Racer's Story

Landover, MD - Tony Angelo’s Falken Drift RX-7 roars to life, its angry buzz filling the pits. Spectators take a step back – suddenly the parked cars seem like angry beasts, ready to knock down the nylon barriers and wreak havoc. The deep growl of Vaughn Gittin’s supercharged ’05 Mustang joins the RX-7’s high drone, creating a strange harmony made even sweeter by the howl of Chris Forsberg’s S15. The noise is almost painful at close range, but no one is able to turn away. The cars creep out carefully, their engines revving up and down, as if impatiently waiting to burn away the fat Falken tires on each corner of the car.

The parking lot outside Maryland’s FedEx field is host today to about 45 drivers and a sizeable throng of spectators who have come to watch the Falken Drift Showoff. Along with the drifting competition and exhibition, the event features a car show, DJ entertainment, and vendors such as Drift Alliance and StreetTrenz.

“There’re so many people here from all walks of life, from different aspects of motorsport,” said John “Wood” McGrain, a 23-year-old mechanic from Baltimore, MD. “It seems to be friendly.”

Some were also longtime drifting fans.

“I watched drifting in Japan for three years,” said Austin Connors, an enthusiast and former member of the Armed Forces. “I’ve got a lot of friends here.”

The course started at the bottom of the parking lot, winding uphill through wide, fast turns. Drivers slowed down at the top of the course for two “slow gates,” but were able to go full throttle on the way down through the other side of the course. Each run consisted of two laps up and down the course.

“The course is uphill, but it’s slick,” said Ryan Fife, a driver from Fredericksburg, Va. “I’ve got the new Falkens, which seem to be working out pretty well.”

Fife is referring to the newly released Falken RT-615 street tire, which is intended to replace the older 215 series tire. The tires, on display around the Falken booth, were standard equipment on the Falken drift cars.

“The RT-615 is about 20% more expensive than the old 215 tire,” said Nick Fousekis, who is performance marketing manager for Falken Tires. “It’s also a lot better.”

The Falken team is using today’s exhibition as a test and tune day for four (out of nine) of their drivers. Gittin, Forsberg, Angelo, and Ryan Hampton tore up the asphalt during several exhibition runs, screaming through turns at full opposite lock, smoke billowing from their tires. The cars drifted impressively despite numerous stops to adjust the suspension and tune the engine.

“We’re still trying to get the car set up,” said Angelo about his FD3S RX-7. “It’s very difficult to drive, but it has a lot of potential.”

The RX-7’s weak e-brake limits Angelo’s ability to control how the car slides.

“[The e-brake handle] used to be on the other side, and ever since we moved it, it isn’t working right,” said Angelo. “It doesn’t have enough leverage.”

Angelo is a member of the “Drift Alliance,” a group of drivers and friends that are based in Doylestown, Pa. Once a loose group of friends interested in BMX bikes, skateboards, and cars, they are now preparing for the release of their first drift DVD in November and are promoting their new clothing line. Mostly T-shirts, hoodies, and hats, all feature simple designs and slogans such as “Live fast, die young,” and “Born to raise hell.”

“We take a rock ‘n roll attitude to driving,” explained Eric Forsberg, brother of Falken driver Chris Forsberg. “We want to have cool T-shirts that anyone can wear. We don’t want any motors, cars, or anything like that on our shirts.” More information about Drift Alliance is available on their website, www.driftalliance.com.

Today’s event featured some unusual drift cars, such as Gittin’s ’05 Mustang, rumored to have almost 600 horsepower. Forsberg’s RHD S15 Silvia stood out as an unusual and exciting sight, almost unknown on American shores. Brandon Lhagvadorj’s SC300 (Soarer), now a frequent sight at events, stood alone in the field. Clayton Pace drifted a bright red 260Z, demonstrating the heritage of drifting ability inherent in Nissan S- and Z-cars.

Talented local drivers Charlie Tyson and Gary Simmons impressed spectators all day with fast, flawless runs. Tyson’s carbureted AE86 Coupe had no problems smoking up the rear tires, and Simmons’ S14 240SX stayed sideways despite running on three cylinders.

For the competition, each driver was allowed two runs to impress the judges with their drift speed, angle, and racing line. The top eight spots quickly filled as the experienced drivers separated themselves from the crowd. The top two drivers, Ryan Tuerck and Michael Edwards, did tandem runs to determine the first place winner. In a surprise tie finish, the two drivers split the first- and second-place winnings, which included a cash prize, Falken tires, and a ridiculously large trophy.

Although they exhibited a high level of drifting skill, both winning cars plowed through cones during their competition runs, only to advance to the top eight. This caused some confusion among drivers and spectators.

“I was a little confused with the judging,” said Jonathan Berlin, a driver for Sterling-based performance shop The Speed Factor. “They didn’t specify what would happen when you hit a cone, or with spins.”

Many also complained that they were forced to stand all day in order to watch the event. The lucky ones found curbs to lounge on, but many stood in the hot sun with no relief.

“This needs to be more spectator friendly,” said Robert Clements.

Clements is the owner of RedShiftDC, a performance shop in Chantilly, Va., and provides sponsorship for driver Gary Simmons. RedShiftDC opened in June and now offer their services as a “drifting shop.” Clements, who is 20 years old, and his employees all keep strong ties with the local motorsports scene.

“We want to be involved with the motorsports, the spectators, the drivers . . . we want to help grow the sport,” said Clements.

For the drivers, the event was all about fun. Competition is fun to watch, but the chance to work on their techniques and get some practice is what brings most drivers out to play. Play they did, leaving the parking lot covered with streaks of burnt rubber.

“I don’t pay attention to the prizes. I just come to put it down,” said Berlin, grinning.