How to make it to professional drifting?
 

Hello,

I have some what of an idea of how to say.... Start racing competitively in the drift world, but I haven't read up any where on how to actually move onto the next step. I'm creating this thread not only for me but for others seeking help in this as well... Anyways, I want to start drifting, what road would I have to take to possibly end up in Formula D? Of course you have to be good, but what events to start, how to move on up to the next one,etc... Any information is appreciated.

Haven't been here in a while!

First learn to drive, and learn to love driving..then worry about "being a pro".

Deciding to drift with the sole intent of "going pro" is super lame.

One of the main things is having a car that will pass tech.

Your shit has to be nascar status.

I'm not worried about going pro, ever. I just want to have fun driving my car. If it takes me anywhere beyond that, so be it.

I got into it because it's different and extreme. I ride bmx and used skate and thought maybe i'd go pro one day when i was like 11 and had alot more fun after i realized that shouldn't be a goal. Do shit for fun.

Carefully

That wasn't my sole intent, and I never said that was my sole intent. Please, if you're going to assume anything and have a negative comment, don't post in the thread.

I would just like to know what it would take to do it... I'm in love with cars and hell, if I'm good enough why not take it further. I'm curious as how to do it though, which is the reason why I posted the thread.

My comment wasnt negative, its pretty accurate. And if you make a post saying "I want to start drifting" and "what roads do I take to turn pro?" the only logical meaning is that you want to start drifting to turn pro. Thats not too complicated.

Find local events and talk to the better drivers, learn from them, and more importantly get lots of seat time and have fun. Once you get better, start running proam events http://www.formulad.com/schedule/pro-am.html

If you actually wind up being any good and you finish high in your local series youll get an invite to proam nationals. Typically there the #1 qualifier and top 3 or 4 drivers get a Formula D license. All the FD license means is that you can enter FD events (not that you can afford them haha). FD is also next level, there are really awesome drivers all over, but there are only a handful of people in the world who rip like JTP, Ryan Tuerk etc...so dont think that being good enough for an FD license means youre going to win, let alone qualify.

Also having a car up to FD spec is expensive, so look through the FD rulebook and follow it.

But first, learn what youre doing and pay your dues. People like Nick Hogan and other guys who just think "going pro"=respect never go anywhere, or make great friends (which is 90% of the fun of drifting).

So there, not negative- just reality.

CJ is really as accurate a response as your gonna get. I seriously watched four of my friends go from all of us just fun driving to all FD drivers. I remember my friend matt ripping his stock s14 with stock suspension and open diff a few years ago. now I see him and hes a pro driver with sponsors. same thing for my friend tommy. he went from this back in 05-06

http://www.driftcircuit.org/gallery/...030506_180.jpg

to this 09-10

http://motormavens.com/emAlbum/album...e/DSC_0167.jpg


CJ has known both of them for a few years too. hes knows they're still all about having fun. and seriously i dont think justin goes out to win. he just has so much fun that the side effect is kicking everyones ass

Start with lots of money, Then blow it all on entry fees, hotels, gas, parts and become poor.

Then be BETTER THAN EVERY ONE IN SURROUNDING STATES. Win at Pro-ams and stand out.

Your friends telling you that you're the shit does not == pro.

you bring up a good point CJ, about the tech inspection

I literally have no experience drifting in organized events in the states. Everywhere else I've been, the only rule is "DONT LEAK OIL ON TRACK"
So does anyone know...
Is tech inspection a universal process?
Or is it different for every event?

Or even better, where the fuck is this information documented?

NVM: FOUND IT

Quickdraw McGraw...

http://streetwisedrift.com/pdf/10-FD...20100223-2.pdf

You mean you need to make your car 17 feet long and shaped exactly as the "rules" state, with a pushrod carbureted engine, suspension heavily biased to one side, all the wheels cambered wrong with tires engineered to work only when turning left, and you're not allowed to turn right? Then add a block-off plate on the carburetor intake to keep air from getting into the engine? And finally add 600 lbs - or the total combined weight of my last 3 dates - to bring the car up to "race weight?" (Trust me, that's a LOT of weight.)

