifting in my car. I was always aware of the sideways forces or lateral G forces that you feel as a driver when you flick a car from left to right while drifting; so the name Lateral G Racing just seemed to fit nicely.
My background is professional BMX freestyle and fifteen years ago in England I was competing with the top riders in the world. I was also building and modifying streetcars, a big part of that was sliding around the docks and industrial areas of Liverpool which was inspired by my favorite rally drivers at the time. When I came across drifting in the U.S. almost five years ago it felt like I found an old pair of shoes. It was very familiar and I knew I needed to become a part of what was back then a very small community.
The concept for Lateral G came about four years ago when I was producing a video called Street Fury Blue that was based around the drifting scene and import culture. Street Fury Blue was probably the first domestic video to feature drifting and I had to fight to get it in.
Russell Naftal (CENTER)
Right after the 2003 D1 drivers search, Todd Seligman introduced me to Russell Naftal, an executive producer from Mandalay Entertainment, who is now my partner. I actually went into his office pitching him on a television show idea featuring drifting. The next day he had me sitting with one of the top execs over at NBC and he was pitching the show with me; he was more excited than I was. It was cool to see Russell get it; he was instantly hooked on drifting. Today Lateral G Racing is, I guess, an action motorsport team and media company. One of our sponsors, Limelight Media, is because of Russell. For us Limelight Media means that Lateral G Racing, the Mopar Dodge Viper and drifting will be seen next month in over 4000 movie theaters and malls across the U.S. on those big fancy plasma screens, it's a big deal for the sport in general.
What was the first event for Lateral G Racing?
The first official event that Lateral G Racing went to was the D1 drivers search. Lateral G consisted of three drivers, Rich Rutherford, Nick Kunewalder and Samuel Hubinette, but no cars. Well, not exactly no cars because we showed up with a couple of rental cars, which was supposed to be a secret, but somehow the press found out. But anyway, Rich and Samuel qualified to compete in the 2003 D1GP in a 350Z rental. The whole rental car thing is funny to me because back in England I had stopped drifting my car because of a few minor accidents with curbs and so forth. The next best thing for me, I thought, were rental cars because I still wanted to drift and push my limits. Consequently, I have a lifetime ban with two major European rental companies and not for denting rims, so renting the cars for the drivers search made me laugh, and I was thinking "here we go again."
Todd Seligman (LEFT) Russell Naftal (RIGHT)
How did you get the Viper?
We had actually contacted all of the automobile manufactures including Chrysler the previous years, but the problem was that back then we were too early. I recall that many of the conversations with the automakers where just about educating them on the sport of drifting and not about sponsorship opportunities. We were in talks with other automakers about a drift program more recently when out of the blue Mopar contacted Samuel - and when Mopar wants to move, they can move fast.
Was the Viper modified after it was transferred to Lateral G Racing?
Pretty much, all of the top drift cars are built to a certain level of performance in order to be competitive. So you can either take an inexpensive production car then spend all the time and money that is necessary to get this car to that level of performance, or as in the case of the Viper, the performance is already there.
Modifications to the steering were necessary because a drift car needs as much angle as possible. The stock Viper only allowed about 30 degrees of steering angle, which is significantly less than other stock production cars. We had panicked after learning about the Viper's limited steering angle. Fortunately, once the steering modifications were completed, the Viper was able to achieve about 49 degrees of wheel angle. The extra 19 degrees made a big difference, but it's still not enough.
How did you increase the steering angle?
The steering rod ends were relocated closer to the center axis of the wheel hub, which increases the Viper's steering lock for the same amount of steering input from the driver. The steering rack was also modified to allow for the increased travel.
These modifications were done by Nu-FormZ, who had already done previous work on a Viper, but there was not enough time for us to go through this learning curve.
Were there any other modifications to the Viper?
The front roll bar had to be modified, which involved relocating the end mounting points because the steering modifications had caused the steering rod to travel across and hit the roll bar. This is often the problem when you start modifying one component in that you end up having to tweak many other parts around the area in order to get it all to work harmoniously.
Tire setup and Selection:
Tires are without a doubt the most important component to a car whether you are racing or drifting. We choose to use Yokohama as they are a great tire and have a long standing history in drifting.
REAR Yokohama AVS Sport 295/35/19
FRONT Yokohama AVS Sport 265/35/18
Do you always use the same tire pressure?
Tire pressure starts out at 32 lbs for both the front and rear tire. Then adjustments are made depending on the track speed and surface type.
Does the track surface affect that?
Track surface is a variable that few teams factor, I guess. Many surfaces that we drift on, whether it's from the early days of parking lots up to racetracks like Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca, use different materials such as concrete or asphalt, which greatly alters the tires traction, wear and ultimately the car's behavior. As a team, we need to educate ourselves about the surfaces from each track that we compete on. Some locations such as asphalt parking lots even have a special sealant to increase the life of the asphalt.
