CHRIS RADO Spotted Drift Testing

[OldSkool510]

Of course, someone with any type of motorsports background will have an inherent advantage over someone who doesn't. Like everything else, "you get out, only what you put in." Meaning he has more time and the resources to to put in.

If anything Rado has probably a better shot at succeeding than most, just because of his racing background and financial support from his sponsors. In addition, he's gonna have a few more doors opening for him than most just because of who he knows in the industry.

There's actually a few guys that I have seen at local So-Cal club events that are showing good skill and technique drifting in their daily and only drivers. They, too, would be bad *Censored**Censored**Censored* drifters if they had the time and money to put in.

If you want to be good at anything....practice, practice, practice. Drifting is one of the many sports that require $$$$$$ to practice because of the numerous expenses involved. Unlike basketball, when there is one expense of a basketball and a hoop. The more $$$$$$ you have, the more you can practice, hence, the better you will be.

Personally, I am a huge Quoc Ly fan. If Driftspeed would only open their wallets and give this guy some practice time, he would be a major contender.

[akuma S14]

Personally, I am a huge Quoc Ly fan. If Driftspeed would only open their wallets and give this guy some practice time, he would be a major contender.

Me Too! Quoc is a great driver. He did manage to get a D1 license with a nearly stock KA24de powered S13. I watched him drift the bank with 150hp. He's not a rally driver or a dirtbike guy. He is a good ol' grass roots drifter. I wish he would get the support he needs too.

[Al]

http://speedhunters.com/archive/2008...g-entry-5.aspx

[Bebop]

Yeah...you have one MAJOR flaw in your logic and its name is Chris Forsberg...

He was a championship contender in 07, won the tripple crown, and was I believe the first American driver to take on Taniguchi...

What is is background? DA STREETZ SON!

Are you really going to attribute what hes done to driving tractors? Come on dude...

Do you really think there is some magical thing that happens when someone touches dirt that makes them good at drifting?

What makes someone good at motorsports besides any talent that they might already be born with is seat time and practice. There isn't any reason why Rado couldn't possibly be a top contender if he puts the time into it...which hes already starting to do.

Now I'm not saying that hes automatically going to be the best...but I'm not going to write him off either. Especially not just because hes never raced on dirt.

Oh by the way...anyone with a little bit of motorsports knowledge knows that sliding on asphalt is completely different than sliding on dirt.

Saying that he'll never be as good as the other guys because he has a background in drag racing doesn't make much sense.

And even if you want to hold to that theory you forget that he has a healthy amount of Road Course and karting experience.

Also saying that someone can't make it in drifting as a "student" of the sport?

Do you not realize that with the exception of Ryuji Miki, Takatori, and Dai that everyone in Formula D has only competed in drifting as a sport only as long as Formula D has been around? I mean yeah a few D1 events before Formula D started but for the most part most drivers drifting "sport" experience is only as old as the series itself.

That includes Sam, Rhys, and Tanner. Sure they all knew how to slide cars but to do that over a set course and connect clipping points while someone was judging them and having to pay attention to entry speeds and how close they could get to a wall or another driver? Before D1 came around I think its safe to say that none of them had to do anything like that.

They might have already had the skill set but they still had things to learn.

If Rado can catch up to their level of experience remains to be seen but I choose to not write the guy off until I see how things go down once he actually tries.

Monkeyslide

Did you just take everything I wrote in that literal.

The whole point of pointing out successful drivers who started out in dirt was just that. It is now proven that most of the successful guys in our series who haven't came from D1 have a background in mx or rally. Forsberg claims he first started sliding in a tractor, but you know he probably had a few motorcycles also... notice the (lol).

But you bring up miki and dai, I'm pretty sure both raced motorcycles as young boys. Dai for sure, not so sure on takatori and miki. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

But seriously, no one can take a couple drift 101 classes and sit passenger with a pro then be ready for any type of top competition. The way I see, you gotta start doing it on your own.

Then when you think you are good, you go and seek professional help to tie up the loose ends. And not even a guy sitting in the passenger seat either. I think tandem is the best learning, trying to match a better competitors line. And I think a lot of pros will agree with that.


"Sure they all knew how to slide cars but to do that over a set course and connect clipping points while someone was judging them and having to pay attention to entry speeds and how close they could get to a wall or another driver? "

Its called a basic racing line in general, you learn this auto crossing, road racing, mx racing, rally driving, karting etc. When your a good racer in general you know what is the best line to take, where your clipping point is at, etc etc. In drifting they just tell you where they are and what line they are looking for.

And no, driving time attack for a few years doesent validate his those skills 100%.

Combining a knowledge of racing and ability to hold a drift line will equal to success at one point. But I don't think rado quite has that yet, and cant learn it over a couple of weekends with someone telling him what to do.

When D1 first came to the states, there were guys like fixmer and pfeiffer who got there skills on almost drifting alone (I think alex had a some grip background). And guys like Rhys who was a rally champion, and Gushi who's father taught him how to drive a corolla in a dirt field which let to a little bit a rally type racing.


The point of all this is, Rado has the skills of a decent privateer from what I seeing from the videos . But yet claiming to make a big stand for a licence and planning on being on the pro circuit next year.

If he was just out there trying to have fun and get better (like a few nascar guys been doing lately) and not making big claims I wouldnt be as critical, but with the big talk plus the rude comments he made a while back, sorry but I'm anti Rado.

[jwoo]

I just remember him coming on here sounding like a D bag. But then again not as bad as Hogan.

