ok, lets start... we will go back to Wednesday night last week.
Sonoma drift. I cannot explain to you guys how importat this event set has been for myself and the multitudes of Norcal hopefulls that have been attending this since it's inception. weekly, people have been getting to see some of the best grassroots drivers in the area become ANIMALS! there has really been some good drifting out here. one of our regulars, that drives a hatchi as agressive as anyone i have ever seen, caught a bad break.
his agressive initiation caught a bad bounce and met the wall..... gave his carolla a very intimate relationship with said wall, and a fork lift. daaaamn.
we got it off the track, and after making sure conner was alright... the drifting started back up.
i had just recently gotten my car setup for ASB so i decided not to bring it, instead i drove justin R's sil80 for some practice...
too bad he pulled his SR out, so i just got to get back to the basics and work on throttle control, and setup.... cause this car definitely doesnt have the power to get thru a course with 255's out back, lol.
i also took the time to give my niece a few ride alongs, she got hooked. she's young enough to not get scared, and old enough to be able to get started driving next year. so i made some full throttle, full speed runs with her riding shotgun.
the track looped around pretty nicely, so i got to spook her and myself buy trying to blow justins front bumper off on all the clipping points, lol. we got pretty damn close on a few.
we end the night on a high note, and thursday is here... time to roll out to the second home. LA and the HOTLINE. the car is loaded up, ready to go way before time.
we still had a TON of NOS energy drink from nascar the weekend before. so we decided to load it on up.
we met up with everyone and rolled out. drove all thru the night to emerge in LA county early in the AM. we decided to stop at a denny's and get some grub.... i took that time to sleep while everyone else ate... boy was i jealous tho', sho' shoulda ate somethin. but i guess Larry and Greg was envious of my nap, so they planked for a coo few minutes.
i took the time out to call jtp, and let him know i was finally there.... good dude, he got up out of bed and rolled down to hotline for us.
such a rad car in person, the new paint is just making it so much better.
man, what a good day this is going to turn out to be. we're getting the car setup, were ahead of schedule, and everyone is in good moods. ryan pops up, and get some of the loose ends on my car situated.. and were good.
theres a few new dope things going on @hotline... should be a sick next few months.
the homie phillip is far from home, but his FD is right where it needs to be.
this FC has the hood i have been wanting for roughly 4 years or more... if anyone has a CF GT300 hood, holla @ me!
looking over one of the Raunchiest builds that will hit the scene in a few, i couldnt help but peep how baller some of these parts are... like seriously... BAWLLIN son!
for the core group, this is their first times to the hotline... we all hung in the alley like thugs, trying to beat the heat honestly.
lol, greg looks misserable in this pic.
justin post up with us and chops it for a few hours, but we had one more sponsor stop to make, so we dip'd out.
a few miles away in carson..... 5Zigen. we tour the facility, look at rad stuff, talk to General manager Tsuyoshi about new product, and our future plans. since this was the first time he has gotten to see my car up close, he had a gander... then took the opporitunity to get the group together for a photo.
i applied the new logos he gave me to the car...
and now its boogie time... ASB XI here we come!
battling traffic and the fucking heat for hours... we finally make it. WSIR for a weekend of tire smoke, heat, and overall radness.... we set up camp, and start hanging.
vehicle swag on one million.... charlies car.
the homies took the RX8 in to town to get some food and necessities.
then ray got it poppin!
alot of bike riding happened at night time... in the paddoc on the track, all over... but just so you can get a idea... it's pretty damn dark here at night.
rob smooth dipped out on us... we couldnt find him anywhere... we did eventually peep his hiding spot. the bed of the truck.
greg and larry hit the lounge chairs...
justin and ray hit up the tents.
morning.
the paddoc is full, people are showing up still, and it's about, to go, down.
more of our hometown crew show'd up... here's the homie, nick napala...
we got the essentials...
the grillz are going, were eating, and just waiting for the days activities to show up.
after the very first session out, the car was getting HELLA hot. so i opted out to sit and chill, take the hood off, and post up with everyone so that i can drive when it gets cooler, and participate in team tandem.
here's some footy from the first session.
just so yall get the idea of how hot it was...
it just got hotter from here... this was about 1:17 in the afternoon. it got so hot, we couldnt even charge our phones, they were fucking overheating... all of them. warning lights were flashing on just about all of our phones from the heat, and the phones that did work... well, there was no signal to be had, so we just basically hung and chilled, with no FB, lol.
i was getting bored and wanted to see if the car would run cooler with the hood off, and since it was only 100 degrees now.. i went out for another run.
