NEWSWORTHY> F1 Season Start in Bahrain
Alright everybody, I know we don’t normally feature Formula 1 and other forms of open wheel racing on this website, but I just wanted to share this because I personally am pretty excited for the start of the 2010 F1 season! This Sunday, March 14th is the kick off race for Formula 1 on the twenty-three turn Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
This is going to be one incredible season! Not only because of the return of Michael Schumacher, racing for the Mercedes GP team; but with the new FIA rules, teams will add another set of alterations to their strategies. Last year was a huge change to the rules, but this year, a few more were added to the mix. To start, refueling during the race has been banned for the first time since 1993. Now teams are running more than triple the size of last year’s petrol tanks – which means drivers must monitor their tires and brake wear even more closely. What does this mean for pit stops? With just tire changes, we can expect to see solid 3-second pit stops for all the teams. Red Bull is boasting they can perform a four-tire-change in 1.9 seconds!!! (I can’t get 1 lug nut off my car that fast, LOL) Lets see if this gives them another advantage to taking the checkered flag! (more…)
NEWSWORTHY> Vegas Pro Am Saturday!!!
Just so you don’t forget! This weekend, you need to head to Las Vegas for the Vegas Pro Am, which is being organized and put on by our friends at VegasDrift! This event is a perfect opportunity to get up close and personal with all the future Formula D drivers before they hit the big show… and if you’re in need of some fresh new gear, make sure to stop by the DSTROYR Booth to get some fastlane fashion, designed by one of the most talented designers on the scene right now, Jon Chase! Drifting is going to take over Las Vegas this weekend; let the battle begin!
:: Jose Gonzalez
NEWSWORTHY> Grunewald Camaro SS Test at Laguna Seca
If you remember, back in September of 2009, MotorMavens was the first to break news of Conrad Grunewald’s brand new, Hankook Tire sponsored, Chevrolet Camaro SS entering the Formula D Championship. At the time, it was still only a concept and was still being built by Luke Lonberger at BLU808. All we had were a few mid-build photos and renderings, but they still had all of the Motor Mavens readers salivating!
Well, she’s come a long way since then! She’s up and running and looking HOT. While we were checking Facebook this morning, we spotted this video of her first drift runs at Laguna Seca during some “cone course tuning.” Can you say BEAST?! Running 305 wide tires and lighting ‘em up in third gear from 1500 rpm all the way to the redline with no problem, they can definitely check “power” off the to do list. I heard some people on Facebook saying that this car had 2300 HORSEPOWER?! Is that really true?! Twenty three hundred?!?!?!
There’s not really much more we can say about it that you can’t see and hear for yourself. Good Luck to CG Racing and BLU808 with this beautiful new competition Camaro SS! We can’t wait for the Pony Wars to get restarted at Formula Drift!
:: Avon Bellamy
NEWSWORTHY> Roegge and Herron 2010 DVD
Will Roegge and Joshua Herron are combining their killer creative talents to produce a DVD about American grassroots drifting, called Keep Drifting Fun! These two filmmakers have upped the ante on automotive video content ever since their visually stunning, yet technically precise work hit the web. To hear that they are joining forces to tackle this project is definitely exciting.
This news is of particular interest to me, because the last time this sort of project was attempted was in late 2006, for a project near and dear to my heart, called Slide America. Needless to say, I am pretty pumped to see something like this come together again, and I could not think of a better duo to pull it off.
It is my pleasure to give you a sneak-peek.
Enjoy!
Drift Mechanik’s Keep Drifting Fun from Joshua Herron on Vimeo.
NEWSWORTHY> Southeast Drift Pro Am Series
It looks like the new year has brought some exciting news for the east coast drift community! Southeast Drift is teaming up with Formula Drift to bring an east coast qualifier series to Atlanta for a shot at an FD license!
Atlanta, Ga. – February 2, 2010
Southeast Drift will be bringing an all new pro-am championship series to Atlanta in 2010. This five round series will enable up and coming drivers in the southeast region a place to compete for and win their Formula Drift professional license.
The Southeast Drift Championship Pro Am Series will test drivers as they compete at top notch professional level venues. Drivers who are successful here will transition well into Formula D. Details regarding the series will be available in the coming weeks on the southeastdrift.com web site.
“I am very happy with these recent developments. I can not wait to help showcase some of the immense talent in the southeast drifting scene.” said Marcos Ruiz, CEO of Southeast Drift. “Formula D is the leader in professional drifting in the U.S. and Southeast Drift is proud to be a part of it.”
For more information about the series, be sure to check out Southeast Drift’s Official Website.
