NOPI DRIFT Phoenix (Results)

[Hubert Young]

Event was fun. I think the last run with Kenji and Forrest was more of a fun run. The driver's weren't complaining. Kenji and Forrest were all smiles and they were having a blast.

The whole thing with Hubert, I just want to clarify what happened (since I was AT the starting line with Kenji and Hubert) but the starter pointed at Hubert and Hubert said okay and sent Hubert out. Without asking Kenji, the starter told Kenji to go but he wasn't ready. I think it was the starter's inexperience that snagged him. I want the hole Milano crew and Hubert to know that it wasn't a trick or anything that we were trying to pull.

However, I understand how Hubert felt, so I don't blame him on his reaction. The starter and the officials made it clear that it was their fault. I know they need to still streamline everything and this is their FIRST events. Things like that are bound to happen. Growing pains of drifting.

I can still remember the first season of Driftshowoff and Formula D, there were still kinks that needed to be ironed out. The second Nopi Drift should be more smooth.

It was great seeing familiar faces and meeting new people (suprised that Tracy from Batlground remembered me! haha) and meeting Dado and his knarly E36. Hopefully we'll see you guys at other Nopi Drift events but our schedule is packed with Formula D, Time Attacks, and D1 so we'll see. Thank you all!

Thanks for addressing it. No offense taken. However, we definitely need to address this at future tandem matches. When both cars pull up to the line to stage, both drivers are understood to be ready. Simply put, don't pull up to the line until you are ready to go. Such a rule would eliminate a lot of ambiguity.

Me and the starter must have misunderstood that Kenji was ready when he pulled the car up to the start line and staged. We had a good few seconds revving up our engines getting ready to go.

I do believe Kenji didn't intentionally call off the run at the last second. I knew his car was overheating and may be he just wanted to take a few more moments for the car to cool down.

[shamrock78]

Was it a trick?

I happened to be one of the guys who was at the starting line when this incident happened.
Kenji did pull this maneuver on the 1st run as well...
The starter asked both Hubert and Kenji if they were ready which both gave thums up...starter lowered his hands but half way thru Kenji stops the starter by flagging that he wasn't ready..which the starter caught on on time and stopped the run.
Is it a coincidence that Kenji pulled that trick on the secong run, again??
I THINK NOT.
On the second run, the starter not only asked both drivers if they were ready but he also asked Kenji's water guy to ask Kenji if Kenji was ready. It was loud and clear that Kenji and his water guy confirmed that Kenji was ready to go.
Hubert starts to rev for take off, saw the hand drop and gun it.
If you line up three years old kids to run, they would've taken off as soon as they see the starters hand drop. You don't have to be a Drifter to know you had to take off at that point. IT'S CLEAR AS A DAISY.
Cleary, Kenji's car was heating up, because thru this whole ardeal, Kenji was telling his water guy to keep spraying water obviously to buy time.
AND I totally disagree with the comment you made towards the starter saying he was inexperienced. No matter how many times he apologized to everybody that it was his fault, there was no way he could've stopped that run.
I DONT MEAN TO START A CAN OF WORMS, BUT Whoever was in the judges booth gave that round to Hubert which we clearly heard over the radio.
Why did they made them run again you ask????
Maybe someday will have the answer.
I call it unsportsman like conduct on Kenji's part if you ask me.

[Slapshotnerd]

More pics:
http://www.larrychendesign.com/reviews/nopi/

Thanks for addressing it. No offense taken. However, we definitely need to address this at future tandem matches. When both cars pull up to the line to stage, both drivers are understood to be ready. Simply put, don't pull up to the line until you are ready to go. Such a rule would eliminate a lot of ambiguity.

Me and the starter must have misunderstood that Kenji was ready when he pulled the car up to the start line and staged. We had a good few seconds revving up our engines getting ready to go.

I do believe Kenji didn't intentionally call off the run at the last second. I knew his car was overheating and may be he just wanted to take a few more moments for the car to cool down.