Does the sealant work against you?
Sealants do not always work against you because they actually increase tire life, although we have learned that it reduces traction. In most situations you want as much rear tire traction as possible relative to the car's engine torque so you can maintain or increase your vehicle speed through the corners.
Who studies the track for Lateral G Racing?
Track inspection has been my responsibility, which involves researching the types of materials that are used in the track surface. We collect data and use trial and error to study car/tire behavior on surfaces. Data is compiled from each event that we attend so we understand which settings work or have previously worked for us. This data allows us to start with the original settings if we go back to the same track and then see if we can improve upon that.
What type of data do you generally collect?
Driver feedback is essential. Samuel tells us how the car is performing and what type of traction he is getting and we may make suspension and tire pressure adjustments to try and make improvements. Getting the rear tire to grip while the rear wheels are spinning sounds contradictory to most people, but it is exactly what we are trying to do. A manufacture designs a tire to perform a particular job and a tire can only achieve 100% traction for the job that it is designed to do, whether that tire is designed to work on ice or on a track going 200mph. In drifting we exceed what the tire is designed to do essentially because the tire is constantly sliding and spinning. No tire is designed to slide or spin as we do in drifting. Drifting is a whole new world as we work the tire beyond what it was originally designed to do.
Spike TV film crew at the Streets of Willow
What changes would take place after you determine the track surface?
A wider tire might be selected if the surface is sealed in order to gain more traction, while a narrower tire can be a better choice on a track that offers greater traction because it makes it easier to bring the car sideways and may control speed better. At Willow Springs, for example, we were filming for the new TV show Redline. Well on the Streets of Willow there is a nice big straightaway that Samuel was drifting, and by the time he entered the first corner, the 295 Yokohama AVS tires had achieved so much traction while spinning that his entry speed was way too high. We switched to a narrower 285 Yokohama AVS Sport so the next time out Samuel's entry speed was perfect and he drifted the whole straightaway, in fact the whole track.
Houston, however, was a small parking lot and the surface was concrete. To the touch, the surface feels abrasive and you would expect lots of traction and tire wear. It couldn't have been any different. Traction on the surface was intermittent, according to Samuel, and we used only three sets of Yokohama tires during the race and practice. Three sets of tires is nothing when you consider that we can go through a set of tires in just a few laps.
Who provided the Viper?
The Viper was provided to us by Mopar for use in competitions, exhibitions and any other media opportunities we want to explore.
When did Lateral G first compete with the Mopar Dodge Viper?
Formula D Road Atlanta was the first time that Samuel and Lateral G Racing had professionally competed in the Mopar Viper. Samuel's only seat time in this Viper was the day before the official Formula D practice. Talk about pressure, but the Mopar guys were actually cool because they knew that a top three finish was too much to expect out of the box. Fortunately we have a very competitive team, a great driver and everybody pulled out all the stops to make the Road Atlanta win happen.
How did Laguna Seca compare to Road Atlanta?
These tracks could not be more different. Although they were both professional tracks that looked the same, their surface conditions had a different effect on the tires.
At Road Atlanta we were achieving great speeds through the corners, excellent angle, and the tires were lasting very well. However, Laguna Seca's surface looked the same, yet our tires needed to be changed about every four laps. Our tires were getting eaten up even though the speeds differed little from Road Atlanta. But there is another explanation for the difference in tire wear.
Road Atlanta had added a new section called the "horseshoe" which used new tarmac. New tarmac seeps an oily chemical through the track while it cures. During the practice day many drivers were sliding out because this residue was still on the surface. It was not until the second day that the drivers were able to burn off that residue and lay down rubber to get more traction.
So what did you learn from Road Atlanta?
We have learned that the Viper performs well on racetracks, because the V10 engine has great torque and racetracks have big sweeping fast corners.
Many teams were concerned about the Viper having a tube chassis; can you explain this?
When some other Formula D teams had learned that Lateral G Racing was introducing a Competition Coupe Viper in this series, they where concerned that we had an advantage because it's a tube chassis car. The Competition Coupe Viper is a tube chassis car, but it is no different than the chassis's that are found on the Vipers at Dodge dealerships. The Competition Coupe is a factory modified production car, bottom line. But let's look at drifting events anyway; we are not racing laps at over 150mph to a checkered flag where a tube chassis may be an advantage because it can shave 10ths of seconds on each corner. In drifting our average corner speeds are around 35-40mph, plus our Viper weighs almost 3000lbs, which is at least 500lbs heavier than our competitors' vehicles. When the Viper is carrying 500lbs more weight into a corner going 35-40mph, how is a tube chassis going to help? The judges need to take this into consideration because we feel this is not an advantage by any means. It's a great deal of work to drift a 3000lb car irrespective of the chassis, but Samuel is a talented driver and that is what drifting is about, driver skill.
