Motorsports

Many professional racing drivers and drifters, prior to hitting the bigtime, have had to hold down “normal” Monday through Friday jobs. Typically these 9-to-5 vocations are at least tangentially automotive-related (e.g. mechanic or taxi driver), but not always. Some work in food services, some work in retail, and still others work in education. NASCAR star Carl Edwards used to be a substitute teacher, 1983 Indianapolis 500 winner Tom Sneva is a former school principal, and pro drifter Daigo Saito has worked for a nursery school.

Never heard of Daigo Saito? Not too many Americans have, though it must be said even fewer had prior to this past weekend. You see, Saito – the 2008 D1 Grand Prix and 2011 Formula Drift Asia champion – didn’t just participate in his first American drifting competition in the Formula Drift season opener on the Streets of Long Beach; no, he finished on the podium, finishing ahead of many of the U.S. drift scene’s biggest names. Makes you want to know more about this guy, doesn’t it? Your wish is our command.

Those of us car junkies living in SoCal are spoiled by the sheer number of automotive related events and motorsports spectacles that seem to materialize almost every weekend from March through December. But with repetition comes desensitization. And some of us have become jaded and, dare I say, downright blasé about the scene of late. I too have succumbed to this fate.

That said, this past Friday and Saturday, Long Beach played host to Round 1 of the 2012 Formula Drift Pro Championship, a motorsports series that is to road racing what MMA is to boxing--a fresh, dynamic and fulfilling experience with instant gratification that may not have arguably the storied history yet but is definitely shaking things up. Modern day drifting has emerged from cars going sideways on deserted mountain roads in the wee hours of the morning to being broadcast on living room TV sets in a just a short chunk of time. Watching the action at Formula Drift these last couple of days reignited a spark for me that seemed to be precariously close to extinguishing.

This past Saturday, the famed streets of Long Beach once again played host to the opening round of the Formula Drift season. It was at this event that the GReddy / Scion Racing FR-S made its highly anticipated debut, driven by veteran driver Ken Gushi. And although the car may look like the street version of the Scion FR-S, what's underneath is of course very different. Even though the car was introduce at the Detroit AutoShow in January – the majority of the build actually took place after the car came from the show. Click past the break to see a bit more of just how much the team was able to do in just a few short months. 

Imagine the roaring engines, the squeal of the tyres, the concentration of the drivers, the screaming crowds, the searing heat and the amazing multi-million dollar F1 machines. This is Formula One, the most exciting time in sport each year and one which is now a multi-billion dollar industry. Drivers train for months beforehand to make sure they are in peak physical condition for the 300mph races in which they risk their life. F1 is technology at its best with F1 cars honed to perfection with over 80,000 components assembled so each nut and bolt is in exactly the right position.

The famous drivers and their equally famous cars compete for the top spot, one which they know will propel them to stardom and generate millions of dollars in their pay packet at the end of the season if they are successful. However, this comes with a price and one wrong move could see them out of the whole season, or worse, seriously injured or dead. In fact, F1 is a seriously dangerous sport, not just for the drivers but the pit stop teams and even the nearby crowds, but that is what makes it all the more exciting and an unforgettable experience. Check the graphic by (of all people) Ladbrokes Bingo below for a rundown of the new technology: