American Drifting heading the wrong direction?

[CRASHDRIVE]

Sorry Crashdrive but you live in Atlanta so you of all people should know that there were ALWAYS Gangstas at the street races, after FnF the Gangstas just changed.

sorry I dont live in Atlanta. I live in San Diego California. And there were not as much ricers here before. But when the whole Hot Import Nights start popping. That's when Ricers started.

and I also do track AutoX. I dont do street racing anymore. I stop about the age of 17. I participated Racelegal.com when I did Dragging.
as far as gangters and death toll, there were not alot around 94-96. But around 97 till now. That's when the death toll start going up around here.

So take it to the track, and quit whining about FnF...

I dont think im trying to whine about FnF. Im just using it as an example. And I dont think that's a good Rebuttal.

[Ghost of Duluth]

For some reason I thought you lived in Atlanta. What was I thinking? Oh well. Maybe things in the street racing scene are different out there. On the East Coast (in the places I have been) things have always been big money. If you go to the serious races. But this is getting off topic.

As for Drifting, it is growing too fast, but it isn't the sponsers fault. Sponsers do not shape the opinions of people, the people out there breaking the law do. I also understand that while no one admits it, we all break the law. If no one did, then no one would be good. You can only do so much on a track. Then you have to go somewhere else. You can only be a well rounded and schooled slider if you have done it on as many surfaces and situations as possible. The more, the merrier and the better you are going to be at adapting to someones style. That is what Drifting is about. Your style, your enjoyment and your will and drive to make yourself better. Drifting is a me sport. A sport where it's you and your machine. It doesn't matter who sponsers your car or what car you drive when you stomp the accelerator. It's just you and the course at that point. That's where the buck stops.

[JDM_DRIFTER2001]

the last thing I wanted to see in drifting was a viper or a gto but mybe thats cause I am a import kinda guy. but I do think the that the american public is is getting the wrong idea about drifting. Its all about skill, style, techniques its not about power.

[STFUAD]

Damn, look at the can of worms I opened...

[Chas]

I dont like the direction its heading. Way to much media coverage and to much atention. I mean wtf, ff3? I have no problem with the american drivers, but they DONT compare to the japanese. There style is tacky.

[Chas]

Originally posted by CRASHDRIVE
San Diego California..

YD biatch.

[nissanguy_24]

BTTS

[Feint]

I have no problem with American cars.The Mopar Viper though,that's in a different ballpark.The car itself is approximately 80k,throw in the mods done to it,we are definitly sitting over the 100k range.Yes some D1 cars are built up a lot like Imamura's FD,but still,even that doesn't touch the Vipers sticker price.The more expensive the cars get,the more harder it will probably become for common people to get somewhere.

[nissanguy_24]

Originally posted by Feint
I have no problem with American cars.The Mopar Viper though,that's in a different ballpark.The car itself is approximately 80k,throw in the mods done to it,we are definitly sitting over the 100k range.Yes some D1 cars are built up a lot like Imamura's FD,but still,even that doesn't touch the Vipers sticker price.The more expensive the cars get,the more harder it will probably become for common people to get somewhere.

the viper started out as a 100k dollar competition coupe model, only 500 made.

[CrazyHawaiian]

Yup you could sell that Viper and buy 20 good condition top model 3rd gen Camaro's hehehe.

[ma71supraturbo]

Personally I hope a f&F craze happens with drifting. Why? Cause before f&f drag strips around here were only open once a month, and only had bracket racing (snooze). A year or so after f&f, a few people decided instead of just cracking down on street racing -- to give people an alternative. Now we have $5 "street legal drags" every thursday night, with timed drag events every other weekend. Organized street racing is all but gone.


How does this relate to drifting? Currently there are no drifting events here within 500 miles. And the local autocross guys don't look highly on people getting sideways for fun. I don't forsee any drifting events coming until people see there is a need for it -- and unfortunately it will probably take a few high-publicity crashes/deaths before that happens...

[mranlet]

Contact DGtrials - see about hooking up some of your own events in CA.

-MR

(great thread BTW, not that is worth reading from the beginning)

[ma71supraturbo]

oh, and another thing -- how many people crying foul over the $100,000 Viper sticker price would open their mouths if some japanese drifter brought out a race-prepped NSX?

[Ghost of Duluth]

Yea youre right. More deaths, more legal events. Unfortunately in America people don't like to do something until they absolutely need to. They will let a problem fester until some people die then and only then will they bring it to the media, apologize for those kids, accept the blame and make places where kids can do it safely. Someone said it best earlier when they said that we are a blameless society. It ain't Bobby D Drivers fault he wrecked, it's the tires fault or Drifting's fault or Pontiacs fault or whatever. We place blame everywhere but the source.

But you all find yourself in a unique position in the Drifting world. You are the core, the faithful (well most of you) and you have a chance to shape it. But the only way is for you to get better and get the sponsersips that you hate so much. Anyone remember surfing when it hit it's Zenith and it was televised and spots were getting crashed. You couldn't go out without some shoulder hopper zonning in on you. Then all of a sudden it was cool to be a "Soul" surfer and longboards were chic. Then all the hoopla died out and it just went back to normal, but with all the added perks of popularity, more small companies, the technology soars to new levels when its popular because big companies also have big R&D labs to push performance. Same with Skateboarding. It hit it's Zenith during the Bones Brigade. Then new companies popped up like H Street. You still had your hardcores like G&S and your original small companies like Zorlac and Uncle Wiggly. After the second fall of Skateboarding (yes there have been 3 risings, the 70's, 80's and the 90's which is where we have seen it stick) there was a flood of stuff on the market from the fadders. You could get it cheaply and times were good. Now that stuff is vintage and if you have some of it (like me) it's worth money now. A Vision Gator deck in new shape is worth 300 bucks.

Same thing will happen to Drifting should it be only a fad. AFter the fall S-13's and Hachis will be back to normal but with loads of parts on em, there will be used coilover set-ups on Ebay all the live long day. Times will be good, the land will be fat. But then again, it may not stay a fad. It may just catch on and you will be mad that you did not grow with the sport but chose to stay on the sidelines. Yes, you could have been a contender Rock. Don't be Rock, be the ball.

[SRT4ing]

Yes, but you have to factor in the american thinking " EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE BIGGER, BETTER, FASTER STRONGER" it's how we've been for years. Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, we drop to Atom Bombs on them. We're a nation of "one-upmenship" we always have and always well be. Yes American Drifting is taking a different lead, but I think it kind of has to. yes it can be a good or bad thing. But I think the Viper and GTO are fine, yes over powered, maybe a bit heavy, but still icons of american cars. We don't have too many domestic rides that'll match the way japanese cars are made, some, but not many. So yes it's different, but I don't feel in a bad way at all. It's just the American Take on the a trend.