Kevin Lawrence on FDORL ’18!!!!

Kevin Lawrence on FDORL ’18!!!!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Kevin Lawrence takes time and gives us his experience at Formula Drift Orlando! With a such a busy schedule this year, we are always super excited to hear how it went down and what he has in-store for us this 2018 season…

“Hey Everyone! Kevin here again with my recap of Formula D Orlando.

After a bumpy start to the season with having to run our R32 demo car for the season opener in Long Beach. We rushed back to Florida and got to work on getting the S14 back together and ready for OSW. We were able to get the engine that seized before long beach back together and back in the car which meant another quick trip to see my tuner Martin from RS Enthalpy on Monday before the event. Thankfully we had a quick easy session on the dyno with the car putting down around 850whp we were ready for Orlando.

Thursday Practice

Thursday I got in about 6 laps at the track, this being my first time driving the car with the new tire brand, tire size, and much more power I was able to put down a few runs more so to just shake the car down. But over all, the car did great for its first passes since last September in Pro2 TX.

Friday

Friday morning started with a gear change in the car to take out some excessive wheel speed the car had and to dial in more car speed. I was able to put together some clean runs before it was time for qualifying. My first pass for qualifying I scored a 77 with a nice and easy pass just doing what I could with the minimal amount of time I had in the car. Going into my second run I wanted to push a bit harder for a higher score but also not being 100% settled it in the car yet I ended up dialing it back just before I entered causing some wavering on the bank which ended up resulting in me scoring a 76 on my second pass.

After the Friday drivers meeting it was confirmed that my first battle would be Odi Bakchis which I was stoked for.

Saturday

After getting only another 4-5 runs in during practice before the top 32 battles it was time for me to pull to the line. Odi being the higher qualifier was up to lead first. Odi is known for being extremely fast so I knew not to give him an inch on the run up, However this ending up messing me up in the end. On the run up I was overly aggressive behind him and didn’t give myself much room behind him to set the car properly on initiation. I choked up after initiation on the bank and wavered a bit which immediately pushed me to a lower line on the bank. I did everything I could to gain proximity to him as well as keeping my run as tidy as possible but going into the second battle I knew he had the edge over me. Now in the lead position I gave it my all and put the car high on the bank and ran the best pass I had done all weekend. I kept the car super high on the bank bumping the wall once or twice as we went around and checked off all my marks on the clipping points before passing the finish. This was the line/pass I should have been doing all weekend but with no prior testing to get acclimated to the car it just came to be a bit late unfortunately. After a few minutes from the judges they came back with awarding Odi the win where he would advance on to the top 16.

All in all the weekend went off great, first time in the car I learned so much. No major problems with the car all weekend and for once I could say I left Orlando with my rear bumper 100% intact haha. Huge thanks again to the crew for all their hard work and enduring the heat of Orlando and helping keep the myself and the car cool. Also, many thanks to my sponsors, friends and fans. You all are the reason I’m out here doing this and with out the love and support, who knows where I would be haha.

Thank you everyone!”

-Kevin

Kevin is running Konig Dekagram in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Dekagram is Flow Formed.

2018 Konig Formula Drift Drivers

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Getting to know 2018 Konig Supported Formula Drift Drivers

The 2018 Formula Drift Season is in full effect with the Streets of Long Beach just behind us and Orlando approaching this weekend. We thought we’d take a few minutes and give you a quick rundown of our 2018 FD drivers and telling you what wheels and fitment they’re running. Check them out, show them love, and remember to follow their journey this season here! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin Lawrence – Formula Drift (RB30DET powered Nissan S14.3)

Kevin Lawrence hails from Florida and has been drifting Nissan cars as long as we can remember. He took home the 2015 Three Palms Drift Championship and has never looked back in his drifting career. His reliable RB30DET powered Nissan 240sx helped him drift his way to the Pro 2 championship last season. An amazing victory at Texas Motor Speedway with all the pressure in the world on his shoulders allowed him to become Pro 2 championship by the thinnest margin in Formula Drift history of just two points.

Kevin Lawrence and the Enjuku Racing team are clear favorites for the 2018 Formula Drift Rookie of the Year award in the pro series. Kevin also is heavily involved in the drifting community in Florida and tours the country with his demo R32 Nissan Skyline to events like Hyperfest in Virginia.