BANG... wtf just happened? the car is making a TON of noise right under the shifter, so i immediately knew it was the transmission. i clutchkicked shifting up to 3rd, and hear a huge pow, and basically felt like the clutch slipped. DAMN MANNNNNNN. Team tandem practice was about to start up, and i dunno about yall... but this is the highlight for me! now i cant even participate? HELLA FAIL.... i had a few leads lined up for a trans replacement, but fuck... it was going to take me about 4 hours to get there and back, and by the time i returned i would miss half of the fun, AND be working all night long. i have another trans etc at home... but damn, i sho' do need it here. Frank from boso was hanging with us, and he told me he got a trans, but still... we gotta go back to boso, and mobb all the way back to the track.... :( i'm HELLA unhappy at the moment. i almost decided to go home, but i opted to stay and hang out, i was glad too, because i ended up getting to help out my homie Julian Jacobs... he shreaded his I/C coupler, and i had just the size he needed. him and his crew ended up going "Animal Style" during team tandem, and altho they placed 3rd... the crowd was going completely INSANE!!!
i really wanted to drive, but i was definitely happy that i was atleast still there. while everyone was going to sleep, i was loading up...
had everything ready to go for a early Am departure. 1am, and i'm done.. sleep.
we wake up, clean up camp, and BOUNCE! we get some fuel for the long trek home, and somehow... at a gas station, we see all these random planks...
we finally get on tha road.
were on the road for a few hours, almost home, and we get to a point where we just decided to post up and peep the scenery.
we get to patterson and decide to have a gas stop... lol, i turn the corner to exit the freeway and i see a tire flyin off the trailer, smobbin down the street, lol. good thing ray and greg were behind me in the RX8 and they quickly retrieved it then met me aT THE gas station dying laughing.
we get home to the bay finally!
such a good feeling to be home... but damn it was cold, lol. while at rays house, greg suggest... "lets Do the transmission right now". shit, you aint gotta tell me twice, lets get it!!!
we mob to the house, and greg rob and i get busy. the wife is on her way home from work, and our time is slim. we are working fairly fast paced, and we get the trans out of the spare car... just in time too. wife gets off work, sun is going down.. and i need to go spend some family time at the fire work show.
police are in full effect... and the crowd is pretty big! they are filling the street up...
the sun goes down, and it's showtime!
finaly was dope, and very loud... but we had fun.
monday morning.
8am.
i'm on jackstands.
getting active, cause i need to get to Pro-Am the next day. in the middle of me getting down and dirty... i get called for work. FFFUUUuuuuuuckin A man. what the heck!?
well i go to work, and the job is half done... but the homie greg and ray decided to help me out and come assist in the install at my house while i was at work. them having lives of their own, they couldnt dedicate a ton of time to it... but they did what they could, and left me with minor things to do when i got off... but it seemed as tho i would never get off... being at work for over 13 hours due to massive work, and Raging fires...
my train and my crew were stuck. it cannot get to my car, my time is out the window, and it doesnt look like i can make it to pro-am. i finally get off at 3am, and on a regular competition day, i would be loaded up and leaving at 5am... there is no way for me to get this transmission done on days of no sleep, and after a 13+hr day ANd drive all the way up to willows and try to be competitive at pro am in less than 2 hours.
so i throw the towel in, and i get some MUCH needed sleep.
tuesday.
9:45am.
im up early.. and i am seeing doors getting kicked in, and people getting apprehended. lol.
i figured, hell... might aswell, get started on the completion of this install. only thing on my mind is that everyone is in drivers meetings, and i'm home. hella sad again. either way, im active.
not too much stuff to do, but shit is everywhere, and i definitely need to sort thru it all, and make sure i dont forget or leave anything out.
install is complete, fluids are filled, and car is back on the ground.
i put the car back on, wash her up, and she is ready for the next day. Sonoma drift....
i was just curious, because to me... i still didnt understand what failed on my trans. so i decided to investigate, we found the culprit.
this crap was like.... errywhere. damn, i fragged the transmission pretty good.
sooooo, now it's wednesday. Sonoma Drift day! i got the transmission in, and its in the back of my mind if it is a good install or not, lol... but fuck it, time to test it.
while i was setting up the track, i decided to go for a test run... to test teh track, AND to see if the car would hold up today. heres a short in car view.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1965939585950
here is another run, outside the car, cold tires.
but either way, it was buisness as normal at SD. i'm constantly watching over the drivers... evaluating skill levels, offering pointers, and generally enjoying everyone energy.
a few people were asking for ride alongs from me... so i took some time out to oblige.
i got on a solo run for the first ride along.
showed some good speed too.
but the next few ridealongs... i gave the passengers a taste of tandemz.
needless to say... at this moment, i am drifting more than i ever have in my life.. i am getting to come into my own, develope a sick style, and apparently onlookers and peers are nurturing me to do better. i super dig whats going on. i missed Pro-Am round3. but i couldnt be happier at the moment, i am living what i love... and honestly, competition isnt everything. at this rate, i should be a formidable opponent to someone when i do finally buckle down and completely focus on the competition aspect of drifting. so that has been my current life... from wednesday to wednesday, were still on a roll, but i will have to share that stuff with you later.
but for now, i am totally happy with life the way it is, and hella excited for the future.
if you guys are local in the area... come hang wit' ya boy. drive, experience what it is to partake in grassroots drifting in Norcal... this surge is foreal, and we are going to make a mark.
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