NEWSWORTHY> Farewell, Atsushi Kuroi
Last night, D1GP driver Atsushi Kuroi from legendary Osaka drift team Tinker had a deadly accident while he was riding his motorcycle. Although there aren't too many details known about the accident, Kuroi san's kohai (apprentice) Kazuya Bai says that Kuroi's thigh was apparently injured from the accident, and even though the hospital staff worked diligently to stabilize him, Kuroi san's wounds were too severe, and he passed away within four hours of arriving at the hospital. Read more...
NEWSWORTHY> The Mighty FC Returns to FD
Yes, the rumors are true. The green FC3S RX7 that we all know and love is returning to Formula D competition!
A lot of our Facebook friends have been talking about this for a couple days already… but I just figured I should probably post this on the website too, since there are a lot of people out there who read our blog, but aren’t necessarily in the know about the latest news in the world of Formula Drift. Yes again… contrary to popular belief, there are still people out there who aren’t checking Facebook every five seconds. It suddenly dawned on me when I casually mentioned the FC’s return to a friend of mine today, and he was like, “Whaaaaaaat?! No wayyyyy!”
I just got off the phone with Justin Pawlak, the driver of this awesome green rotary monster. Even though he and Bergenholtz Racing have parted ways in the professional drifting world, Justin is quick to dispel any rumors in the mill by saying, “Ron and I are definitely still cool. In fact, I just spoke to him on the phone earlier today. We just have different ideas and figured it would be best to go split the team up.”
While their timing is certainly less than perfect, with the 2010 Formula D season approaching very, very quickly… I’m sure both JTP and Ron B will make it happen for both of their respective drift teams. Justin says, “Ya know what? I just realized I had more qualifying points than anyone else in the 2009 Formula D season.” He’s sure to make a strong statement this year, whether he has solid financial backing or not.
And Ron Bergenholtz? Well, if anyone has any doubts about Bergenholtz Racing’s ability to have a strong presence in Formula D this year, let me just remind you that he (and his brother Ed) didn’t win all those NHRA Wally awards and get inducted into the NHRA Museum for nothing. In professional drag racing, Bergenholtz Racing proved that an underdog actually can compete against (and beat) competitors with big dollar corporate funding. As long as there’s a will, there’s a way.
Bergenholtz Racing will be revealing their official plans for 2010 on Thursday, along with publicly announcing the new driver they’ve signed to pilot their blue Mazdaspeed RX8.
If you’re a fan of JTP and his FC3S, and you want to help him find sponsors for the 2010 season, please visit Justin Pawlak’s Official Blog by clicking this link. Justin says, “Please don’t mind the ghetto GoDaddy banner, cause my webpage was FREE. haha. I might have a ghetto banner on my blog, but at least I got REAL VOLKS on my car.”
Hell yeah, Justin. Word.
:: Antonio Alvendia
NEWSWORTHY> Ken Block to Switch Ovals
Peanut butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. Ham and burgers. What do these things have in common? It seems nearly impossible to have one without the other. Ken Block and Subaru also share this likeness. Regardless, it seems that Ken is leaving the Japanese Pleiades Oval for that of the classic American Blue Oval.
DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 6, 2010 – Ford Motor Company announced today that it is teaming up with Ken Block, the California-based action sports icon-turned-rally driver, for future global motorsports opportunities.
Block, the 2005 Rally America Rookie of the Year and a three-time medalist at X Games, has cultivated a tremendous following with his Gymkhana videos on YouTube. In 2010, Block will campaign a Ford Focus in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and a Ford Fiesta in Rally America and X Games.
“I am stoked to be rallying in a Ford. They are an impressive force in the sport,” said Ken Block. “From the days of the 1970s Escorts to the Group B RS200 to the modern-day Focus and now the Fiesta, Ford just does an excellent job at rally and I couldn’t be happier to now be part of this amazing heritage. Not to mention my dad would be proud. He was a dedicated Ford guy.”
“Ken Block has established himself as an action sports competitor and a rising star in the world of American rally racing,” said Jamie Allison, director Ford North America Motorsports. “We are excited to have him on our team to help promote our new global products, the 2011 Ford Fiesta and 2012 Ford Focus.”
Rallying is a crucial part of Ford’s global motorsports strategy and provides the company with the opportunity to showcase the true performance capabilities of Ford’s products. Since its support of rallying began, Ford has won three WRC titles and 73 individual events. And, last year in North America, Ford’s participation in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and X Games 15 were key elements for the launch of the Ford Fiesta for the U.S.
