8 Things I never want to see in drifting

[prodigy]

Re: 8 Things I never want to see in drifting

Originally posted by nissanguy_24
I went to a local nascar race last night. I had a good time, but i deffenately saw things i never want to see in drifting.

1. Famous Drivers limoed up to the cars that were parked by someone else on the race track waiting for them.

2. Painted on or decaled headlights.

3. Crowds cheering more for the horrible accident (it was bad, a car stopped then hit by another at about 90 miles an hour, i thought the guy was hurt bad) then the last second final corner pass that changed the race leader.

4.Tube Frame OHV Carberated RWD plexiglass cars referred to as a "2003 ford taurus"

5. Praying before a race over the loud speaker... I dont know why this bothers me so much, probably do to my religious beliefs (or there for lack of) if you want to pray thats fine.. but leading the whole audience in one. i dont know bugs me.

6. Drivers and Pits kept away from the fans. Driver contact permitted only by a long line wait where the famous guys are sitting in an airconditioned tent to sign autographs.

7. this is a big one..... Beer and Alchahol sponsors! This is my personal opinion but Alchahol has no business with automobiles LET alone auto racing. And deffenately has no business in drifting. To me drifters strive for complete control over a car.. anything that will hurt your control of the car has no business in the car or painted on the car.

8. Audience using the race as an escuse to drink and smoke, then climb back into the cars later to 'drive home'.

Yeah those things bug me, i dont want drifting to adopt them. Lets learn from other motorsports and adopt only the best attitudes. I mean besides those things the rest was cool, the audience deffenately were enthusiastic and the local guys and the more grassroots stuff was alot of fun.

Speaking of 'stock car' racing. They are racing Infenion right now. They will be drifting there in 2 weeks. Should be interesting. They dont tackle many road races so this should be a good change. The race is right now on fox if anyone is interested.

Amen to that (pun intended). That is why NASCAR blows.

[SilviaLove]

Originally posted by: 98BlueStang'
4.Tube Frame OHV Carberated RWD plexiglass cars referred to as a "2003 ford taurus
this isn't necessaraly bad. The engines they run are awsome, If the used a more stock car (not just a radical shell with stickers) it would be alright. Tell me you don't want to see a taurus (that looks like a Taurus with regular body panels) with a 600hp big ol' honkin' V-8 try to take on a 700hp T88 turbocharged Supra in a drifting event (both pro drifting drivers) even if it is RWD? FWD would be sweet too.

I agree with the SMC on this one..i want to see real cars drifting not some tubeframe racer. The viper is some what of a exception because it design in that form, but i think drift cars should be streetable. I'm hoping drifting does stays at level where i can relate to it, "connected to the streets," as the guy was stated.

[swifty949]

corporate money is needed. Car parts are hardly ever free, most of the so called sponsorships are nothing more than a wholesell discount. I have approaced beer companies, becuase they have an open mind to advertising and want to caputre the 21-34 male market that watches drifting. Bottom line is, teams need money to compete, and they will approach any company that is open minded about it. Be it Trojan condoms, or a Maxi Pad manufacturer.

It's not free to go drifting, and run at all 4 of the Formula D events i need to budget a minimum of $10k-20k towards (depending on the size of the team) transportation costs, hotels, food, etc. thats not even including the costs of mainting the car, and buying replacement parts. Formula D is all about competiting, and yes that includes competiting for sponsorship $$. Marketing & sponsorships bring funds to the team is one of the often most overlooked aspects of racing.

Its these reasons alone, our drift team can only afford to go to two of the 4 Formula D events.

[nissanguy_24]

Thats a downward spiral man, But do what you have to do. The pro level stuff can do what they want, most of us will still drift, it will just not be under the lights of irwindale like we hoped.

We all like the idea of an aprochable pro rank. The only reason i fear "big money" and that sort is it leads to the stock car type stuff. Let me rephrase that, it leads to the worse kind of stock car type stuff.

Perhaps this has turned into a "I wont sell out" speech, i dont know, i understand the sport isnt cheap, all of us can use help. But i guess when i look to the japanese pro level, the D1, yeah its pretty commercal but most the sponsors either sell car parts or are related in another fashion like super autobacs. I guess i like that. Drifting is pretty big in japan and they have managed to keep it close to that. In America there is even more potential for the sport to grow. But i think if we are careful we can keep it somewhat related to cars, that intern will keep the cars real, and similar to street cars. Obtainable you know? its why i dont like the idea of super cars in drifting events, though some guys would like nothing more.

