Formula D - Heading the Wrong Way?

[nissanguy_24]

have you considered eventually doing an international series? bringing the 'viking' (as one of them put it recently on the forum) over with some japanese guys, maybe some canadians with the best of the continential US and hawaiian guys? maybe just a final championship that the champions of the respective series can attend.

Obviously this wouldnt be ready until drifting was bigger and could support such things, however i would love to see formula D go this route over the next few years.

['97 S14 SE Turb]

Would definetly be nice to see an international series.

What's the possibility for Speed channel to cover that? Would it be like watching a WRC Tarmac stage coverage?

[CRASHDRIVE]

Everyone, please take a look at the 3 previous post, I think we can all agree that drifting event should be a competition oriented event vs non-drifting related event.

Formula D. this is what "this people" wants to see.

Can anyone tell me otherwise?

Thank you.

[P1STON2ROTARY]

This thread was started in hopes of discussing some elements involved in the up coming Formula D event at Irwindale.

We wanted to discuss the integration of HIN, and other elements with the Formula D event. During this thread there have been alot of completely off topic posts, and alot of personal attacks.

We removed these posts to allow for a clearer ON TOPIC discussion. We will not take any future disturbances such as offtopic posts or personal attacks lightly, so be on your best behavior.

If you have personal issues with another member, then address them via pm, not on the thread.

[Craftsman]

I think the combination of the two is an awesome idea. I honestly like the drifting more than the girls or the stuff going on in the background. When I was at Formula D in Houston, all I did was sit around in front of the stage and watch these cars slide... I didn't even know there was a car show...

Hey, those umbrella girls could have been naked for all I care. I still care more about the drifting. My point... Bringing other attractions will just bring other people into the sport that would have normally overlooked it. The folks who love drifting for all it's worth will continue to enjoy without distraction.

I enjoy parties every now and then and I know most of you guys do too. Combining the two makes it the best of both worlds right?

Matt.

[RyanHampton]

I am going to go out on a limb here....

I have been watching this post for a while or took a lot of time to read it and I do see both points. I am up very late and I have to work tomorrow. So I will try to make this to the point. Who determines who is the real drift fans? Who defines the real drift fan. We don't own drifting and who determines who can become drift fans? you me or anyone else...no. If people find something cool they try to keep it to themselves because then they're cool in their circles. Now how I feel about adding these additional devices to the event. It is neccessary to do this to "grow" the sport. I have been racing professionally for the last 8 years and I will tell you about the "hard core fans" I raced in the ALMS and Grand - Am series. Those series would benifit a lot more if they had additional things going on. The hard core fans equal about 600 people per event and that is sad. That is the exact reason that sports car racing is dying a slow cancerous death. Do these "additional" things add a fan base? yes. Does it interest "new people" to drifting yes. Does that make drifting more accessable..Yes. Will that make more legal events happen that you can go out and have a good time driving...Yes. We have a simple society and this includes the Japanese its called (supply and demand). If there is more supply of people interested in drifting the more legal and cheap practice events will happen. I feel that I speak for myself and many of the so called "hard core" people who saw drifting very early on in this country i.e. Alex, Andy, Calvin and others... and who are directly or indirectly involved with "Sunpros". Many of us so called "Pros" devote a lot of our free time to the grass roots of the sport (just talk to my wife about the arguments we get into over this stuff). You will see us volunteering our time at drift day for free because we want to see the sport grow and in the right direction...I am usually paid $500 a day for personal coaching and I do it for free for drifting, that is saying something for the love of the sport...Many of the attitudes on here seem to be aginst "ricers" becoming interested in drifting and that is what appears to be the argument. I have some bad news for you....Without them there would be no drifting, no parts for your car, no events, no RSR, no tein, no HKS, no JIC, no tracks, no cool D1 events, no cool D1 DVD's and especially no Intial D. I know we like to think ourselves as "underground" and cool, but the reality is that equals death of everything, scorched earth...Personally I would like to see drifting become a real "sport". I and everybody here would love to make a living drifting. I think I speak for everyone that truley loves this stuff.. And unfortunatley sometimes we need that additional "attractives" to make that happen. I don't know if anyone here follows the rest of the racing world, but many of the promoters have now added "concerts" to their events i.e. ALMS, Indycar, Grand-Am... Now ask yourself what does a concert have to do with a race? It is a means to an end not a money making scam. Trust me the people that promote an event are in it for the love of the sport first, not the money. That is the first reason we are all here. If I can find a way to make a living and enjoy what I do, I am all for it. Sorry for rambling on and I am very tired so my grammar sucks...

