Behind The Wheel Podcast: BRIAN WADMAN [FORMULA DRIFT]

Behind The Wheel Podcast: BRIAN WADMAN [FORMULA DRIFT]

Posted on by Konig Gfx

From Snowmobiles and street bikes to Nissan 240SX’s!!! Since 2015, Wadman has been on a tear! Competing in US Drift, Klutch Kickers and now, Formula Drift ProSpec. Wadman stumbled onto Drifting after watching a Ready Set Drift demo for a car show at Lime Rock Park, Brian hasn’t look back since! In this podcast, he talks about what it takes to send it and what his future looks like in Drift!!!

For more on Brian Wadman, check out:
Instagram: ► @wadman_drift
Website: ► https://www.wadmandrift.com/
Facebook: ► https://www.facebook.com/wadmandrift/
YouTube: ► Wadman Drift YouTube channel

Thank you for Tuning in and please, if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please SUBSCRIBE! We’re on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and we always put the full video interviews on our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/konigwheels)

(we’d love if you subscribe there as well!) Thank you for listening!

 

FOLLOW:

Konig’s Instagram: @konigwheelsusa
https://www.instagram.com/konigwheelsusa/

Scott’s Instagram: @scott_konig
https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/

More on the Konig Behind The Wheel Podcast and to SUBSCRIBE:
https://konigwheels.compodcast

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Behind The Wheel Podcast: – FULL SEND!!! Ft. Derek Madison (FORMULA DRIFT)

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Full send!!! On this podcast, Scott (Konig Wheels, Vice President) and Jared (Konig Wheels, Marketing Coordinator) are joined by Formula Drift ProSpec Driver, Derek Madison! We talk about the current Formula Drift season, the FUELAB Fuel Systems 240SX S14 build and what is next for him when it comes to this sport!

And please, if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please SUBSCRIBE! We’re on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and we always put the full video interviews on our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/konigwheels)

(we’d love if you subscribe there as well!) Thank you for listening!

 

FOLLOW:

Derek’s Instagram: @derek_madison
https://www.instagram.com/derek_madison/

Konig’s Instagram: @konigwheelsusa
https://www.instagram.com/konigwheelsusa/

Scott’s Instagram: @scott_konig
https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/

Jared’s Instagram: @wheelandtorque
https://www.instagram.com/wheelandtorque/

www.konigwheels.com

More on the Konig Behind The Wheel Podcast and to SUBSCRIBE:
https://konigwheels.compodcast

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Behind The Wheel Podcast: – Wheel Wednesday – Jonathan “Cash” Hurst (FORMULA DRIFT)

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Today’s #wheelwednesday Podcast, Formula Drift Pro 2 Driver, Jonathan “Cash” Hurst will be joining us to talk about his podium finish season and how he got there. With so much adversity in 2020, we get to pick his brain on how the Formula Drift stage look like from the prospective of a driver and so much more.

Thank you for your support and for listening/watching!

And please, if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please SUBSCRIBE! We’re on iTunes, Google Play and we always put the full video interviews on our YouTube Channel ( https://www.youtube.com/konigwheels )

(we’d love if you subscribe there as well!) Thank you for listening!

 

FOLLOW:

Scott Weiss (Konig) Instagram: @scott_Konig
https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/

Daut Kraja (Konig) Instagram: @diggitydaut
https://www.instagram.com/diggitydaut/

Jonathan “Cash” Hurst Instagram: @jonathancash16
https://www.instagram.com/jonathancash16/

More on the Konig Behind The Wheel Podcast and to SUBSCRIBE:
https://konigwheels.compodcast

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Behind The Wheel Podcast: – EP13- Alec Robbins from SEMA 2019!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

In this episode of the” Behind The Wheel” podcast Scott interviews Formula Drift Pro 2 Driver, Alec Robbins! They discuss what’s next for 2020 season and so much more! Tune in and let us know what you think!

Thanks for all of your support and listening!

