(DRIVERS LIST) FORMULA DRIFT Round #1 (LONG BEACH) April 7, 2007

[Drift Alliance]

Is it april7th yet???????? i can't wait!

[daytona350z]

NICK HOGAN?

WTF did i miss? how did this happen?

[Jim @ FD]

More clarification:

- Toshi did not conceive the Apex/Bergenholtz/Miki idea. He is not even at Apex anymore. Give credit to some late night brainstorming from Sean (GM at Apex) and Ron Bergenholtz.

- Signal is not bringing back Okubo but Hayashida instead. Still driving the R34, at least thats what the paperwork says.

- Nick Hogan got a license at the Pro-Am event in Laughlin.

[VDMTom]

So Jim, that means no RSR? Seeing as Tyler left at the end of the year too..

Sucks Okubo won a event last yr.

[MonkeySlide]

- Nick Hogan got a license at the Pro-Am event in Laughlin.

He got a provisional license right?

Also do you know what he is going to be driving? I heard Chris Cook is going to be in the Mopar Viper instead of Nick.

[Bebop]

He got a provisional license right?

Also do you know what he is going to be driving? I heard Chris Cook is going to be in the Mopar Viper instead of Nick.

I think nick has a couple of S14s ready to go I think


This will be a good move for nick and mopar, chris cook should be able to tear it up in the mopar viper.

[kaneda]

Who are the FD judges these days?

[my 1 88 u]

Who are the FD judges these days?

I was wondering the same thing.

[kaneda]

I was looking at the FD website and they've got the criteria but it doesn't mention who.

[Slapshotnerd]

Also do you know what he is going to be driving? I heard Chris Cook is going to be in the Mopar Viper instead of Nick.

Last I heard, Cook was driving for D1, Nick for FD. Cook was in the process of building his own car and/or buying Ross's old FD

I was looking at the FD website and they've got the criteria but it doesn't mention who.

wasn't it announced at SEMA that AKA will be back?

[Hach1r0k1d03]

I was looking at the FD website and they've got the criteria but it doesn't mention who.

on the contact us section of the FD website the same judges are listed

[Will Pwr]

Give credit to some late night brainstorming from Sean (GM at Apex) and Ron Bergenholtz.

+1 on that one... they have been feveriously at it to get everything together in time!

[Jim @ FD]

So Jim, that means no RSR? Seeing as Tyler left at the end of the year too..

Sucks Okubo won a event last yr.

Yes SUCKS about RSR. I believe Japan made an executive decision to have the US office focus more on parts sales and hold off on motorsports for a year. They have been one of the most supportive teams of FD and we will definitely miss them this season.

Okubo may still have some life... wait and see.

[AllMotorKing]

i can't wait for the long beach event. it's going to rock!

[Octagon]

Jim, I can only say that this is the kind of series health that money can't buy (though I'm sure everyone would like a bigger purse if a sponsor's willing to shell out ).

Throughout the off-season, folks have been wondering what D1 and NOPI would do to the strength of America's Premier Drift Series (feel free to use that tagline, it's available relatively free of charge). While I give great credit to NOPI for actually getting their series off the ground - a big stumbling block for many pretenders to the crown - and for being willing to admit that there's a lot left to be done, Formula Drift remains on top with the cars and the stars.

Losing RSR is a blow to the series because of the instant recognition of that red & white, but with the proliferation of teams ready and able to run to the front, I think that lament will be short-lived. I do hope that other long-standing entries like the Jasper Engines Supra and the the Monstor S14 have successful years so that their programs won't go on the endangered list.

I do hope, though, that we get everyone on the media staff 100% briefed on the driver and car changes in the off-season, because it's been upheaval after upheaval.