CAPTION THIS> Mad Max Honda At Speed Ventures
Can you guess what kind of car this is? If Mad Max drove a vintage Honda in a time attack series, is this what you would imagine his car to look like?
We were carspotting at the most recent Speed Ventures event at Streets of Willow, and saw this old school Honda with monstrous box flares, front lip spoiler and a huge front bumper. Let’s not forget the big wing up top, and the center mounted driver seat and steering wheel! (more…)
DRIVER SEAT> B-Spec Mazdaspeed 2 and HPD Fit
Enter the B-Spec Series, an SCCA sanctioned racing class that was created for compact street-stock cars that racers could drive to and from the racetrack if they wanted. The idea was to create something similar to the SCCA Spec Miata class, with rules against hardcore modifications to equalize the playing field for the vehicles. In B-Spec competition, the ability to win races really boils down to the driver's skill and preparation.
When our friends at Mazdaspeed and Honda Performance Development invited us to attend a private track testing of their B-Spec Mazdaspeed 2 and an HPD-prepared Honda Fit, we just couldn't pass up the offer! Read more...
VIDEO> KP Race LSx14 Debut
To be completely honest, up until earlier this year, I knew next to nothing of KP Race. I knew it was an auto shop located somewhere in Washington (With names like Snoqualmie and Skookumchuck, the towns all seem to blend together in my mind). That was, until I received a call from a guy who goes by the name of “Victor Moore.” Hey, I’d have an alias, too, if I were him. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me, Tiger. Haha! Anyway, the conversation consisted of a request to travel the US with Victor, Chris Jeanneret, and Matt Brandow as they work their way up the Formula Drift Ranks in 2010. How could I resist?! Free rides all over the country and food along the way! Say no more; I’m in!
Traveling with these fine young gentlemen took me back to a simpler time in life. A time when all that mattered was having fun. A time when you jumped in a 1988 Ford Probe and drove all day, just to bomb a hill in San Francisco or skate a new park in Vancouver, BC. From late night In-N-Out runs, to shenanigans at Hooters in Long Beach, drifting was far from the best part of the journey, for me. That’s probably why I love it so much! Just like skateboarding in my younger years, drifting has given me the opportunity to meet literally hundreds of new people who share a common love.
This video documents the adventures of KP Race as they fight for the Formula Drift podium. Despite a privateer budget and terribly timed mechanical failure, these guys are always upbeat and having a good time. Don’t get me wrong, though. These guys are seriously dedicated to the sport and have the drive and motivation necessary to reach the top. Expect to see plenty more of KP Race in the 2010 season!
:: Justin Shreeve
VIDEO> Return to ASB with Risky Devil!
Here in Southern California, we’re about to begin celebrating springtime – warmer weather and sunny days, driving with your sunroof open, checking out short skirts and whatnot… but I thought we should post up this cool video, as an ode to the Summer of 2009.
The Summer of 2009 was a great one… sure, it was hot as hell, and everyone was complaining about low fundage and a slow economy… but that didn’t stop all the super hardcore, super down, super low, super dedicated drifters from all over the country from gathering at the Ziptied/JustDrift All Star Bash in the middle of the freakin desert, California. In case you don’t know what All Star Bash is all about yet, I suggest you click this link to get an education on it. (more…)
COVERAGE> All Star Bash Weekend Pt.2
And now, on to the photos... THIS IS GRASSROOTS DRIFTING! Read more...
COVERAGE> All Star Bash Weekend Pt 1
Willow Springs is in the high desert - the Mojave Desert to be exact. It's two hours north east of Los Angeles, and the summertime sun just seems to sear anyone or anything it sees. As I write this, the event is far from over! In fact, we're about to leave the hotel in a few minutes to get back to the track, where the course just went hot - literally and figuratively.
This weekend's All Star Bash was exciting because there were drivers and cars that came from all over the United States just to drift with California's best. Cars came from as far as the San Francisco Bay Area, the Pacific Northwest, Arizona, Las Vegas, Chicago, and even South Dakota! Read more...
VIDEO> Redline Time Attack at Big Willow
Last weekend, we were out at the Redline Time Attack at Willow Springs International Raceway, performing a camera test. Every once in a while, we have to test different types of cameras to see what kind of footage they’re capable of producing.
This time, we were trying out a Canon HF S100 consumer level HD video camera. The camera costs less than $1000 USD, so it isn’t too expensive, and we think it’s still capable of producing pretty decent image quality – remember, the entire camera is about the size of a Campbell’s Chunky soup can! The whole point of testing these different consumer level cameras is to figure out which ones have the best image quality and features-for-the-price. Nowadays, more and more people are interested in self-producing videos for Youtube, Vimeo or Streetfire uploads; this is why we think it’s interesting to test real-world cameras that normal people can actually afford and edit using iMovie or Final Cut.
Anyway, at Willow Springs, we encountered several challenges – it was extremely difficult for the camera to focus while shooting through heat haze (on the track) and the wind presented an issue, but all in all, we think the Canon HF S100 isn’t bad for a straight-to-SD card HD video camera under $1000. However, we’ll let you watch the video and form your own opinion. What do you think?
::Travis Hodges
NEWSWORTHY> Factor X NSX wins Redline Time Attack at Willow
The cars of the Redline Time Attack continue to dominate racetracks all across the country, and at the most recent Redline event at Willow Springs International Raceway, long-standing record lap times were shattered not once, but twice.
Redline Time Attack golden boy Tyler McQuarrie and his Unlimited Class carbon fiber-bodied C-West/BC Honda S2000 showed why they are a dominating force in the time attack scene by running the 2.5-mile “Big Willow” course in 1:20.454 seconds. Not only was that lap time the fastest of the day, it was the fastest ever recorded at Willow Springs International Raceway. With a lap time like that, it seemed safe to say that McQuarrie would walk away with yet another 1st place trophy.
But records, including newly set ones, are made to be broken. Billy Johnson, piloting the lime green Unlimited Class FX Motorsports/Cricket NSX ran the same Big Willow course in just 1:18.555 seconds. For those of you who hate to do math at home, that’s almost 2 seconds faster than McQuarrie. And for those who need help in the art of deductive reasoning, this also means that Johnson walked away with the new track record. But that’s not all Johnson walked away with; he also scored the first-place trophy in Redline Time Attack’s Unlimited Class.
At the end of the day, the Redline Time Attack Unlimited Class results were as follows:
- 1st: #5 (Johnson) FX Motosports NSX 1:18.555
- 2nd: #1 (McQuarrie) Cwest s2000 1:20.454
- 3rd: #489 (Bonarito) Sierra Sierra Evo 1:20.838
There are still seven races left in the Redline Time Attack Series, and the next event at the New Jersey Motorsports Park is just two weeks away. Be sure to check back with us later in the week for our gallery of the Redline Time Attack at Willow Springs International Raceway.
::Justin Kaehler
