Ask ERNIE FIXMER Something!

[Ernie]

MURDER

I am not capable of running a team at the current time. I have other priorities and I don't think I am really going to push to have a Murder street drift team. I may start a Murder competition team someday, but I don't know when yet. Like I said before the criteria is pretty high. I was told that any driver attempting to attain a Murder sticker has to be able to hang with me in a tandem drift. Most guys out running tandem with me are not too concerned with making a drift team or being part of one. So I don't say anything about it. I am hoping someday to do like Keichi and train a group of drifters to do competition, but thats a while from now and who knows maybe they will carry a Murder sticker. I may look into making some small "tomodachi" stickers and carrying them at the events. If you are interested come see me at the 2005 drift events. Lord willing, I will be seen at Formula D, WDC, and D1 events.

There are many other drift team names that I may try to incorporate into the U.S. drift scene. I have also been pushing Murder Japan to update their website and possibly develop a U.S. site....we'll see.

[D1 DRIFTER]

hiya ernie

hey Ernie this is Riley matt monacos buddy i just wanted to say best of luck in 05 and and dont stop for nothing! keep doing what your doing! well hope to see ya at a event sumtime peace

BTW i will school you at DDR!!!
Riley

[Ernie]

Coiloverkid

Can you send me an email ASAP at silly32gtr@yahoo.com
I need your phone number or contact info ASAP. Thanks.

[vrtblacksheep86]

Huh, what!?

What Alex!? This guy can kill it anywhere on any street, but DDR!? I took him to a club in OKinawa and ...well, I have to come see this personally!

I have a few that might help those that don't know.

When in Okinawa, what was your most memorable drive?

Have your ever composed a list of your past cars, and a complete listing of their Modifications?

What car taught you the most as far as feedback and overall control?

What conditions taught you the most as a driver? Mountains, Street Driving or track.

In the beginning in Japan who are the people that pushed your buttons the most to be the driver you are today? (Disclaimer: No, I wasn't there when Ernie started tearing it up so I don't want any mention).

For the guys coming back from Japan, what are the significant diffrences in making the transition from being a street driver to track operation of the cars?

Last but not least, what's the significance of some one looking at you, raising one eyebrow and saying, "Chicken?".

Well Ernie I see ya regularly and tell ya this all the time......Ganbatte bro!!

The time has come!!!

[vrtblacksheep86]

Oh, tomodachi stickers!

I know I have no right putting this here, but why don't you guys earn those damn things! You'd think you'd do the same as he did to get his stickers. Earn them!
I like to think Im one of his oldest and closest frineds and I have never had the nerve or gall (sp?) to ask for a tomodachi sticker or even crew sticker until I can keep up with him. Still cant and still haven't!

(Booney, slides out a big black panel with buttons and starts pushing away!!! - Okinawa Inside Joke )

[Rare]

Originally posted by AlexPfeiffer
Is it true you have mad skills at DDR?
I've heard stories!

lol xD

[Leroy0053]

people want stickers for stupid reasons, i represented in the past and got called out for it, but all people did was talk when it was time to ride out, i didnt hear sh!t. most people askin for stickers dont even drift.

[vrtblacksheep86]

Ima ...Ernie no Sempai desu!

Leroy yer right! My Velocity sticker was never asked for Gary Mc Kinney (VRT GRUMPY) extended the offer to join the team once I hit Okinawa. I was a member of VRT CALI in Okinawa. I was full of pride and respect for him and the team when I got mine and represented Velocity even when they were comin apart. I'm still true to Velocity.
I've been doing his crap since 92 and I'm still embarrassed to ask for a sticker from a crew. If it's an old friend with a cause I have no probs reppin a business or crew. I run Antonios old crew friend sticker from Cipher cause I know he's been representin the drift scene from the moment I met him in 98 and Herbs Driftwell cause he's always been a friend with time to talk to an old friend in the middle of business. Yet I would still never ask or willingly offer to buy something that originated from earned respect origination.
I represent the effort from Team Hinga Okinawa to come to the states and get us started here yet Ive never asked Ernie to rep one of my crew stickers out've respect for him and what he's doing. It's something the people in the states don't yet understand.