“Thanks to our participation in WRC, rallying has always played a key role in Ford’s global motorsports programs,” said Allison. “Ford is the only manufacturer that could provide Ken with global rally opportunities.”
“We’re delighted that Ken Block has chosen to team up with Ford to develop his rallying activities beyond America and into the global arena,” said Gerard Quinn, Ford of Europe’s senior motorsports manager. “Ford and its U.K.-based rally partner, M-Sport, is looking forward to welcoming Ken to the wider team of talented rally drivers using Ford vehicles to compete in this demanding sport at the highest level internationally.”
While it may seem implausible to imagine Ken piloting anything but a Subaru… something tells me that his wild antics and crazy style will follow suit behind the wheel of a Ford.
Best of luck to Ken and his crew in 2010!
:: Andy Sapp
NEWSWORTHY> WSTO’s BMW Project1 V1.2
NEWSWORTHY> Attend Our Christmas Party Tonight!
***** THIS JUST IN!!!
Apparently, some aftermarket car parts companies have decided to participate in the Schikane Clothing x Tokyo Drive Productions x Driftwell x Motor Mavens Christmas Party tonight! COME TO THE PARTY and win a radiator from Mishimoto, some goods from Buddy Club USA, and a bunch of oil from Eneos!
—–>Our friends at JACK DANIELS and JAGERMEISTER have just confirmed that they will come out to the party and give away a bunch of gifts too! Hell yeahhhhh! I want a bottle of Gentleman Jack and a Jagermeister Porsche! =)
To all friends and family of Motor Mavens in the Los Angeles area! We’re having a party tonight, and we’d like you to come! This was originally planned as a small, close knit Christmas party between my personal close friends (it’s an annual thing)… but earlier today, we talked about it, and said hell… we consider anyone and everyone who has supported us this year as our friends… so let’s just invite everyone!
If you’re local to Southern Cali, come down to the Schikane Clothing x Tokyo Drive Productions x Driftwell x Motor Mavens Christmas Party tonight!
This is not going to be one of those pretentious “dress shoes and VIP wristband required” events. Everyone is invited! Act like Nirvana, and come as you are… this will be a cool opportunity to “meet and greet” many of our industry friends and many of the people behind this blog!
Here’s the info!
CORNER BAR
924 S. San Fernando Rd
Burbank CA 91502
TIME: From 9pm until the bar closes!
Dress code strictly enforced. No dress shoes allowed. Hats, sneakers and other fashionable attire are encouraged. (A message to the Ladies only: No shirt, No shoes, No problem!)
Comment this post to let us know if you’re coming!
:: Motor Mavens
NEWSWORTHY> GReddy Garage Sale on SAT!
If you’re trying to figure out what to do this upcoming weekend, here’s an idea for you… Forget wasting time and money at the mall for your Christmas shopping… instead, get some FAT discounts on parts at the GReddy Garage Sale in Irvine CA, happening this Saturday Dec 12, 2009 from 9am-4pm.
Stock up on exhaust systems, electronics, oil filter relocation kits, turbo systems, or suspension pieces! I’m thinking of heading down there as well, because I’m curious to see what they’re gonna be blowing out over there. I could use a set of AE86 coilovers for the new car I’m building, and probably an oil filter relocation kit.
If you guys make it out to the sale, please make sure to tell them you saw this post on Motor Mavens!
The good folks at GReddy have just updated their Official GReddy Blog with more details on the stuff they’ll be selling. Click through for the flyer with more event details, address, and other info after the jump!
NEWSWORTHY> Free Piston Earplugs from 3M!
Sign up and get these piston-shaped earplugs for FREE!
Yo… just FYI you guys..! I just saw this online. You can get a set of FREE earplugs from 3M if you sign up with your name and address. And they’re shaped like pistons!
Travis always tells me I should use earplugs when I’m near loud cars (like retro dragsters or something SUPER loud like bridge ported 20B turbo rotaries or something) because my hearing is so jacked from all the hip hop concerts I’ve been to and the loud stereo system that I used to have in my old car, that I can never hear anything or anyone anymore.
So sign up if you want to. I just did. What did you say? Just text me. I can’t hear youuuuuu…
:: Antonio Alvendia
NEWSWORTHY> Southeast Drift Under the Lights!
This weekend will mark the final Southeast Drift event of the season at the newly renovated Gresham Motorsports Park. The practice event “Land of the Great” will run during the day, and then once the sun begins to set – the competition will ramp up. With a $2000 purse awarding $1000 for first – this event is sure to bring out some heavy hitters.