Plus, you're specifically instructed by your team to try to make the guy next to you to crash into a wall at 150 mph (referred to as "drafting," involving a minimum of two nascars, used by the following/tailgating nascar to decrease the rear downforce of the leading nascar, causing him to spin into a wall at 150 mph, or just simply ram the other guy into the wall), which is completely allowed by the "rules," because your team spent millions and still couldn't build a car that could actually pass the other guy's car in a legitimate race?

Yeah, nascar status!! Makes perfect sense! 1950 technology!! In 2010!! yeeee-haw!

"Carbureted" isn't actually recognized as a word by rx7club.com. (Try typing it in.) :)

competitive drifting is pretty gay, but if you get there by skill (and luck) then so be it. I really dont want to sound like an asshole but drifting is all about fun and meeting cool people. This is not in any way directed towards you but the drift community has gone downhill so hard since people started getting into it for the wrong reasons and taking it way too seriously.

just my thoughts but good luck and remember the number one rule: dont be a dick, who knows maybe in 5 years youll be the next pawlak

Thank you for the reply zerk. I want to get into it because I just love cars, and after seeing my friends TurboII handle GMR so nicely, (his car slid like butter BTW) it really made me want to be able to do it. But! I was curious to the fact as how to make it to the top because I haven't found any posts on the internet that would direct me if I were to do it. Hell, I spend about $50 at Speed Zone every week because I can't do it in a real car, yet :P

Faggot.

No seriously. If you said that in person at my comment i would have called you a faggot. I'm surprised you took that statement as absolute instead of as an analogy or a lose semi-talking shit comparison. You MUST work for geek squad at best buy.......


Russ: Yep, that's our rules. Are you thinking of making it out to some SC/NC events soon


I read this and said "that can't be right"

"Cars must maintain the OEM look and feel and be clean, free of
damage and presentable for competition."

If this was the case, alot of pro cars (we wont drop names) would actually look better. :D

I'm told as my car sits, i can pass tech for am non tandem....providing i fix my leaky oil pan. Working on it. :D

You need basic shit man. No leaks, catch cans for engine, trans, diff, cage with door bars and halo made out of a certain diameter and temper steel (I'm paying for that mistake now) and the proper safety equipment. Obviously there are more rules but if you're doing it from scratch you're probably not going to be getting close to rules such as the trans tunnel cannot be modified etc. Pm JTP he techs Formula D stuff from time to time and I'm sure he could clue you in. Everyone who said it's a small community is right, I know Daniel, I've talked with CJ online, I've hung out with both Matt and Tommy, the list goes on and eventually if you want to get ahead it's going to make it 10,000 times easier to know some people. Or you can pull a Nick Hogan and suck dick at fucking pussy or just about everything you try to do because you have the money.

My 2 cents. Read the thread on Sponsorship I started awhile back there is a lot of info and direction given by some folk in the know.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

And if you have to ask, you won't.

how do you bang supermodels?.....fml well didnt think it was gona happen anyways

Um... yeah....
 

^says the kid with the voltron avatar.^

I didn't want to be the one to break it to you, but you're the only one who didn't realize that the post wasn't being serious, just factual, sprinkled with little humor. I see you didn't get it.

And now you've contributed two posts that are completely wrong, by a long shot. And in your rage you have typed some grammatical errors and a spelling mistake in your post. Well there's also the name-calling, capital letters, with profanity? Really? I think someone needs to count to 10 and chill before posting.

But I don't take any of it personally. :)

did this kid ever become pro? does he even drift still? did he ever start drifting? how many 240s has he owned? how do I become pro? can I do it without spending much money? lol at cj posting before he became too cool to be. also lol at davedge postin. heavy hitters in this thread.

repost... idk how to work stupid new laptop.

way to resurrect a dead thread.

pretty sure CJ got banned with Chance @lovelyidol

Chance got banned? Lol tight

This is a good thread! I mean lets think about it, any one who ever wanted to consider can reference this thread to be better preparred.

In my opinion, professional drifing in America is a lot different than most of the world I might say in many ways, but that is my biased opinion for the pushrod v8 in japanese chassis enthusiast that like to do an enitre lap of burning out and all the cars sound the same haha.

:titty:

Everyone in america is too serious and prideful. Not many guys share info or help with "passing on" positive words to potential sponsors.

It is what it is, but this thread will probably never be beneficial for an upcoming driver other than the sense you gotta figure it out on your own.

Dont do it for the sole reason of "getting sponsored" you either love driving or you dont