Kevin is running Konig Dekagram in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Dekagram is Flow Formed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Vankirk (SR20DET powered Nissan 240sx)

Matt VanKirk comes to you from the Northwest where the drift scene is strong! He really has become known for his aggressive driving style and his 3rd place, podium finish in Formula Drift Pro 2 last year. This year he is now stepping it up a notch as he competes in Formula Drift Pro! We’re excited to watch MVK try and earn that FD Rookie of the Year award! 

Matt is running Konig Hypergrams in 18×9.5 et 25mm front and 18×10.5 et 25 rear in Race Bronze. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ryan Litteral – Formula Drift & Pro 2 (LS3 powered Nissan 350z)

Ryan Litteral is a driver famous for having a drift vehicle with top class style over the years. Ryan comes from Southern California and has been drifting for 12 years now. He earned his license with his black S14 in the Just Drift series back in 2013. His last appearance in Pro 2 was in 2016 where he finished a solid 6th  place running his own program.

For the 2018 season he has teamed up with KoruWorks in Marietta, Georgia to campaign an LS3 powered Nissan 350z. The team will attend all four rounds that have a Pro/Pro 2 weekend and they will do double duty trying to sweep the Formula Drift weekend with a victory at both levels. You can also catch his YouTube series called IT’S LITT! Documenting his demo car 240sx build.

Ryan is running Konig Ampliform in 18×9 et 15mm front and 18×10 et 20mm rear in DARK METALLIC GRAPHITE. The Konig Ampliform is Flow Formed.

 

Geoff Donati

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geoff Donati – Formula Drift Pro 2 (LS3 powered Nissan 240sx)

Geoff Donati hails from a small town in Ohio and once he discovered drifting he wasted no time heading out to the track to give it a shot. His first full season of Pro-Am soon followed at the Midwest Drift Union in 2016 and where he fell just short of earning a license when the year ended by one point! Geoff went right back to MDU for the 2017 season and managed to win almost every round that year and became champion of the series with ease.

Geoff Donati dominates his competitors with consistency and some have even compared him to a young Chris Forsberg. He seems incapable of making a mistake at times behind the wheel and looks to carry that ice in the veins approach into Pro 2 for 2018

Geoff is running Konig Hypergrams in 18×9.5 et 25mm front and 17×8 et 40mm rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

 

Travis Reeder Konig Ultraform

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travis Reeder – Formula Drift Pro 2 (LS3 powered Nissan 240sx)

Travis Reeder is a drifter from the Pacific Northwest who cut his teeth in the Evergreen Drift series. Travis dominated the 2016 season in the Evergreen Drift Pro Am easily becoming the champion of this regional Pro Am series. He made his Pro 2 debut last season and managed to earn Rookie of the Year for his amazing efforts behind the wheel in his 240sx. In fact, he was basically announced champion at Texas Motor Speedway and could only mathematically lose if Kevin Lawrence qualified first and then won the event. Sadly, that happened and he finished the season in second place by the smallest margin in Formula Drift history after some amazing drifting all year.

Travis Reeder caught the world’s attention when he won Road Atlanta last year and took a commanding early lead in the Pro 2 championship. He has committed to the Pro 2 season again for 2018 and is determined to win the championship at all costs.

Travis is running Konig Ultraforms in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9 et 25mm rear. The Konig Ultraforms is Flow Formed.

 

Kelsey Rowlings Konig Hypergram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kelsey Rowlings (5.0L Coyote powered Nissan 240sx)

Kelsey Rowlings earned her Pro 2 license in the Three Palms Drift series down in Florida and became the first-ever female to earn a Pro 2 license through the Pro-Am drift promotion ladder. Kelsey was one of the few drifters who traveled in the younger part of her career and she managed to also compete in the Streetwise Drift, Lone Star Drift, and XDC series before stepping into the Pro 2 stage.

Kelsey’s engine package makes her one of the most unique car setups on grid in 2018. Instead of the traditional LS-engine setup, her team has picked the 5.0L engine out of a new Mustang GT to power her 240sx. Kelsey returns to the Pro 2 series in 2018 looking to outperform last season.

Kelsey is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25mm rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

 

Garrett Denton Konig Dekagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett Denton (2JZ powered Nissan 240sx)

Garrett Denton is one of the most unique racers in the Pro 2 field today. At the age of 14, Garrett was the youngest driver to win a sanctioned NASCAR event race in North America. His love of driving and racing started as early as 5 years old and he has been behind the wheel ever since. Garrett also came from the Midwest Drift Union series where he finished in second place in 2017 and took plans to run in the Pro 2 series.

His Pro 2 campaign involves a crew full of University of Northwest Ohio graduates where he also attended college earning an in dual Associates Degree in High-Performance Motorsports Technology and Automotive Technology. Garrett will be taking to the Pro 2 circuit with a 2JZ powered Nissan 240sx with support from Koruworks to help him make a run for the championship.  

Garrett is running Konig Dekagram in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25mm rear. The Konig Dekagram is Flow Formed.

 

Alec Robbins Konig Hypergram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alec Robbins (LS powered Nissan 350z)

Alec Robbins is a unique individual who famously ran a slammed pickup truck drift build with an LSX engine in the Pro-Am ranks. Alec Robbins saw success as the 2016 Midwest Drift Union champion and made his rookie year debut in 2017 in the Koruworks 350z for some Pro 2 rounds.

Looking forward to the 2018 Pro 2 season, Alec Robbins has built his own 350z with a LS engine making 550/560 to the wheels. This should be a great setup to keep up with the competition at all four rounds of the Formula Drift Pro 2 series.

Alec is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear in RED OPAL. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

 

Adam Knapik Rennform

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adam Knapik (LS powered Nissan 240sx)

Adam Knapik hails from Southern California and earned his Pro 2 license through the Just Drift Pro-Am series. In 2016, he managed to take home the Just Drift Championship and has been working to improve his LS-powered Nissan 240sx ever since. His day job is a Porsche driving instructor giving him endless amounts of time behind the wheel of racecars. Moving into the 2018 Pro 2 season we cannot wait to see what Knapik Racing has put together to go out and compete with the big boys of Pro 2.

Adam is running Konig Rennforms in 18×9 et 23 all the way around. The Konig Rennforms is Flow Formed.

 

Donovan Brockway e30 beast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donovan Brockway (LS powered 2014 BMW 2-Series)

While Donovan Brockway has opted to take the 2018 season off he is still a part of the Konig Wheels Drift team. His 2018 season off is allowing him to put a new “BeastMW” together that starts with an F22 BMW 2-series chassis that will have a full HGK carbon/Kevlar widebody kit and one big RHS 427 race engine. We know Donovan will be missed on the paddock this year but we cannot wait to follow his build progress and see it debut on Konig Wheels in the 2019 Pro 2 season.

Donovan is currently running Konig Rennforms in 18×8 et 35mm front and 18×9 et 35 rear on his 1000hp e30. The Konig Rennforms is Flow Formed.
ampliform

However on the F22 he will be running the Konig Ampliform’s! Make sure to stay tuned to his build!

LITTLE’S NEW LIVERY FOR 2018!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Savanna Little has been a long-time friend and sponsored driver of Konig Wheels and its about that time of the year, where all drivers are revealing their new livery for the season! We are super excited to display and debut Savanna’s new livery for 2018 of the LS350z!

Savanna Little is a Konig Sponsored Driver and currently runs Konig Hypergram in 18×10.5 et 25mm all around. The Konig hypergram is Flow Formed.

Make sure to follow Savanna Little on INSTAGRAM!

Hamilton hits FDSEA Hard!!!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

**** GUEST BLOG – BY NATE HAMILTON****

FORMULA DRIFT SEATTLE – PRO Round 6 | August 4th and 5th

Photo: provided by @CoreyDenomy + @Max_fuerst + @Valtersboze

Here we go again, another Formula Drift Recap presented by Konig Wheels, at your fingertips. ha! I want to start this recap by saying, thanks if you are reading this

This recap will cover Formula Drift, round 6.

hypergram

Seattle, Evergreen Speedway. My first impression…. this track is FAST. I know what you’re thinking…Atlanta is also fast. But it’s different… this track we enter fast and then go faster. Such a Rush! Teams clocked speeds of upper 80’s coming off the exit of the bank.

Evergreen Speedway

Thursday schedule, two practice sessions. The first session was basically a shake down. Remember I missed the 2016 season being in Pro2, this makes for some quick progression keeping up with the Pro1 class. Luckily, with my spotter Matt Perkins, I was able to make sense of the line and get comfortable.

Nate Hamilton

Thursday’s practice, for the most part, is especially fun, running with some of the best drifters in the world.

Friday morning, Qualifying is my main focus. Personal goal, try and qualify 11th or better. Reason being, my highest qualifying result is 13th to this day.

Qualifying results: Run1 = 79 Run2= 84
Overall Qualifying I landed in 15th position battling the 18th position which is Justin Pawlak. Not the result we were looking to accomplish but I feel great about my battle with Pawlak.

