Building a new series

[Ghost of Duluth]

I agree with that too. I goes back to BenR's post. Make it exciting. I mean lets face it, to the uninitiated Drifting is kinda boring. It's cars sliding. To us it's awesome because we know what to look for but for the average person out there (who you want to draw in to your events) it's the same thing over and over. Give us big, fast courses. Give us gritty camera angles, give us the illusion of danger. Thats what people want to see.

You will also need to build some name recognition. What does Speedfed got that others don't? If you can nail that, you can bring people into your events. With us it was seat time. I think Tracy can agree, our events were about nothing other than seat time. No competitions, no glamour, no glitz, just in the seat and driving, all day. Our 12 hour event saw some people with over 4 hours seat time. I had 2 hours and I was working the gate that day for the first half.

So that right now is what I think the East Coast needs more than another $500 dollar payout event. Have it at a track or a large enough lot that people can learn speed and how it relates to sliding, give em enough run out in case they screw up and make it safe and you will have secured a niche in the Drifting world that so needs someone to fill it.

So Tracy, I thought for sure that GTO was gonna bite on that race...I was sad when he backed out citing work shedules. The mighty Corolla triumphs over all

[Tracy]

I agree with that too. I goes back to BenR's post. Make it exciting. I mean lets face it, to the uninitiated Drifting is kinda boring. It's cars sliding. To us it's awesome because we know what to look for but for the average person out there (who you want to draw in to your events) it's the same thing over and over. Give us big, fast courses. Give us gritty camera angles, give us the illusion of danger. Thats what people want to see.

You will also need to build some name recognition. What does Speedfed got that others don't? If you can nail that, you can bring people into your events. With us it was seat time. I think Tracy can agree, our events were about nothing other than seat time. No competitions, no glamour, no glitz, just in the seat and driving, all day. Our 12 hour event saw some people with over 4 hours seat time. I had 2 hours and I was working the gate that day for the first half.

So that right now is what I think the East Coast needs more than another $500 dollar payout event. Have it at a track or a large enough lot that people can learn speed and how it relates to sliding, give em enough run out in case they screw up and make it safe and you will have secured a niche in the Drifting world that so needs someone to fill it.

So Tracy, I thought for sure that GTO was gonna bite on that race...I was sad when he backed out citing work shedules. The mighty Corolla triumphs over all

Buwahahahahahaha! Damn!


So yea, I agree with the large practice space and a FAST course with lots of run-off. I need that, so I'll be selfish and second that That or road course events with run-off. I won't be picky.

[Slapshotnerd]

I THINK YOU SHOULD GO FOR IT AND LISTEN TO WHAT THE DRIVERS AND TEAMS WANT A LITTLE BETTER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER SERIES
a couple of notes One series has the same judges all the time never seems to change and IMHO they should change judges more often maybe every couple of events i hear a lot of talk from drivers and sponsors on this subject
And on another note the other series seems to like tracks that are harmfull to cars it may be great for the crowd but not for entrants and car owners just some things to keep in mind when starting from scratch

If you talk to drivers who were in Formula D in 2004 and 2005, I think they'd all agree that the current judging panel is the most solid and most respected yet.

As for NOPI, this is their first year. If you like / dislike the judges, address it to Glenn Woods, and they can work on things for next year.

I think that changing judges mid-season, outside of drastic circumstances, is just going to cause more havoc than good.

Not sure which series you're talking about which has 'tracks which are harmful to cars' ?? Both have had a lot of carnage this year. If you don't think there's carnage in FD, talk to Team Falken after Sonoma

[SpeedFed]

I would agree the most east coast drivers need lot more practice and there are too many events focusing on competition where time gets burned up waiting around rather then having the drivers on the course as much as possible. We would like to work inconjunction with other regional series to offer more practice days whether they run them or we run them. That is a great point though and I think it would be positive for both the drivers and the look and feel of the series to give our drivers as many legal opportunities to practice as possible.

We arent creating another "$500" payout event. That is the majority of east coast events and that market is getting a bit saturated. I dont think that market of "bigger money" drift events is saturated. We want events that also bring out lots of spectators. Spectators help you afford nice venues, good payouts, and better staffing. Having more "spectator friendly" events is going to help more people see serious drifting in person. I know countless people that come see drifting for the first time and are hooked or people that get a ride with a drifter and want to find out how they can get more involved. The sport of drifting is going to continue to grow quickly for many years as more people get exposed to it on tv, in magazines, but most importantly in person. This year there is only 7 pro drift events on the east coast. If I want to go see pro drifting I can go see two events in Atlanta (5hr drive) or else I have to travel more then 7hrs to see. At that point only really dedicated fans are going to travel to see pro drifting in person. What about the new fans or would be fans that dont really get anything in their state?

[Jim @ FD]

do what nopi did and have bigger payouts then anyone else in town. instant driver list. thats one way to do it.

or be super cool and have bigX style mayham events with bikes jumping drift cars drifting around bikes and jumping drift cars. + 5 car tandem.

Hate to get off topic on this thread but a correction about the payouts...

