American Drifting heading the wrong direction?

[AlexPfeiffer]

well said

[A.YEN]

before i start i just want to say that i mean no disrespect to anyone thoughts or opinions. forgive me now if i do upset anyone. and for my bad spelling that you guys have to deal with but just figure it out im sure it will make sense.

i want to make this as short as possible because i couldnt even finish most of the post that are up in the secition. but i went through some that caught my attention... but the main factor is the question on if American drifting is going the wrong way or not.

Drifting hit the US hard and no one knows what to do with it. Every one wants a pice of the pie in a way and no one is willing to work together as a group. For us as drivers and the people that are in to drifting, we cant do anything about. Its all up to the big boys with money, and power to set drifting in the right path if they can all work together or not. As of now drifting wont be to good if it stays like this. Changes have to be made for it to last like the basic back ground of drifting, rules, what to look for and what the people want. Drifting is like a big business latter also which you have to clime, which first of all the competitions should be sectioned to different groups, just like japan ( i refer alto of my thoughts about drifting based on japan, they are the ones that started the sport so all the rest should follow) D1 is not the only competition in jspan, Battle Mag has competitions, Option has its events, they have for door, FF events etc....and most of the D1 drivers are picked from those events from the start.

About Us drivers going against JDM drivers, in one year we made up for what the JDM did in ten years on drifting. Yes we are not up to par with them, but know that they are worried also of the drivers skill level keep increasing each time they see us. Know that we dont have the life they live, all they do is drift, day and nite. And we have to settle for what we have but we make the best of it. Youll see what we as Us drivers will do the next time they come round again.

As for the topic about keeping it underground and the big sponsored car and stuff.... for the ones truly want to keep it underground you guys shouldnt even be on this site... in every drifters heart they always want to progress in their cars, driving, etc. But youll never get there underground. You need the track time, you need sponsors with parts, and all the good stuff. you can never run the car 10/10 ( unlike Alex) undergroung or else youll be buying a car every other month. Most of the drifters in Japan started underground and look at wher they are today.

Like everysport, each year everything is progressing, speed, angle and all the great stuff. Not just in sports in everything in life things are so advanced now and it will never stop advancing.From last year all the cars are so much more responsive, the peeeds they are hitting going though the turns are insane and everyone wants to see that. A corolla motor will cost around 10 grand to build just to keep up with the SRs. As the cars advance the drivers have to advance also and its not any eazer to drive than a low powered car. The car is important also as the driver. Please know that i started out with a broke *Censored**Censored**Censored* corolla, and it tough me everything that i know about driving, an dnow that im in a daddy car im still learning.

ill make my point clear cause im wanted to make this short.

Drifting will go on if everyone works together, more events of the public can have a place to practice, orginzed competitions to put up a good show and a good competitions were all the drivers are on the same driving level. And not let D1 take over the market here in the us on drifting, Iwant to see more US drivers on sites, adds....Etc so we hold our ground on the drift seen here.

Underground.. youll never advance, you need the competitions to advance.

All of you i know for a fact that enjoys watching D1, so with out the daddy there will be no D1.

As for us VS Japan, thats my gola is to take them out. And i know everyone has that on their mind. Well see at the nest D1 here in US.

And the giggest issue is the Viper..... let it run, its been handled once an dit will be handled again. The sport is new to every one so this is still practice for all the event holders learn from.

People will always have there own thoughts about drifting, for me is the ones that make an effort to drift, compet, is the ones that will be somewhere one day, and all the rest can just keep typing up what they see and read about online, mag what ever it is that people get there infos from and stay in this little world of yours.

i say this alot and people hear it all the time i hope, is that drivting is a sport for all, and we need to stick together on this one and not let the JDMs take over US. Drivers or promotors. Ive been doing this for 4 years an di think Alex its in its 10th year and we all know people will always talk but to the buttom line...... were all in it for the driving. I dont even know what the main topic was about any more.

Drive safe everyone ANDY YEN SWINGBattle

[mranlet]

I'd rather be driving on Mountain roads than on TV.