Nate Hamilton

Saturday Main Event, two goals, beat Pawlak and then beat Ryan Tuerck. This is the part of the story that hurts to type…

Nate Hamilton

You know that feeling when you don’t make many mistakes, but the mistake you do make is a big one… Welp, that sums up my battle with Pawlak.

240sx

This photo above is not a good look. Argh! I made a mistake and was late on the throttle… With the grip added to the car, this can result in a huge correction. In the wrong place, this is a front end collision to the wall. OUCH!

I do have a great team on my side and my right-hand man Bub Robarge, Is hard at work at Enjuku Racing getting this issue straightened out, literally. ha!

240sx

Huge thanks to everyone checking out this Konig Recap. I have a great group of Family/Friends/Sponsors surrounding me and thru the good times and bad times I am thankful for the opportunity to pilot this Nissan and I can’t wait for another opportunity compete and make my dreams a reality. Until Next time, Much love.

Top 5 Finish for Kevin Lawrence!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

**** GUEST BLOG – BY KEVIN LAWRENCE****

FORMULA DRIFT SEATTLE – PRO 2 Round 3 | August 4th and 5th

Whats up guys! Im back with my FD Seattle Recap for your reading pleasure.

Seattle!

After a long 4day drive from Florida I finally arrived to Seattle with my crew guy Justin. A quick stop by the track on Wednesday to drop the trailer off and take a track walk reminded me just how awesome this track was. I have not been to this track in 2 years since the last pro2 stop there in 2015. My last time out there I had some car troubles that prevented me from qualifying so redemption is what I was here for!

Thursday the whole crew arrived at the track early for pit setup and a quick once over on both my and Nate’s cars. After bolt checks and drivers meetings it was time to get behind the wheel. Seattle is a very fast track from the beginning but slows down quite a bit once the cars come off the main wall. First set of tires out was a feeler to get me into the groove of driving again since our last competition was about 3 months prior in Atlanta, We did have some days of car setup and testing but nothing really gets a driver in the proper mindset like the actual comp/qualifying days. Second set of tires now on the car and it was time to get the high line on the bank figured out. This is a rather intimidating thing as our entry speeds into the first turn are in the high 70s to lower 80s mph. I didnt quite get the line figured out on the 2nd set so 3rd set I decided to bump into my old friend the wall out there with the rear bumper just so I it knew I was back and town. Once I got the car up there and bumped the wall it was like a the flip of a switch and now I was in the groove on the high line and everything was coming together on the rest of the course in the second practice.

Qualifying.

Befrore the first pass out the team and I noticed the track temps had cooled down a bit and that eant the car was going to have a bit more bite in it which may make it harder to keep the rear up on the wall. We made some adjustments to slightly loosen up the car some and im glad we did! First pass out netted me a score of a 82! Going into the second pass we again made a bit of adjustment to the car to loosen it up a bit as the track was still cooling down as the sun was setting. My second pass out I was looking to better my score and it wasnt as clean as a pass as I wanted it to be I did better my score with an 83! After the rest of the field had made their second pass we were called to a drivers breifing to go over the official results. I landed a 5th place qualifying position putting me up against Danny George again in the top 16. Danny and I had ran against each other in Orlando where I took the win so I was ready for battle again!

Battles!

My first battle in Seattle was Danny George I was the higher qualifier so I was up to lead first. The track after practice had gripped up a bunch and unlike when it was time for qualifying the amount of grip we took out of the just wasnt enough. I wasnt able to get the tires spinning as much as I wanted on the run up to do the flick entry I had been doing before. So my entry was quite slow to angle and I was fighting the cars grip to keep it high on the bank but I did end up coming down early. From the start im not sure what happened with Danny if he didnt see the lights go out or what but I he had slept quite a bit on the line which gave me a very large lead gap on this run that he wasnt able to make up fully before the finish line. Going into my follow Danny got a gap on me on the entry that I was forced to take a shallower line on the bank to make up the distance. Closing the gap by the touch and go and really reeling him in just before the first inside clip, He made the mistake of going a bit wide on that first inside clip which ended up choking him off for the second inside clip. With no real room for him to get the car to transition around the second clip he had a moment of driving straight just as he passed the clip right before I made some slight contact with his rear bumper pushing him a bit just before the finish line. After a few mins of the judges reviewing the footage i was deemed the winner of the battle and advanced into the Top 8 where I would be up against Matt Vankirk.