** Sidenote**THANKS ERNIE!
Today I spent the day with Ernie, Cas and a friend named Cho. We all did things here and there in the shop and talked about old Marine Corps things. All were good memories, but the thing that was on my mind the most was how Ernie has done one thing that I asked him to always do along time ago (Back in 2001).
I'm sure he doesn't remember it but I asked him once to always remember to pass on to the younger ones in the scene what hes learned.
Francisco is a 14 yr old friend of Ernies that helps in the shop and the whole time with 3 projects goin on, Ernie was right at his side teachin him about a the project at hand.
Think about this. Here's a pro driver, with a shop and friends to entertain and he really never left his side.Takin the time to teach a young friend, when in reality he hasn't got the time. From someone that looked at Ernie from a Sempai standpoint he's easily passed me in that dept. From Knowing Ernie before he knew what drifting was to now, I was terribly proud of him. He's damn good people and deserves much respect and in turn his should be earned in the same way. Like I said I have no right in a sense, but you want that sticker get yer butt out there and show him what you got in the shop or on the street/track!
Mo, Ima,...Ernie no johto sempai, desu!

Booney
Team Hinga Okinawa/Cali
Velocity Racing Team
P.S. Thanks Ernie, I ll rep my MURDER tomodachi stickers with Furui Tomodachi no Okinawa pride!!

[s13daver]

hey!
so if you were stationed in okinawa how did you get your start in the underground or tougeing in okinawa? i am a huge fan of that culuture and will hopefully be living in japan one day my self. did you just start driving the mountain roads and get asked to be in a crew or did you approach them yourself and try out or somethin? is there any sites you could post up of the touge culture in japan? that would make my week thanks! i want to learn about the culture of that sort in japan!!!

[Jeff Abbott]

I would just like to say that I think it is great that people feel Ernie is a great person on and off the track. To hear he takes time to educate a young guy in the shop while everything else is going on is awesome. I also think the McKinney guys are cool. They were the firt shop I went to when I moved to socal.. Really nice and had a lot of passion for ther work and for the sport..
-Jeff

[NadineToyoda]

I agree, Ernie IS a nice guy. He helps me and the Drifting Pretty girls learn how to work on cars. He is our Tech Guy. He opened up his shop to me and helped bring my car back to life after we took it apart. He made my wiring harness disappear! He's got skills!

[swifty949]

I agree, Ernie IS a nice guy. He helps me and the Drifting Pretty girls learn how to work on cars. He is our Tech Guy. He opened up his shop to me and helped bring my car back to life after we took it apart. He made my wiring harness disappear! He's got skills!

busy at work like me, i see too bad benson's got a real job now and can't play on the internet all day long anymore.

[Jeff Abbott]

Nice. I'm at work too...
-Jeff

[DeL]

Hey Ernie its David here from Australia, remember me? Just wanted to say hi and hope everything is going well.

[Ernie]

s13daver

Here I will go into a little more detail as to my adventures in Okinawa. I started driving an AE86 by recommendation of one of my friends then named Corporal James Rose. He dove a GTE 4 door skyline. No one in the current little American drift crew from Futenma Air Station had an AE86 so I would be the first in their crew. Little did I know what that little car could teach me. I ended up driving it for about six months and helping my friend Steve out with his CA18 powered S13 Silvia. I installed an S14 turbo for him and he saw how good I was at working on the car. He decided that when he left he would sell me the car. That poor car turned out to be my main battle wagon. I had a several little incidents with that car, but I would say that I learned a lot between that car and the 86. I new of the infamous drift team called Murder. They had a reputation for being kind of bullies on the street and putting the pressure on up and coming drivers at Okinawa favorite drift spot called Irijima or "four corners" (Aja). They were one of the best teams I had ever seen of all the active teams in Okinawa. I always wanted to be a part of their team and eventually started asking their leader who speaks pretty good english for a shot at earning a sticker. His name is Yasu and actually went to one of the American schools on the island where he picked up his English. It took me about a year to get him to give me an appointment for a tryout. When the time came there was really no one at Aja. It was like 3am after everyone had gone home.
After conquering Aja I moved onto the mountains and developed my skills even more there. I spent a total of three years over there pretty much practicing at least 4 nights a week for three to four hours a night. So when people tell you they have 5 years experience....ask them what kind of experience, how frequently did they practice, and how determined were they to be good at it. I can elaborate more, but I am running short on time right now. Hope you guys like it.

Ernie