There is something about driving under the lights that I find strangely irresistable. Perhaps it reminds me of my drifting roots sliding under the radar late into the night. If you’re in or around the Atlanta/Jefferson, Georgia area on Saturday – definitely stop by to check out some of the Southeast’s best!
:: Andy Sapp
NEWSWORTHY> Jtuned Meet at Irwindale ProAm Tomorrow!
SABADO SABADO SABADO!!! Sabado Gigante! Super Meet de Jtuned! By now, I’m sure almost everyone knows that the Formula D PRO AM event is happening TOMORROW at Irwindale Speedway. The best grassroots drifters from all over the nation have made their way to Southern Cali’s 626 area for tomorrow’s big event. Come to Irwindale on Saturday and show your support the grassroots drifters – these guys will become the Formula D stars of tomorrow. Sponsors, this is a good opportunity to scout potential new members for your team! And hey ladies, this is a good opportunity to hook up before these drivers get too famous to acknowledge you! JK.
If you don’t drift, you should still come out to the event. On Saturday, the Irwindale Pro Am will be the location of another Jtuned Super Meet, so make sure to sign up right away! Spots are still available, and you can sign up right here.
The West Coast arm of the Motor Mavens Family will be in attendance also, so you should definitely check the site after the event for our photos and insight into what went on at Pro Am. Our good friends from MotoIQ will also be in attendance shooting photos, so make sure to check their site after the meet too!
:: Motor Mavens
MotoIQ (The best site with technical info about cars that we’ve ever seen)
ADD US! Motor Mavens Crew on Facebook!
NEWSWORTHY> Bergenholtz Bros Inducted to NHRA Museum
After years of endless innovation and dedication to Sport Compact Drag Racing, today at 3:00pm, Bergenholtz Racing will be inducted into the NHRA Museum in Pomona CA. Actually, wait… that’s right NOW!
Their very first flagship vehicle, the Bergenholtz Racing CRX, will be inducted into the museum for its accomplishments in drag racing. Their CRX is most noted for being the first fwd drag car to implement wheelie bars (even though a lot of people used to talk sh!t about the car and its wheelie bars, until they found out that the bars actually worked), which would forever revolutionize FWD drag racing.
“It is a great honor for the NHRA to recognize Bergenholtz Racing and its accomplishments in Sport Compact Drag Racing. I thought capturing the back-to-back NHRA Championships was at the top of the list, but being inducted into the museum is legendary. I know my grandchildren and my great grandchildren can go to NHRA museum and look at the amazing things their grandfathers did in drag racing,” said Ron Bergenholtz, Team Manager of Bergenholtz Racing.
At Motor Mavens, we know what it’s like to fight an uphill battle; being resourceful, street smart, and leveraging personal relationships to produce results even without a big corporate budget or any outside financial resources.
Bergenholtz Racing did this for years as they competed in NHRA Sport Compact Drag Racing. They proved that the underdog CAN be successful… and sometimes it just takes enough will, enough motivation, enough discipline, enough perseverence and enough heart to emerge as the winner.
Some drag racers dedicate their whole lives just to win a single Wally – after all, it is the most coveted trophy in NHRA drag racing. However, as you can see from the piano at Ron Bergenholtz’s Southern California home, these two Filipino brothers with non-Filipino last names have amassed quite a lot of Wallies… and now, the NHRA Museum is honoring them for their hard work and dedication. Awesome.
As two underdogs living a real-life success story, Ron and Ed Bergenholtz first made a name for themselves by racing (illegally of course!) on LA streets, and then graduated to compete professionally (and win!) in NHRA Sport Compact drag racing, beating out other competitors with much larger budgets and big corporate funding. These guys are drag racing heroes and their story inspires us… but more importantly, they’re our boys and we’re PROUD of them. With or without a championship ring or a display case full of trophies.
Ron and Ed Bergenholtz are good FRIENDS to the Motor Mavens crew, and that’s why we’re so proud of their accomplishments. CONGRATULATIONS guys!
If other automotive websites had any inkling of sense, they would pick these guys up immediately and pay them to write blogs or sponsor their cars or something. These guys are the sh!t, come on.
:: Antonio Alvendia
NEWSWORTHY> TopDrift Round 4 Nov 7th!
Top Drift is coming up on November 4th. They’ll be running on Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs International Raceway. They are giving out some killer prizes.
Top 3 get a Formula Drift License!
Top 8 are invited to the Formula Drift ProAm National in Irwindale “House of Drift”.
- It’s a $150 competition driver’s fee (Registration at www.justdrft.com).
- A $120 practice only fee (Open to those who want to sign up just for practice)
- Qualifying with be at 2pm. Top 16 tandem.