This time Matt was the higher qualifier so I was due to follow first. We entered in high on the bank and I made the mistake of getting on the foot brake just a bit to much to keep the car higher on the bank for this pass which ended up giving Matt a chance to make some ground on me. I kept he car high on the bank behind him and did my best to make up the ground as well as I could. Going into the first front clip I attacked to make some ground and went a bit agressive and too shallow of a line and took out the first enter clip before making the final transition and finishing off the run. Now back at the start line it was me to lead and I knew I had to make this one count with my mistakes in the follow position. I entered high on the bank and stayed there Matt this time ended up with a bit of a lower line but good proximity to me. I filled the touch and go as well as the second outter zone and had a fast and tight line at the first front clip. Matt at this time did nearly a similar mistake to mine and went in a bit too agressive and bumped the inner clip just as I had one. I kept as much speed through the first clip as I could to finish the run out strong but ended up over throwing the transition causing me to nearly spin the car completely forcing me to pretty much “crab walk” the car through the finish line in hopes that it would be a full pull on the run. After a just a moment of consideration the Judges deemed my mistake on the lead run at the finish line was enough for me to hand Matt the win. Matt would later go on to the top of the podium with a first place finish here in Seattle at his home track.

All in all Seattle was a absoulte blast of the team and I, We were able to come back and over come our previous years bad luck of not qualifying and take home a 5th place finish!

I again want to thank everyone apart of the team for all of their hard work and efforts put into our program. By the current points standings things are looking good for me moving up to the Pro1 ranks next season and I honestly wouldnt be here with out everyones support. Texas is just a few weeks away so with a quick once over of the car we will be ready for battle in Texas with high hopes of a strong finish and moving up a few ranks in the series!

Thanks!
-Kevin

Kevin is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.
Make sure to follow Kevin Lawrence on INSTAGRAM!

The Konig team is ready for Formula Drift Round 6!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – Round 6 | August 4th & 5th
As Formula Drift descends on Seattle, WA this weekend for round 6 (round 3 of pro2), Konig sponsored drivers from all over the country are making their way to the city of coffee and rain. Hopefully it wont rain this weekend because we’re excited to see what will be served up at Evergreen Speedway. With this season only a few events from the end, we thought we would give you a quick rundown of some of our FD drivers.

THE KONIG FORMULA DRIFT TEAM


Nate Hamilton has returned back to FD Pro and has really shown his skills and maturity in the sport. This season as proven to be almost a graduate course for Nate. He has had more top 16 finishes this season then in his entire career. It just seems that Nate gets better and better at each event. That has shown through his confident and aggressive driving. Currently in 16th place the last two events this season are going to be defining for Hamilton. Of course it will be his best professional season in Formula Drift but it will also be an incredible benchmark in his professional drifting career. We’re super proud of Nate and are excited to be part of his program. Go get’em Nate!

Nate is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.


Kevin Lawrence is for sure a rising star in the Formula Drift series. With his most recent win at FD Orlando, Kevin and the Enjuku Racing team are pushing for another “W” in Seattle and are chasing that championship. Kevin is an extremely knowledgable and all around great person. He is the definition of a true enthusiast not to mention has one of the coolest cars in FD pro2 with his right hand drive RB25 powered S14. Kevin is making that journey across the country and looks nothing less than ready and prepared to come out on top! Kevin is currently in 5th place.

Kevin is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.


Travis Reeder is a 100% the one to beat on the PRO 2 track! The battle for the series at this point could be a face off between two Konig sponsored drivers, Reeder and Lawrence. Travis placed 2nd in Orlando to Kevin Lawrence but took the win in Atlanta. He is currently in 1st place in the pro 2 rankings. Travis and his 240SX are on Konig Ultraforms and are coming into Seattle armed and ready to take out the competition!

Travis is running Konig Ultraforms in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9 et 25 rear. The Konig Ultraforms is Flow Formed.


Kelsey Rowlings is an exciting driver to watch and definitely ready to show the field what she’s made of. Kelsey’s driving style is super agressive which makes her the one you can’t keep your eyes off. She’s struggled a bit the first half of the season but not due to lack of effort or skill. Seattle could really be an exciting breakout event for her. Its refreshing seeing a women driver in professional drifting but be very clear, Kelsey is as solid of a professional drift driver as anyone in pro 2. Make sure to keep your eyes on her, because she really is an incredible driver!

Kelsey is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.


Donovan Brockway and the Red Baron team are like no other! His turbo E30 BMW, nicknamed “theBeast”, throws more smoke than you can imagine and the platform is one of the sickest in FD. Brockway is another one of those extremely aggressive drivers. They have been working out the kinks the first half but its looking better and better every event. When they put it all together Donovan is going to pop in to action in a major way! Follow Donovan and the Red Baron team as they prepare to move up on the rankings in this round of Formula Drift Pro 2!