P.S. keep the models there too. Thats where all the american racing has gone wrong with the politically correct, I say objectify women it adds to the show!! and my wife likes hot chicks too, so keep them there. Sorry thats my male side speaking.. Again, I am only Human..

[Craftsman]

Ryan Hampton for president !!!



Matt.

[mikespeed95]

i couldnt agree with ryan more on this.

In texas FD attracted so many people it was unreal. Our local dailydrifter.com events have had more n00bs show interest in drifting now, thanks to fd sparking interest in a crowd that woudl not have come if not for the car show / "disgraceful" flyers, and models. i asked a lot of random people i talked to and asked them why they came to the event , if they were having fun etc etc etc tryign to see what worked for when dailydrifter has a bigger event, and more than 2/3 the peopel at the event siad they had never seen drifting before this, but were definately a fan now that they ahve seen it.

i also talked to a lot the security guys at reliant stadium. a couple the guys i talked to askign them about it said they were actually not lookign forward to workign the event, but it was actually one of the funnest weekends they had working security due to the drifting. nobody knows what it is except the extreme minority of us, which is why FD is doign all this "crazy anti-drift" marketing yall are whining about.

also on a side note, ive been to 2 out of 3 rounds. like any one day racing event where there is practice, qualifying, head to head there will be track downtime / drivers meetings / etc where the track is not hot. the fans need somewhere to go, thus the car shows, take a pic with the models etc etc. at FD houston they honestly had one the best car shows i have ever been to, but i can tell you this, when the track was cold for drivers meeting / or there was just practice going on there was a godo amount of people inside. when qualifying started. empty. almost EVERYONE was watchign the drifting, whcih was the main focus, nto the show, not the models. the drifting was the main featured atraction, and i saw nothing different at sonoma, drifting took priority #1. and i havent heard about them changing anythign for irwindale.

[AlexPfeiffer]

Yup, Hampton can speak for me anytime. Expecially with a post like that.

[Drift Alliance]

Yeah, ryan can post for me too, i think you guys need to take a step back and realize what formula D has done for drifting in america, and that if you asked all the american "pros", i think you would find out that Formula D events are everyones favorite events.... PS, i'm not here to personally attack anyone, but at the same time, i really don't care to hear anyones short sided opinions

[case]

There's a reason I want to compete in Formula D next year, and in fact, I'm going to. Not because of the car shows, not because of the women (though it's an awesome addition), just because I want to, and because I love drifting. I don't consider myself pro by any means, so I don't expect to be speaking on anyone's behalf except for my own. However people run the events I choose to drive in is their own choice. So long as it doesn't unreasonably limit my ability to drive how I want for as long as I want, let them do what they think is necessary. It's not going to stop me from working on my car and trying to make myself a better driver. I also consider myself a fan of drifting, I've loved going to the D1 events, as well as making the trek to California numerous times just to watch the justDRIFT and Drift Day events, I've only driven in one of the justDRIFT events. Sometimes the track says, "Hey, don't do this... it'll ruin the track for other people." Does that mean I should say "Screw that, I'm gonna drive how I want, because I shouldn't be concerned with what other people need"? That's what it sounds like a lot of people are saying right now. Companies like Slipstream NEED publicity, and they need a profit coming in. How else are those people supposed to eat, and do the things they want? HIN events, car shows, model contests don't affect my driving... it never will. Don't let it affect your decision to participate in, or watch the events that you all say you love.

[Charlie@JustDrift]

i'm almost getting fired here at work because of stuff i do for drifting...

i agree with ryan except for one thing...

there will always be initial D! lol...

[Ghost of Duluth]

Great comments. Now everyone see's the other side of the sport. Glad this one got on track. Thanks guys for posting in it.

[Weapon X]

Originally posted by Ghost of Duluth
Great comments. Now everyone see's the other side of the sport. Glad this one got on track. Thanks guys for posting in it.

Yeah, well I know there's certain things people want to say but can't because it's all politics. But I'm over it, I'm a driver not a politician so I'm going to go drive. I wish you guys all the best of luck at Formula D, Peace.

[nissanguy_24]

Am i the only one who thought all these lovely replies totally missed the point? No one here is asking if Formula D is good to drivers, or if Formula D is the only drifting series, or if formula d guys are nice guys. The question is "IS formula D heading the wrong direction?" all i see from the drivers is "Formula d lets us drive they give us opportunity and they need money so we like them" which im sure is all fine and true. However that is not the question.

The question is this "Is formula D heading the right direction" anyone have simple yes or no answer?