Thing about drifting its all or nothing. You gotta pull driver skill more then car some times. As long as you drive for the love of drifting and not tring to just jump into a new motorspots media for the rep. then thats tite. In most cases for drifting most the drivers do it because they enjoy it too and it self thins out the wanabees.

thats just my 2 cents and view.

[BandwagonS13]

I think a lot of you guys take Chris the wrong way. He is a VERY nice guy, always been very prof. and helpful. Anyone that is really involved with FD should want this guy to come aboard. He is great with the fans very out going and animated. He runs a great program and puts out a clean product. You are going to get new people looking at drifting that never have before sponsor wise.

You guys may hate drag racers and think it takes no skill to go straight, but I challenge you guys to jump in a frontwheel drive and go 7 sec. in 1/4 mil at almost 200mph. I have only gone 8's @ 170's mph and there is more skill than you think and you better be swinging something between your legs.

Also look at how these drag guys run their teams. It is all top notch, they learned a lil something all those years drag racing. Steph's team: 2 championships, clean cars, big sponsors, great marketing. Bergenholtz also put on a great show with a great product and soon to be better. Shaun Carlson with Hubinette. Chris will follow suit trust me.

As far as talking trash, Chris is vey out going but i dont claim to know what he thinks or meant by his words from 4 years ago. You guys swear he is running from president. Anyway there has always been a lil tiff with drifters and drag racers. Its like that with everything. When we first started drag racing out at palmdale all the V8 guys would look down on us and talk *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored*. We were something new and we hadn't earned any respect. Untill we started breaking them off with half a motor. I think Drifting has demanded a lot of respect from the time it first came to the states, and has now started to make it self a mainstay in this industry.

Dont fall in to the whole ignorance of West vs. East, Apple-PC bla bla. Give the guy a fair chance and wait till you see him perfrom and talk to him in person before you judge.

[gigglesnirt]

I just thought it was funny someone with bandwagon in their name is on Chris Rado's side.

[Bebop]

Also look at how these drag guys run their teams. It is all top notch, they learned a lil something all those years drag racing. Steph's team: 2 championships, clean cars, big sponsors, great marketing. Bergenholtz also put on a great show with a great product and soon to be better. Shaun Carlson with Hubinette. Chris will follow suit trust me.

You are dropping names of really good programs

But you gotta remember, none of these team owners are running alone.

Steph drives but has tanner

Bergenholtz has D1 champ Miki

and Carlson got Sam

Rado can drive, but your only good as your last race. And you need a good driver not a good spokesman.

The sport needs more DRIFTERS!!!!

Not DRIFTRACERS!!!!!

[BandwagonS13]

I just thought it was funny someone with bandwagon in their name is on Chris Rado's side.

Hey I'll be the first to admitt that I'm hanging on at the end of this train. I started out racing motorcycles and then started drag racing in the 90's. I was embeded into drag racing and that was what my focus was on. I didn't know much if anything about drifting, not that I hated on it, just didn't know about it. When I went to my first event I fell in love with the idea of drifting. I love that its balls out tires blazing, 1/2" from the other guys bumper. And on the flip side, you have to be smart, instictual, think ahead, and use finess.

[BandwagonS13]

You are dropping names of really good programs

But you gotta remember, none of these team owners are running alone.

Steph drives but has tanner

Bergenholtz has D1 champ Miki

and Carlson got Sam

Rado can drive, but your only good as your last race. And you need a good driver not a good spokesman.

The sport needs more DRIFTERS!!!!

Not DRIFTRACERS!!!!!

I have to agree a lot of their success is from driver choice, but that is by design. I wouldn't be surprised if you dont see Ed Bergenholtz doing something in the next few years though.

Anyway all I am saying is give Chris a chance. Im not saying he is going to be top 16 or set the world on fire. Nobody knows. But I know he can drive and he has no fear, and he can run a program.

[soultron]

Drifting blah blah blah skill yadda yadda respect blah blah blah
bandwagon blah blah blah peter boyle. Blah blah blah s14 blah blah blah america blah blah blah cup noodles blah blah blah JDM. Taniguchu blah blah blah Spike Jones blah blah blah nascar cup series yadda yadda. Rev Limit, Crazy Hawaiian, Nissan guy, Colin Frost, blah blah blah yadda yadda enkie wheels.

There was time when blah blah blah yadda yadda blah blah blah steering angle. The Drift Bible blah blah blah blah blah blah Noob. Blah blah blah Hokaido blah blah blah blah blah blah Ebisu. Option, Drift Tengoku, Grip blah blah blah Team Burst.

And that's why I think something something yadda yadda blah blah blah.

[akuma S14]

yada yada yada that was cool. Blah blah you said colin blah blah frost!

[Justin Banner]

I'd like to see Rado in a drift car, because personally, I think it's the racing background is what is going to help him. I look at it that way because, just like in Freestyle MX, the guys who do well have a MX racing background. They know when to push it, how to bring it back if they go a little too far, and understand the nature of the bike. It's the same thing, in my opinion, with drifting. I don't have dirt car experience, I've done most of my racing on pavement. I applied what I learned on pavement to the drifting I've done and being told the only thing holding me back was the car I had.

So, really, it's the racing experience, not just dirt racing, not just grip racing, but racing experience. But, again, my opinion, so take it as you will.

[ReDc0aT]

The sport needs more DRIFTERS!!!!

Not DRIFTRACERS!!!!!

agreed.

who cares about chris rado anyways? he's never gonna be a main player in FD.

[cfrost]

the straight drifters are hard at work trying to make it to the top too.. don't worry guys

it's possible, look at justin!