Donovan is running Konig Rennforms in 18×8 et 35mm front and 18×9 et 35 rear. The Konig Rennforms is Flow Formed.


Alec Robbins and the Koruworks team are getting the 350Z on Konig Hypergrams ready for the FD Seattle! If you follow pro-am drifting last year and a bunch of grassroots drifting events you will know this dude can drive. Pairing him with one of the coolest shops on the East Coast (Koruworks) is a killer combo. Alec is currently in 15th place and is looking to show the field whats up! Unfortunately he wont be driving in Seattle due to mechanical issues, however look for him at Gridlife and back at FD Texas.

Alec is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear in BRONZE. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.


Adam Knapik had a rough start to the Formula Drift season. It seemed like anything that could go wrong…well…went wrong for Adam. Blown engine, crazy electrical problems, etc, etc. So this round is definitely one of redemption for Adam and his team! Gearing up the V8 powered 240SX on Konig Rennforms, stay tuned and be ready to see Knapik lace up the track this time around!

Adam is running Konig Rennforms in 18×9 et 23 all the way around. The Konig Rennforms is Flow Formed.


Matt Vankirk is now part of the Konig family and we are super excited to have him. With a ranking of #4 on the PRO 2 board with 105pts, which is only 2 points away from 2nd place, it’s obvious Matt and his team are aiming for the top spot! MVK took second place at FD Atlanta right behind Travis Reeder. Who knows how that battle would have ended up as a mechanical issue forced MVK to shut the car down just as he entered into the first battle between him and Reeder. This event will be a test to see if MVK, Lawrence or Reeder will be the top Konig sponsored Pro 2 driver. Super exciting! Be sure to check out Matt’s 240sx on Konig Hypergrams!

Matt is running Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

Nate Hamilton Recap Formula Drift: Montreal, Canada!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

**** GUEST BLOG – BY NATE HAMILTON****

FORMULA DRIFT MONTREAL CANADA – PRO 1 Round 5 | July 14th and 15th

Photos by: @coreydenomy

Nate Hamilton here, this recap covers my 5th round of Formula Drift. This event marks 5/8 our season is over half way complete.

This was my second trip to Canada. If I remember correctly, the first time was in 2012, with XDC. 5 years later I am finally able to return.



Being that this was basically my first time running this track layout.. it took me a few laps to catch on. Thursday’s conditions, dry and sunny.

Friday morning was a whole other animal. With no sun in sight and the rain pouring down we had a practice session before qualifying.

At this point I was still trying to figure out the track… lol 
Qualifying came quick and I was slightly nervous.

First run, with conditions half wet half dry… I scored a 61. Not the best. But a score. The second run, the track was drying out, I knew I had a score so I tried to remember my laps on Thursday, I landed an 82. Putting me in 13th overall for qualifying.

“Michael Essa vs Nate Hamilton” the headlines read, ha! I knew this was going to be a challenge and some would have counted me out on this battle. Essa is a champion and a real competitor. But I was focused and knew I would win! We had an insane battle, he lost his tire. We pushed harder as the crowd got way into the battle. I won, man it’s a great feeling to know you can do something and then actually accomplish it.



“Fredrick Aasbo vs Nate Hamilton” ok, ok! For sure I’m the underdog in this position. But, anything is possible. I kept my focus before the battle staying calm and collected. As soon as we left the line I realized I could have used a bit more grip in the car. I struggled with my timing coming out of the first outer zone and one mistake can cost the battle. Hats off to Fredrick, he is a true sportsman and it was a great learning experience to battle him in the top 16!



Results – As the event ended and my results rolled in… I kept my same position and closed the gap by gaining some valuable points in the championship race. We are 20 points away from Chris Forsberg and I cant be more stoked for Seattle Round 6!

2017 point standings: Pro1
Round 1: 22nd – Top32 Finish  
Round 2: 20th – Top16 Finish
Round 3: 17th – Top16 Finish
Round 4: 16th – Top16 Finish 
Round 5: 16th – Top16 Finish 
Round 6:
Round 7:         
Round 8: 

Huge thanks to my entire team and team of sponsors. It’s 100% a blessing to be in the position I am in today and I won’t forget these moments.

Nate Hamilton is a Konig Sponsored Professional Drift driver that competes in Formula Drift Pro Series. Nate runs as part of the Enjuku Racing team and drifts on Konig Hypergrams in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9.5 et 25 rear. The Konig Hypergram is Flow Formed.