And please, if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please subscribe! We’re on iTunes, Google Play and we always put the full video interviews on our YouTube Channel (we’d love if you subscribe there as well)! Thank you for listening!

 

FOLLOW:

Speed Academy: @alecrobbinsracing
https://www.instagram.com/alecrobbinsracing/

Scott Weiss (Konig) Instagram: @scott_Konig
https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/

More on the Konig Behind The Wheel Podcast and to SUBSCRIBE:
https://konigwheels.compodcast

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Kelsey Rowlings recounts FDATL!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 ATLANTA, GA 2019 – ROUND 2

Kelsey’s drifting for April 2019

After a power steering pump failure led to a bad crash in the first round of Formula Drift Pro 2 competition, my team and I were crunched for time with only a week to repair the car for round two at Road Atlanta. We were determined to make it happen, and with the help of our friend Billy Mitchell at Sanford Paint and Body, we were able to get the car on a frame machine as early as possible.

The damage had pushed the strut tower in, but we were able to get it back to “close enough,” to align and compete with. We knew the car was not going to be perfect, it just needed to work. We were able to get our vinyl quickly reprinted by Socal Sign Craft, and our good friend Tahir at Guardian Wraps made himself available to re-wrap the damaged parts of the car on short notice. Including some sleepless nights for repairs by my crew chief, it was a true group effort, which ultimately gave us time to take a couple of laps on the skid pad of OSW right before we left for Atlanta, to make sure our newest power steering pump and changes in the system were working.

While the power steering pump seemed to be working, I was noticing some resistance and notching in the steering. We discovered that the tweak in the firewall had slightly changed the angle of our power steering shaft. We already didn’t have a lot of room with our steering shaft passing between runners of our exhaust manifold, and the damage was just enough to cause a problem. We spent some time sanding down the steering shaft, which appeared to help, and we continued on to Atlanta.

Our first practice session was pretty decent considering we only had time for 2 laps. They weren’t laps up to my standard, but I knew they were laps I could build upon in the next session. When the next session came around, I started noticing the resistance in my steering again. I radioed to the team and we figured that the amount of heat in the engine bay was causing everything to expand and rub again. When we were testing, we never ran the car long enough to let it experience the same levels of heat.

With qualifying quickly approaching, we decided to pull out of the line a little early to address the steering shaft. We borrowed a file from another team and tried to hand file the parts that appeared to be rubbing based on the score marks on the steering shaft, and just turning the wheel side to side in the air. We hoped that the additional filing of the steering shaft and allowing it to cool before qualifying would help our problem.

My goal for the first qualifying lap was to take somewhat of a safe lap to get a score and make sure the steering was feeling better. While it definitely wasn’t my best, it gave us a score of 62 and it was something to build off of the next run. Unfortunately, not long after my first qualifying lap, the skies opened up and it started to pour.

We were forced to take a break due to the heavy rain and lightning, but we were able to continue once the storm lightened up. The only difference was that we now had a wet track and completely different driving conditions from practice, and it showed. My 62 managed to keep us on the board up until our second qualifying lap. I knew I could improve on it and get a safer score to keep me in the competition for the top 16 battles the next day.

I took my sight lap and quickly discovered that the track was like ice all the way through the entry and first outer zone. The car was able to find a bit of grip through the horseshoe, before losing it again on the way back down and up the hill to the start line. Being from Florida and pretty confident in the rain, I felt good about my lap all the way up until I tried to throw my car into the first turn.

Because of the wet conditions, I knew I didn’t want to flick the steering wheel too hard. I tried a small flick, went to grab my handbrake, and suddenly realized there was no pressure. My car simply bobbled with my little flick because my rear wheels didn’t lock up. I desperately yanked on the hand brake a coupled more times to build pressure and then threw it sideways heading towards the first inner clip. I was pretty sure I was past the final initiation cone, which would result in a zero, but I was determined to put down a good rain lap.