-MR

[STFUAD]

Andy and Alex

What the hell are you guys doing replying to my thread! Hehehe. See you two in Texas! Andy, are you entered?

[nissanguy_24]

Theres alot of good opinions on this thread. Indeed its a great thread, But i supose the real question is how far do we take it? How far to we let the cars get modified? How much money do we let get spent on these cars?

Thats the question before us now. All of us, Pros, Amatures, Fans. I supose, personally, i like where drifting is now. The only things i want to see improve are the skill level (especialy my own) and the setups. But improving setups doesnt nessisarly mean spending more money, or going to a tube frame car. I think the American drive to win at all cost may be unhealthy for what i see as the current world of drifting.

Not a world of magazines, or television programs. But a world of events, a world of going down and talking to the pros, Going out the next day and practicing your best to learn anew skill or technique. A world of going to amature events like the driftdays, and seeing how people are improving. Meeting new people, friends or future competitors. I like that world.


I only bother to post in this thread because in my personal opinion i would like it to stay something similar to that. And i understand my feelings have probably been understood by alot of guys. Like i said we all ask our selfs how far, and we all have different answers.

[miatadrifter]

It would be nice to see everybody play nice. I don’t think it will happen there is too much ego over here. Different drift organizations will set different rules.
Hell here in Texas we have 2 monthly events, Grind 101 and Texas drift. These 2 groups can’t even play nice. Grind 101 started using this place called Gulf Greyhound Park in Houston. It is a dog track parking lot. They only hold events in Houston though. There are people in the surrounding States and part of Texas that need events near them. There is where Texas Drift came in, they where having events in Dallas till they lost their location. They found a place outside of Dallas, but not till June of this year. They still wanted to bring drifting to others though. So the rented out the Gulf Greyhound track. This apparently stepped on Grind 101 toes. They had everyone that goes to their events boycott the Texas Drift events. I could understand if the events where overlapping. I could understand if they where out to steal the Grinds drifters. I could understand Texas drift was trying to steal Gulf Greyhound Park from the Grind. The fact is Texas drift wanted to continue to hold events for the people they where supporting in Dallas, Oklahoma and surrounding areas for the next 2 month until the Location in Dallas became available for the rest of the year.
How does this situation help promote drifting? Instead of the Grind taking it as a personal attack, they could have just realized that the more evens they are having in Texas the more popular drifting will be. They just want the monopoly it seems though. They want it all to come from them. The problem is the can not support the whole Southwest. Personally as a drifter I think it is pretty selfish. In Houston they have weekly and monthly drift events in safe areas. Texas drift wanted to come down and hold 3 events out of the whole year and the Grind still got bent out of shape over it. I know in California there has to be 2 different drift organizations using the same track/course. You never here of any backstabbing like that out there. How are we every going to catch up to everybody else? Doesn’t this seem screwed up to any one? Texas drift had a event this weekend. There were about 15 people there. When the Grind holds an event in the same location, 50-60 drivers show up. The funny thing is the Grind thinks that will stop Texas Drift. Texas drift is supported by NASA. The same people who do US drift. I really don’t see it going anywhere but up. It would progress a lot smoother if we all worked together, I just don’t see it happening though…too much ego in the US!

[mranlet]

That's rough man...

I am fine with anybody spending any amount of money, but at least break it up into different classes for different levels of financial backing.

My problem is having big corporations dictate what goes on and who goes to what event the thensome. I don't nescessarily want drifting to stay underground persay, but I want to see it stay grassroots and have a strong community rather than a strong fanbase.

-MR

[AlexPfeiffer]

We as drifters want to separate the competitions. I have been talking to as many people about this. To make different classes, not too much regulating the cars, but the drivers levels. As Andy mentioned, we really dont care about running against crazy built cars, its not the car that wins but the driver. The more you build your car, the harder it is to drive and you should only improve your car as your skill improves.

I proposed to have different licences. Say A, B and C groups.

A Licence would be the guys with the sponcers and the right gear to run tandom. Travel the country doing the main events and pushing drifting into the next level.

B Licence, These are the guys wanting to get A licence but are still more privateer. Maybe run In a couple of the larger events durring a year but are still learning the ropes.

