Event Reports
2010 Formula Drift Tech and Preview Day
March 27, 2010
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Report by John Chennavasin
The annual Formula Drift Tech and Preview Day at the Universal Technical Institute campus in Rancho Cucamonga, California gives fans an opportunity to view the new cars that will be competing this season.
Some familiar favorites from the past made an appearance with new drivers and new livery.
Team Falken brought their Nissans to the UTI campus. James Deane will be driving Nissan S15 Silvia for Team Falken in 2010.
Speaking of Nissan S15s, Ross Petty's Rasta-inspired Nissan S15 receives a candy-colored upgrade for 2010.
Engine swaps are common in drifting, as larger engines are viewed as a cheap and reliable method of increasing horsepower. This is why General Motors' LS V8 engines can be found in the engine bays of many Japanese cars. We saw this previously at the Xtreme Drift Circuit season opener with two LS-powered RX7s.
Some drifting teams take an alternative approach and swap exotic engines from the same automaker. Joon Maeng will be driving a turbocharged 3-rotor Mazda RX-8 for Full Tilt Poker/Bergenholtz Racing. Charles Ng will be driving a 4-rotor RX-8.
Michael Essa's BMW 335i made its debut at the Formula Drift Tech and Preview day. In the grand tradition of American drifting, Essa's BMW is now powered by a V10 engine taken from a BMW M5.
Some cars will be making a more traditional mid-season debut. Ryuji Miki will be driving a Mazda RX-7 in Long Beach while he waits for his new Lexus SC430 to be completed.
Classic drifting cars such as the Toyota AE86 Corolla and Nissan S13 240SX are still well-represented at Formula Drift. Along with the privateers, Megan Racing will be fielding a two-car team with Taka Aono driving an Toyota Corolla and Cyrus Martinez driving a Nissan 240SX.
Based on the cars present, this will be an exciting 2010 Formula Drift season. It will be interesting to see how classic drifting cars compare against American muscle cars and European sports sedans.