This is a simple fix. Again, Hubert, my personal apologies for what happened. I think we all got on the same page while talking back stage. There are several other things that I want to make perfect (because I'm a perfectionist). There's a month before Miami. I think that 90% of the issues can be solved in that time. Thanks again for coming out, and hopefully you enjoyed yourself even despite this situation.

seeing that Wang showed up and hung with top FD driver like Kregorian, Young, Kenji, and FD judge Pfeiffer isn't it fair that he awarded a FD licence?

I don't see FD granting him a license because of how he performed at someone else's event. The same way that D1 doesn't grant licenses based on FD qualification or results. But I completely agree that he has the skills to drive in FD. He qualified ahead of Alex P. at the licensing event on Friday, and beat Alex on Sunday. He's a great driver, and went one more time with a two-time Formula D podium driver. If Kenji had to analyze Forrest's driving skill, I think he'd say they were "sweet"

[Brian]

ahaha

so ridiculous.

[Hubert Young]

This is a simple fix. Again, Hubert, my personal apologies for what happened. I think we all got on the same page while talking back stage. There are several other things that I want to make perfect (because I'm a perfectionist). There's a month before Miami. I think that 90% of the issues can be solved in that time. Thanks again for coming out, and hopefully you enjoyed yourself even despite this situation.

No need for more apologies. Just thought I would voice myself in time so the problem would not be overlooked. I am sure you, Westley, and Ernie would be able to iron out all of the issues before Miami.

I had a blast at the event despite the situation. Especially going against my long time drift buddy Alex!

[Tracy]

I completely disagree with the safety comment. I don't think anyone that drove the course felt it was unsafe. Quite the opposite really.

I want to thank everyone that worked the event especially the corner workers and the starting line guy for standing out in the heat all day and the announcers and judges for doing the tough job.

DITTO on all accounts...track set up and thanks staff.


Yukio,

I'm def. gonna remember you now. Especially since Kenji said he would sponsor my paint job. Remember a woman never forgets (at least I think that's what he said. It was Japanese so I can't be sure).

Nice to see everyone I knew and awesome to hang out with the peeps I just met. I don't know why no one likes Alex....I thought he was cool Kind of ghey...especially with the scooter "incident", but sill nice.

[onefast240]

All in all I thought for the first event it went very smoothly. There were some kinks that needed to be worked out and will most likely be addressed by Miami. Hopefully its not as hot down there.

[tyndago]

Is it a coincidence that Kenji pulled that trick on the secong run, again??
I THINK NOT.
On the second run, the starter not only asked both drivers if they were ready but he also asked Kenji's water guy to ask Kenji if Kenji was ready. It was loud and clear that Kenji and his water guy confirmed that Kenji was ready to go.
Hubert starts to rev for take off, saw the hand drop and gun it.

It all might be fun and games and nice here, but when its the difference between $600 and $2000 or $5000 it makes for a slight bit of drama.

Huberts not a sponsored driver. No tire on his car now. He had to go from a 245 to a 265 tire after the solo run that Kenji didn't go on. This changed the car enough, that he wasn't able to compensate for it. Huberts bad for not having another set of 245's, but thats what he had. If the round had ended there, he would have been in the finals against Forrest.

I guess more than a few people saw it.

[Checowa]

The event was not that bad for it being the first one. They were terribly under staffed and it look me two hours to find the media tent but I would have to say it went pretty well considering how many different things were going on at the same time. The biggest thing that killed me was the fact that there was no schedule on the site and I could not find one anywhere at the event, so I had to ask every 30 min. oh well.

-Larry

[carluch]

top FD driver like Kregorian, Young, Kenji, and FD judge Pfeiffer isn't it fair that he awarded a FD licence?

it may be a little insulting to these actual TOP Formula D drivers to throw that term around...
Current Points:

* 629 - Samuel Hubinette
* 601 - Rhys Millen
* 541 - Tanner Foust
* 463 - Vaughn Gittin Jr
* 441 - Daijiro Yoshihara
* 441 - Casper Canul
* 423 - Ken Gushi
* 415 - Yukinobu Okubo
* 384 - Kenji Yamanaka
* 321 - Hiro Sumida
* 301 - Taka Aono
* 288 - Chris Forsberg
* 278 - Tyler McQuarrie
* 184 - Kazu Hayashida
* 181 - Calvin Wan
* 167 - Rich Rutherford
* 166 - Robbie Nishida
* 146 - Seigo Yamamoto
* 121 - Conrad Grunewald
* 118 - Ryan Tuerck
* 113 - Bill Sherman
* 111 - Hiromi Kajukuma
* 110 - Hubert Young
* 110 - Rod Flemming
* 62 - Tony Angelo
* 56 - Michael Peters
* 55 - Rod Millen
* 55 - Ross Petty
* 55 - Todd Ho
* 55 - Mitsuru Haruguchi
* 55 - Ben Schwartz

[Bebop]

it may be a little insulting to these actual TOP Formula D drivers to throw that term around...
Current Points:

* 629 - Samuel Hubinette
* 601 - Rhys Millen
* 541 - Tanner Foust
* 463 - Vaughn Gittin Jr
* 441 - Daijiro Yoshihara
* 441 - Casper Canul
* 423 - Ken Gushi
* 415 - Yukinobu Okubo
* 384 - Kenji Yamanaka
* 321 - Hiro Sumida
* 301 - Taka Aono
* 288 - Chris Forsberg
* 278 - Tyler McQuarrie
* 184 - Kazu Hayashida
* 181 - Calvin Wan
* 167 - Rich Rutherford
* 166 - Robbie Nishida
* 146 - Seigo Yamamoto
* 121 - Conrad Grunewald
* 118 - Ryan Tuerck
* 113 - Bill Sherman
* 111 - Hiromi Kajukuma
* 110 - Hubert Young
* 110 - Rod Flemming
* 62 - Tony Angelo
* 56 - Michael Peters
* 55 - Rod Millen
* 55 - Ross Petty
* 55 - Todd Ho
* 55 - Mitsuru Haruguchi
* 55 - Ben Schwartz

Oh I'm sorry for the term top

but all of those drivers their were ranked at one time or another 06 or 05 or 04.

But take a look at formula D rule 2.2.2, submitting a resume and what not. That rule has worked for numerous road racers, and a drag racer. Why cant we give it too a drifter (who isn't D1 licenced), seeing that he has tons of experience and lived in a area formula D never made a attempt to find talent at. I think this is grounds for a licence appeal approval. The nopi comp where he hung with licensed drivers and a experience judge is just icing on the cake IMO. Even though I'm down with the whole pro am thing, in this situation there should be a exception.

[optionvdo]

has he petitioned?

[GBC]

it may be a little insulting to these actual TOP Formula D drivers to throw that term around...
Current Points:

* 629 - Samuel Hubinette
* 601 - Rhys Millen
* 541 - Tanner Foust
* 463 - Vaughn Gittin Jr
* 441 - Daijiro Yoshihara
* 441 - Casper Canul
* 423 - Ken Gushi
* 415 - Yukinobu Okubo
* 384 - Kenji Yamanaka
* 321 - Hiro Sumida
* 301 - Taka Aono
* 288 - Chris Forsberg
* 278 - Tyler McQuarrie
* 184 - Kazu Hayashida
* 181 - Calvin Wan
* 167 - Rich Rutherford
* 166 - Robbie Nishida
* 146 - Seigo Yamamoto
* 121 - Conrad Grunewald
* 118 - Ryan Tuerck
* 113 - Bill Sherman
* 111 - Hiromi Kajukuma
* 110 - Hubert Young
* 110 - Rod Flemming
* 62 - Tony Angelo
* 56 - Michael Peters
* 55 - Rod Millen
* 55 - Ross Petty
* 55 - Todd Ho
* 55 - Mitsuru Haruguchi
* 55 - Ben Schwartz

Sweet sweet scores provided by driftlive.com.

[EverythingDrift]

has he petitioned?

exactly.

If he doesn't want an FD license / hasn't actively attempted to get an FD license, then all this back and forth is pointless. He's a great driver, but some drivers don't care to try and pursue a pro career.

[EverythingDrift]

it may be a little insulting to these actual TOP Formula D drivers to throw that term around...

I'd consider any two-time podium winner in FD to be a 'top' driver.