Make sure to follow Nate on INSTAGRAM!

Nate Hamilton recaps Formula Drift New Jersey

Posted on by Konig Gfx

**** GUEST BLOG – BY NATE HAMILTON****

FORMULA DRIFT WALL, NJ – PRO 1 Round 4 | June 2 and 3

Photos by: @coreydenomy

Whats going on everyone, Nate Hamilton here! Today I am writing about my experience from Wall Stadium, in New Jersey.

Coming from the Pro2 class, this track was not on our 2016 Pro2 schedule.. with that being said, I’m especially excited to get behind the wheel. This track is one of my favorites, purely for the wall riding and gnarly bank drop into the infield also the sweeping outer lines, this track is challenging but rewarding once you get it.

Thursday’s practice ended stronger than it started. Right from the start, I realized I had the “wall” section figured out, but my timing on the lower infield section was slightly behind the curve of the others.



Our team is always looking for grip. Bub Robarge is always saying “It’s easy to take grip out, but a challenge to find it.” Thursday’s practice we swapped spring rates, made a gear change, and went thru our rebound setting on the BC Racing Coilovers.

After our adjustments and a full day of practice, we are moving in the right direction and I feel ready for qualifying.

Being that this is a Konig Blog. ha, I’m going to give a quick shoutout to my dude, Scott Weiss. We signed on with Konig in 2016 and he has been right there if we needed anything. I just wanted to say it was awesome to see you at the event, thanks again Scott and I’m excited for the projects ahead.

Game Time: Friday’s qualification!

Run #1 = 87
Run #2 = 81

Friday morning I felt good vibes and I knew the goal for qualifying, My first run.. the judges gave me an 87! I found the wall and lost another bash bar and my infield section was committed. I felt that was a fair score.
The 87 put me in 13th position.

the Top32 bracket was released, I would battle Pat Goodin in the Top32.



Next, Top16 opening ceremonies. Out of 4 rounds, this would be my 3rd consecutive Top16. Making my mom proud and sh*t, haha!  

This is a personal best, I appreciate everyone’s support as you reach out and cheer me on, I can’t thank you enough. More to come, we are building and getting stronger each race.

Next, I would battle Kristaps Bluss. For the record, it’s our second time to battle and I really don’t want him to win again. lol

Kristaps Bluss Wins! haha, I ended the battle on the first turn, dang! The front end pushed as I recall getting back into the throttle just a hair late. Bummer, I took myself out. Lesson learned and moving forward!

Wrecking and losing a battle is never how you want to end the race. But we took home some positives. My personal best qualifying score with 13th. Also, my 3rd Top16 in row this season, just missing Long Beach.

We are halfway through the season and an update on my current point standings are… 

Round 1: 22nd – Top32 Finish
Round 2: 20th – Top16 Finish
Round 3: 17th – Top16 Finish
Round 4: 16th – Top16 Finish
Round 5:
Round 6:
Round 7:
Round 8:

Alright, thanks for reading. I’m headed back to the shop, time to fix the car and start getting ready for Canada!
Thanks again to everyone making this happen: Enjuku Racing/ Hankook Tires/ BC Racing/ Competition Clutch/ Vibrant Performance/ Konig Wheels/ Formula Drift/ Molly Water Co./ HJC motorsports/ Alpinestars and the entire crew and crews family!

Nate Hamilton & Enjuku team ready FDNJ!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Everytime we go out to any motorsport event its always impressive to see the behind the scenes. How much work it actually takes to run a program and to get a vehicle dialed in for competition is beyond impressive. More then that it is something that as an enthusiast you loose thought of because you’re only able to see the final show.

Watching the Enjuku Racing team is certainly no exception. So first lets give you a glimpse into what that actually looks like. On first sight you can literally feel the energy and intensity as everyone is working hard on the car in the final moments before the practice session starts. Right before the start of practice, walking into the Enjuku tent, the cars are clean, already race ready, setup with fresh tires and all fueled up. Hamilton is suited and moments away from jumping into the car to start the long process off tweaking the cars.

Over the next 5 hours all of the FD drivers would get maybe 10-12 runs give or take. At first, after runs the cars would end up back in the pits having changes made. Changing out gear sets, swapping tires, adjusting suspension, adjusting tire pressures and occasionally taking a quick break to hydrate up and have a quick conversation with team members and spotters about the strategy of how to attack that given track.

To be honest, its incredible to watch how dialed Nate and the Enjuku Racing crew are able to become in just a short amount of time. But by the end of the day on Thursday, the car looked ready, Nate had great lines and was looking aggressive and confident.