C Licence, These are the local, grassroots level guys who want to compete for fun with each other. Doesnt have to have all the modifications to run tandom but still want some competition experience.

By having the licences, we would beable to separate the competitions and give everyone a better chance of having someplace to compete. It would give the locals a chance to run on the same track that the higher end drivers/cars run on but do it in their own group. The fans love to see local tallent run. It would keep the track running longer and more. It would give the A licence guys time to work on their cars in between run groups. It will showcase the more tallented drivers and help the B licence guys move up into the A licence group if they have the skill and they wish to move up.

At Drift Showoff in houston, they did not allow the higher end cars to run in teh comp but let them demo, because there is such a great difference in driver skill levels. The same guys shouldnt win every competition and there needs to be a place for locals to compete. Driftshowoff did a good job at keeping it real that way. It sucked for the guys who went there thinking they could compete but if they did say have a licence then throw them together in their own competition which would be just as good to watch as a demo. Tandom battles are cool to watch and it helps showcase tallent.

Think I've writen enough

[mranlet]

Originally posted by mranlet
I am fine with anybody spending any amount of money, but at least break it up into different classes

...way to steal my idea Alex

-MR

[nissanguy_24]

I have to say Alex thats an excellent idea. I know theres alot of amateur guys who would like some wa to compete. We have practice days but no actualy form of competition in many cases.

It would draw in more people too to see there local guys and friends drifting cmpetitively. I still dont want the high end to get too crazy you know, i'd say stick with stock chassis, regular production cars. That kind of thing, And keep the prize money relatively low. i say relatively low because i think MIllion dollar prize purses will cause companys to spend hundreds of thousands on cars. Keep it about where it is today maybe alittle more advanced in that aspec and we should have a very healthy drifting community.

Things will always change over time but we try to have it change or not change in a manner we all like. And maybe down the road future fans can change it into what they like.

[MrodDrft]

i wanna see the japanese drivers take out the GTO or Mopar viper. Like Nob or Kumakumbo

[yarzan]

Andy and Alex, is it really you?? if it is i think it's awesome that you guys actually talk here. wow!

[yarzan]

sry about the above post, that sounded so noob.

[miatadrifter]

Don’t apologize, I was kind of "wowed" myself. It is nice to see a non-elitist attitude. Bravo Alex!

[Ghost of Duluth]

I agree with Alex. Licenses are needed. All people need to be able to compete. The only way you can get better is to be around people that are better as far as I am concerned. If you just run with yourself then your learning curve is alot slower than someone that has people to learn from. More events, more classes and maybe even a school at events put on by some of the better drivers like yourself would also be a great idea. That way you can teach people the right way to do the basics so that they do not learn on, say, some dark street in the middle of the night.

American Drifting is going to be just that, American. Nothing is wrong with that, it is just different. Unlike Adam who seems to think that Americans are just stupid, get no respect and ruin everything (Tool), I think that we just personalize things that we do. America is not Japan, we do things differently and tend to over do it. Matter of fact, that's my personal moto. "If you are gonna do it, overdo it" Companies see this as well. Rhyss said it in his article. He is right too. For Drifting to take a big hold here, it needs to appeal to other than a handful of people driving Corollas and 240's. If not, then it will fade away into obscurity. While most of you all would like that so you don't get noticed by the law or whatever, it's too late for that now. They know and tough titty on that. Companies want to use this sport for their gains, what's new about that?. With those gains come better products, better sponserships and better events. So if you don't like all of that then don't buy the products, don't take the sponserships and don't go to the events. Because they are brought to you by the same companies that you do not like "pimping" out Drifting. It's a catch 22.

Alex and Andy. I think it's a great idea for you all to be posting. Bring more drivers. You guys are the ones that can tell it like it is and shed some guiding light to the masses. Drifting needs the people on the forefront to share knowledge with the people that are following. Oh and BTW, I thought you outdrove Sam and even though he had the clear pass, you outdrove him. Awesome driving. I was in thr crowd and almost wet myself just watching it. The crowd was also right behind me wetting theirselves too.