Anyways this is just a rambling with some assorted thoughts. I Thank you all for listening.

[Ghost of Duluth]

Bagpipe playing Turkey vendors. Rock on brother.

And Wicked, you just haven't met the right person. I'm full of pet names for everything.

Money and sponsers will come, its a given. Such is the steamroller of big business. All you can do is try to stay out of it's way lest you be made flat by it.

[nissanguy_24]

The 9th thing i dont want to see in drifting!

Certain people who drive black FDs named after spirits or such who use my complaint thread to fantasize and hit on girls.


lol...

[noobster]

dont they pray at the Indy 500 too?

[nissanguy_24]

Probably, but if they do, i dont like it still.

[Ghost of Duluth]

Who is this one that you speak? We shall kill him.

[JDM_DRIFTER2001]

Re: 8 Things I never want to see in drifting

Originally posted by nissanguy_24
7. this is a big one..... Beer and Alchahol sponsors! This is my personal opinion but Alchahol has no business with automobiles LET alone auto racing. And deffenately has no business in drifting. To me drifters strive for complete control over a car.. anything that will hurt your control of the car has no business in the car or painted on the car.
[/B]

I completely agree. alchahol and cars don't go to gether just like drinking and driving don't go together. and because you shouldn't drink and dive I think that beer sponsers shouldn't sponser Cars, Drivers, and car events.


AND FOR THE PAINTED ON HEAD LIGHTS I ALWAYS FOUND THOSE LAME YOU ETHER HAVE HEAD LIGHTs OR YOU DON"T.

O AND I HATE NASCAR.

[WytKnight]

Sponsors make the legal racing world go round

Sponsors are the monetary fuel of professional motorsports. Its a necessary evil. In america, beer and cars go hand in hand. I agree alchohol doesnt mix with cars except in the fuel rail/carb.

D1 from what I have seen is almost the same. Because of the new D1 rules I cannot compete in it without some mad cash. Sure my car as is would get into the driver search eliminations. But should I win and get my D1 license and entry slot to D1 circuit I would have to drop out since my car doesnt meet thier standars. I would have to put in a fair sum of money to make the tech specs then even more to compete with the supercars that look even nicer. Id be the dirty underdog that couldnt. Which I would have to agree with nissan saying we wont be drifting under the lights of Irwindale. Even our podunk Portland International Raceway <which has some nice curves> costs over $3000 to get a few hours on. PIR is the cheapest champ cart formula track in the world. Irwindale is prolly alot more to rent.

My college auto club is partially sponsored by a national parts store chain and it just gets us discounts, schwag, and some fluids but we are expected to make a showing of our drag racer as much as possible. Even the guys who win all the time dont get much more...race entrance paid, free catering, a hotel rom sometimes. Nascar is quite different though, its mad money but without the sponsors there would be no race tracks with billboards filled with cars/rolling billboards for the crowd to go see and buy into. Nascar is 70% marketing 30% enthusiast.

I dream of a special racetrack for drifters and drifters alone. Like some of the movies you see from Japan. An auto park to play in. I am working with a few people to build a viable business plan and hopefully find investors. I wish to make a home for the northwest drifters. Who knows...sorry to rant...

[Ghost of Duluth]

You and every person my friend. Seems like everyones thinking bout building a Drift park but none seem to get built.

Just the way it goes. Agreed on the sponsership and the D1 thing. It's alot more money in Japan to do D1 than everyone thinks.

[my 1 88 u]

Re: Sponsors make the legal racing world go round

Originally posted by WytKnight


I dream of a special racetrack for drifters and drifters alone. Like some of the movies you see from Japan. An auto park to play in. I am working with a few people to build a viable business plan and hopefully find investors. I wish to make a home for the northwest drifters. Who knows...sorry to rant...

I would support that. I dont care how many media blips drifting recieves, the sport aint big untill it has permanent facilities.

[Craftsman]

Nissanguy_24... please don't take any of our comments at insults. You're an inspiriation to the cause of drifting.

I just think that more money is going to be needed for things to grow.

BTW, I'm all for drift tracks all over the US.

But to build these nice little tracks, we need money...

Matt.

[CrazyHawaiian]

Build it, play the bagpipes, and they will come ...