Friday’s qualifying proved to be no different. Nate’s First qualifying run was an 87, which would be his highest run. That score was solid enough to place him 13th and positioned to square off against Pat Goodin today in the top 32! We wish Nate and all of the Enjuku Racing team the best of luck. Make sure to tune in today on Youtube (NETWORK A account) or Formula Drift Live Page to watch Hamilton take on Goodin at 1:30pm EST!

Sometimes Champions Struggle

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Kevin Lawrence is a real champion. Not because of his win at Formula Drift Orlando in Pro II. Certainly not because of the struggles he encountered at FD Atlanta. Kevin Lawrence is a champion because no matter what happens, he pushes past it with class, dignity and the attitude that real champions have. Lawrence struggled at Road Atlanta and missed qualifying. The car had some significant setup changes that happened after Orlando, he had limited practice seat time and flat out had a few technical difficulties. Thats racing folks! Sometimes you win, other times you get kicked in the teeth and are forced to drink massive amounts of alcohol. But that doesn’t stop his love for the sport or the fact that when pro 2 returns to the west coast, Lawrence will be there showing them what champions look like and exactly what they do!

Kevin Lawrence now takes over our blog to recap his experience at FD Atlanta….

**** GUEST BLOG – BY KEVIN LAWRENCE****

FORMULA DRIFT ATLANTA – PRO 2 Round 3

Photos by: Corey Denomy / Video by: Corey Denomy / Enjuku Racing

FD Atlanta was a tough one for sure, We showed up with a few changes to the car since our win in Orlando which were great changes for the better but with out proper testing of the new setup I had trouble figuring the car out. Biggest change was we were on the New Hankook RS4 tire for Atlanta after being on their Ventus V12 tire in Orlando. The V12 is a great street tire but was quite slick in Orlando for competition so jumping to the new RS4 tire in Atlanta was a huge change.


First practice I had enough time for 3 laps on track, immediately on the first lap I could tell the car was going to drive completely different. On the entry when I went to pull the hand brake for Turn 1 I was surpised to find out how grippy the new tires were as I was not even able to lock the rear wheels with the hand brake. We made some adjustments to tire pressure, shocks, and final drive gear change and got the hand brake to cooperate but the amount of grip the car had I was still struggling with getting the tires to spin in 4th gear for the exit of the course.


Second practice we went in with another gear change in the rear end and this seemed to be our ideal gear selection / wheel speed combo. However I was still struggling with getting the first turn figured out and getting the car to float enough off throttle and have the car settled just right to power through the first clip. After our mere 3 runs in the second practice it was time to be thrown to the wolves and make an attempt to qualify.


Qualifying order had me going dead last as after my first place win in Orlando put me in the points lead going into Atlanta. This is a blessing and a curse as its really awesome to be able to watch how the field does before my runs but at the same time the gap from my last practice run to my first qualifying attempt is quite some time when there is around 30 drivers taking their turn to qualify. First run out I didn’t expect the track to cool down as much as it did so I attempted to enter how I had been doing in my second practice session. With the drastic temp change to the track the grip levels had spiked up again and me not being ready for it after the hand brake initiation trying to get the car setup for the first turn was met with a huge amount of grip that swung the front end of the car back forward and caused me to understeer off the edge of the track. Frustrated with my self and the outcome I shut down my lap attempt and returned to the top of the hill to clear my head and get ready for the second attempt. After the field had all taken their second qualifying runs I was last up to bat at my qualifying attempt. Now knowing the grip levels of the track I chucked the car into the first turn way more aggressive than I had been doing all day. Finally the car got settled properly and was heading in the proper direction for the first clip. However just as I got to the front clip and go to drop the hammer and get back on throttle I’m met with the sound of my car hitting the limiter but the wheels were not spinning. Yet again my car has decided to knock itself out of gear but this time at the worst time imaginable. I hammered the shifter now as hard as i could to get it now into 3rd and complete the pass for a score but the time the car wasn’t making any movement from being in neutral was long enough to net me with my second 0 score and ending my weekend in Atlanta.

I want to give a huge shout out to the team at this round they jumped under the car multiple times to make the changes needed to help me get the car and myself figured out. Unfortunately our transmission issue is still haunting us but we have now removed the transmission to have it throughly tested on a transmission dyno to see if we can figure out if the issue is possibly a bent internal main shaft or possibly something else internally out that we just cant see with the naked eye. We will get a bunch of practice in the break between the next round and will have the car dialed and ready for Seattle!