NOPI pays per event...
1st Place - $5000
2nd Place - $2000
3rd Place - $1000
4th Place - $600
5th Place - $500
6th Place - $400
7th Place - $300
8th Place - $200
TOTAL: $10,000 per event

FD pays per event...
1st Place - $5,000
2nd Place - $2,000
3rd Place - $1,500
4th Place - $900
5th-8th Place - $400
TOTAL: $11,000 per event

plus FD Championship Purse/Castrol Syntec Power Cup is...
Champion - $20,000
2nd Place - $12,000
3rd Place - $8,000
TOTAL: $40,000 at season's end

plus FD/Tires.com Triple Crown Bonus is $10,000

haven't had a chance to compare the contingency payouts yet

[Tracy]

Hate to get off topic on this thread but a correction about the payouts...

NOPI pays per event...
1st Place - $5000
2nd Place - $2000
3rd Place - $1000
4th Place - $600
5th Place - $500
6th Place - $400
7th Place - $300
8th Place - $200
TOTAL: $10,000 per event

FD pays per event...
1st Place - $5,000
2nd Place - $2,000
3rd Place - $1,500
4th Place - $900
5th-8th Place - $400
TOTAL: $11,000 per event

plus FD Championship Purse/Castrol Syntec Power Cup is...
Champion - $20,000
2nd Place - $12,000
3rd Place - $8,000
TOTAL: $40,000 at season's end

plus FD/Tires.com Triple Crown Bonus is $10,000

haven't had a chance to compare the contingency payouts yet

Cool. I had no idea what FD payouts were. I had never seen them listed before.

[SpeedFed]

It would be nice if my new comments were approved faster then 2 days, makes it kind of hard to have a conversation.

[hatebbobbarker]

now you know, and knowing is half the battle!

[Ghost of Duluth]

now you know, and knowing is half the battle!

Yo Joe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt_KfBaRWxs

[soultron]

Yo Joe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt_KfBaRWxs

That's my favorite one.

What about seting up localized practices? No one ever cares about getting those going. Locals have to bust thier ays to get them and no way of knowing how long they'll last. Maybe someone with a big 3rd leg could get a few of those started in sort of an SCCA/Option kind of way?

[DA News]

Formual D rocks PERIOD.

As for other events I personally (topics) feel that we could always use more starter series and pro am events.

Practice Practice Practice and then sign up for the real Pro Series, Formula D!

And all this talk of run off space...are you guys referring to a Pro Series with run of space or an amatuer series?

Amatuer Series could use some run off space but Any Pro Series be it Nascar or F1 pretty much double our speeds and they have WALLS everywhere!!!

[akuma S14]

Formual D rocks PERIOD.

As for other events I personally (topics) feel that we could always use more starter series and pro am events.

Practice Practice Practice and then sign up for the real Pro Series, Formula D!

And all this talk of run off space...are you guys referring to a Pro Series with run of space or an amatuer series?

Amatuer Series could use some run off space but Any Pro Series be it Nascar or F1 pretty much double our speeds and they have WALLS everywhere!!!

Yeah Topics, well said.

[Ghost of Duluth]

Formual D rocks PERIOD.

As for other events I personally (topics) feel that we could always use more starter series and pro am events.

Practice Practice Practice and then sign up for the real Pro Series, Formula D!

And all this talk of run off space...are you guys referring to a Pro Series with run of space or an amatuer series?

Amatuer Series could use some run off space but Any Pro Series be it Nascar or F1 pretty much double our speeds and they have WALLS everywhere!!!

I agree. With enough practice events, a person shouldn't be slamming into walls everytime they go out. Part of the price of playing with the big boys.


I still stand by this. If you want to make a name for your organization, do it by giving people what they need to progress in the sport they love. Practice, practice practice. You do that and do it in a safe environement then people who may not be into the sport (parents) will be more than happy to shell out the cash and you will succeed. I can't tell you how many mothers and fathers would come up to me at our events and thank us for giving their kids a place to do Drifting.

Works every time.

[Toycoma]

Why another series?
How about a Woodward of drifting?
Make a huge drift park so people can go to drift camp for a week and just drift for fun? Plus, if the pavement is smooth, tires last "forever". I did the D1 driver search at E-town on one pair of tires (2 days worth of drifting) and then used those same tires for a Drift Fury/NOPI licensing event at Beaverun. So tires do last a good amount of time with the right pavement condition. There are probably more people out there that would rather spend 1,000 dollars to do a 3 day camp type thing and get a lot of seat time and just have fun then spend 1,000 to go to some far away event, try to qualify, have an even greater chance of not winning, have no fun and come away with nothing.

[mr john]

what it comes down to is the drivers, the best drivers in the us are competing in the formula d series. if you cant get them to stop competing in formula d, and compete in your series, then your wasting your time.

no matter how good people who dont have the budget to compete think they are...they aren't. if people are good at drifting then they will be given the chance to compete. thats just how it is. if they are good enough then they would have no problem dedicating themselfs to the sport and spending every minute and every dollar to make it to events. not competing professionally because of money is bs, either you are good enough or you arent.

that said, if you cant pull the pro's from the pro series then just make a feeder amature series like mentioned.

the competition level at charlies just drift events is increasing amazingly, i think the competition on the west coast as far as amatures next year will be about where formula d was 2 years ago.

so if you can pull the best amatures and bring them up to a very competative level, this would bring a crowd as much as a pro series if there is nothing else to watch in the area.