- Team drift if time allows.
:: Travis Hodges
NEWSWORTHY> Lexus LFA Debuts at SEMA!
NEWSWORTHY> The Loss of an Icon: Shaun Carlson
By now, it’s no secret that Shaun Carlson, one of the true greats of import racing, passed away Sunday morning. We could go on and on about his achievements in the industry – he was a photographer and journalist; a great fabricator that built record breaking race cars; an entrepreneur that built his own company, Nuformz, around his passion for racing; a successful Sport Compact FWD racer who raced everything from Honda to Ford to Mopar – he even raced NHRA Pro Stock. And after all of that, he still found a place in the drifting community with Team Mopar.
These are all things that Shaun was known for, but Shaun was more than just that. More than anything else, Shaun was a truly great guy. He never let any of it go to his head. He was always giving his full 100% and he was always thankful for the opportunity to have a successful career doing what he loved. And he meant it.
Shaun was that guy. That guy who is serious about what he does, but never takes himself too seriously. That guy who works his butt off but still manages to give credit to all of the other people on his team who were also working their butts off behind the scenes. That guy who feels like a close friend from the moment you first meet him. That guy who turns people who think they’re going to dislike him into his best friends. An honest to goodness, really good guy. And guys like that are in really short supply.
So we here at Motor Mavens would first like to thank YOU, Shaun… Thank you for putting so much of yourself into this industry – your impact was felt and you will be sorely missed, because you were a truly great person. And we would also like to give our condolences and thanks to Shaun’s family and friends. Without all of the things that you guys poured into him, he would have had far less to pour into all of us. Thank you.
:Motor Mavens
John Naderi’s Tribute to Shaun Carlson (on Cardomain)
Join the Shaun Carlson Memorial Facebook page for details on the memorial service
Jay Canter’s Photo Tribute to Shaun Carlson on Facebook
Jay Canter and Ed Bergenholtz’s old school photos of Shaun Carlson’s cars and Nuformz
NEWSWORTHY> Toyota FT86 Concept Revealed!
NEWSWORTHY> The gorgeous new Infiniti Essence
NEWSWORTHY> Sunday in Bellevue WA
Imperial Car Club and Car Nutz is holding a charity food drive and car show this Sunday. So if you are around Seattle area be sure to stop by Car Nutz in Bellevue. This show will feature some upscale and/or exotic cars, so come on out and enjoy the last remaining bits of the nice weather before the rain hits! This will most likely be the last car show of the summer in Seattle. If you can, please don’t forget to support the U.S. Army by bringing canned food. Hope to see everyone out there!
::Yoshi Shindo
NEWSWORTHY> Get Free Kicks from Vans!
Apparently, the collabo contest that Vans Shoes is doing with Mitsubishi is proving to be pretty popular. I decided to post this up in case some of our readers haven’t seen this video yet. You can enter the contest to win some free shoes from Vans or a bag of random stuff from Mitsubishi Motors America!
All you need to go is guess how many boxes of Vans shoes they were able to fit inside the new Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback wagon and send it in. Some of the Motor Mavens have already entered in their guesses… maybe I’ll enter the contest too, and see if I can win some shoes.
Good luck!
:: Jeff Yip
NEWSWORTHY> 2010 Camaro Enters Formula Drift
Apparently all of Conrad's work as a driving instructor at Skip Barber Racing School and his unmistakable presence when driving the Tanaka Racing Corvette in Formula D last year has finally paid off. Let's also not forget - Conrad isn't a stranger to the Formula D podium! We have photos to prove it!
Thanks to Andrew and Conrad from CG Racing, we're able to present you with these sneak peek photos! Read more...
NEWSWORTHY> DriftMechaniks Demo at Motorsport Nationals
If you’re in or around Atlanta this weekend, be sure to come out to Atlanta Motor Speedway to catch some demo action from my local team! We will be doing 3 demos on Saturday, and another 3 to wrap things up on Sunday. Atlanta natives Erin Sanford, David Jones, Daniel Willie, and myself will be out there pushing our Yokohama Advans to their limit. It is guaranteed to be a crazy show!
Many of you may be unfamiliar with Motorsport Nationals, which is more-or-less the show that has replaced the now-defunct ‘Nopi Nationals’. Nopi Motorsports has nothing to do with Motorsport Nationals, and is now overseen by an outside company hired by Atlanta Motor Speedway. We are really excited to be working with Motorsport Nationals and Yokohama ADVAN Tires to bring drifting back to Atlanta Motor Speedway!
:: Andy Sapp