An explanation for the argument against tube chassis cars is that it allows engineers to design a chassis specifically for drifting, which I completely understand because it is out of the range of everyone's budget. A custom tube chassis vehicle, aside from being astronomically expensive, allows you the flexibility to build a car specifically for drifting by placing components such as the engine, transmission and suspension in the most optimal positions. This is why the Formula D rules confine everyone to a production chassis. But the Viper is a unique case because it is one of the few production vehicles that are built on a tube chassis.
Lateral G Racing is fortunate because I believe that some other teams that drift on a professional level have spent close to $130,000 or even more on their cars to get to the level of competition that they are right now. Our approach differs because instead of spending over 3 months building a racecar, Dodge already had a car that was ready, aside from a few modifications.
The Laguna Seca drift event was a clear indication that drifting all comes down to driver talent, and on that day Ken Gushi was unstoppable. Ken battled with Samuel, Rhys, Tanner and everyone for first place and he deserved it. Ken did not beat the other cars, he beat the drivers. If you pre-judged Ken by his car alone, you might have believed that he had a clear disadvantage. That's what I love; drifting is all about the driver's ability to control a car sideways, transition corners and follow lines.
Samuel Hubinette (TOP)
Who is Samuel's greatest threat during the competitions?
When you are competing in a drifting event, your greatest competitor can be yourself. It is not always the case that another driver can take you out, but that you can possibly take yourself out of the competition by making a mistake. Therefore, you are as much in competition with yourself as you are with the other drivers.
How does Samuel analyze his techniques on the day?
Lateral G sometimes uses track spotters who communicate to me via radio. Each spotter reports to me Samuel's angles and speeds at different points on the track so this information can be relayed to Samuel in order for him to know where improvements may be needed. Our spotters are essential because it is difficult for one person to see the entire track in some cases.
Has Samuel adapted a drifting technique based on the feedback from the judges during previous competitions?
Samuel is a very adaptable driver. During a drivers meeting with the Japanese judges during our first Formula D event, which was at Road Atlanta, all of the judges had a conversation with the drivers so they would know what they would be scored on. Because the judges spoke only Japanese and they were translated, it was difficult to understand what they were looking for. However, they did comment that they would not score speed highly in this competition.
Adding more drift angles during each run was our original strategy. While looking at the Road Atlanta straightaway, I had noticed that everyone was trying to drift at a high speed. We were told that if the judges were not looking for a high-speed drift then our plan should be to add a few more drift angles and just maintain speed. As Samuel came out of the horseshoe, he whipped the car left and right to add more drift angles, instead of keeping it as one drift angle down the straightaway, thinking that this would award us more points.
Our spotters who were close to the judge's tower reported that the judges were not impressed with our current plan. This spotter report caused us to change our strategy during the final round because we knew that our previous plan was a potential mistake.
After lunch the judges performed a demonstration on the track, where they all did a big single fast drift down the straightaway. I thought that if this is what they are doing during their demonstration, then the remark about speed during the drivers meeting was out the window, meaning they were judging on speed. Our strategy had changed, so now Samuel was doing a big fast drift down the straightaway.
Is it foolish to deviate from the judge's track demonstration?
I believe so. Despite what may have been said during the meeting, you need to focus on their track demonstration. Actions speak louder than words, especially if those words have been translated into English, it seems.
Who are the sponsors that you would like to mention?
Mopar firstly, which I know sounds obvious, but if I could only tell you about the behind- the-scenes stories of how much these guys went out on a limb to take a chance on a new sport and all the internal battles that went on to make this happen, it would be a movie unto its self. Definitely Marko who owns the Viper and has graciously lent it to Mopar, Nu-Formz who has taken time from their own racing schedule to get this car in shape, and John from Nu-Formz who makes sure the car is at every event location. Then there is Yokohama. I don't know if any other company has single handedly helped so many drivers from the very early drift days. It may sound funny but we are proud to wear down Yokohama AVS sport tires because they work so damn well and we love those guys. Then there is Drifting.com which helps promote our team by publishing photos and news updates online, Eibach Springs, and Jesse at Euphoric Designs for all the graphics. Not to forget the boys at ES Motorsports who have supported Lateral G since day one. I also want to thank every single fan and spectator who comes out to the events because without them drifting would not be growing at the rate it is today.
If anyone reading this interview is at the next drift event, stop by and say "hello." If you can't make it, email us. We'd love to hear from you! We're just a bunch of guys who love drifting just like you!
www.lateralgracing.com
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