I made my way around the up the hill and into the keyhole. I clutch kicked where I found grip and rode the slide down the hill and transitioned into the final turn up the hill. It was a solid wet lap, besides the entry. My suspicions were confirmed and I was given an incomplete run due to my entry. I was disappointed in the hand brake failure, but proud of the lap otherwise. Our win in Atlanta was being able to show up with a fixed car that was able to make it around the track. We now have some issues to sort out before St. Louis, but I know that we can make some magic happen now that we have a little more time to spend on the details. On to St. Louis!

All the best to each of you!
Kelsey (aka Drift Chick) and Dan Rowlings

www.driftchick.com
www.facebook.com/KelseyRowlings
https://www.instagram.com/kelseyrowlings/

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

Kelsey Rowlings season begins! Recap of FDORL ’19!!!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 ORLANDO,FL 2019 – ROUND 1

Kelsey’s drifting for April 2019

April was an exceptionally busy month as it included a round trip from Florida to California to have the car wrapped in its new incredible livery and to attend the Voodoo Ride Bash. During the bash the new livery was revealed as was our new title sponsor, Voodoo Ride. Voodoo Ride develops extraordinary car cleaning products that work and we are proud to be working with Voodoo Ride. Be sure the check them out.

Kelsey Rowlings 1

After all the activity it was very quickly time for the 2019 season of Formula Drift Pro2 to begin. Here, Kelsey summarizes the event:

2019 Formula Drift Pro 2 Round One – Orlando

Team Drift Chick was feeling very confident going into the 2019 Formula Drift Pro 2 season. Round one would be hosted by our home track, Orlando Speedworld, so we were in comfortable territory. Unfortunately, our confidence was short lived.

Due to some power steering pump issues plaguing us since we built the car, we have been making small changes to our system in hopes of alleviating the issues. We thought we had found a solution in a new brand of pump, but our excitement only lasted a few months when it also failed. We decided to give that brand of pump another try since it had lasted the longest without issues so far, and we couldn’t rule out the possibility of leftover metal bits from other pumps causing its failure. Because of this, we decided to replace everything in the system to brand new parts so we could rule that out as a possible culprit for the failure.

I drove 60 laps on that pump at the Import Alliance Atlanta demo issues with no power steering issues. We were relieved and hopeful it would hold up. We traveled out to California for the wrapping and reveal of our new 2019 livery, as well as to announce our new title partner, Voodoo Ride. At their Voodoo Ride bash event, I noticed my power steering stiffening at points and my heart sunk. We found metal “specks” in the power steering fluid reservoir, and I immediately knew we were back to where we started with only a couple weeks before round one in Orlando.

Kelsey Rowlings 2

At this point, we constructed a plan for preventative maintenance. We would always have three pumps in circulation; One was on the car, while we had one with us as a spare, and another being rebuilt or as a second spare. Knowing that two of these pumps lasted at least 60 laps before failing, I was confident we could use this system, and start with a fresh pump for each competition, to get through the season so we can find a more permanent solution in the off-season when there is more time.

We installed a brand new pump and planned to test the Saturday just before Thursday qualifying. In our first bit of bad luck, I was stepped on by a horse Friday and sustained a lot of injuries around my heel and ankle, leaving me unable to walk, let alone drive a drift car. Everything on the car, besides the power steering pump, was the same as usual, so I didn’t think that missing testing would really hurt us since we have had longer life out of these pumps than any before. I was very familiar with the track and I felt ready.

Kelsey Rowlings FD Orlando

This is where things went very wrong for us. Being comfortable with the track, I decided to go all in for the first lap of practice. I put the car on a very high line around the bank of the first turn. Everything was feeling great until half to three-quarters of the way around the bank. My power steering cut out and tried to rip the wheel from my hands. I tried to save it, but I was already so close to the wall that there was little I could do to avoid a collision.

The damage was fairly extensive. All of the suspension on the driver’s side was broken, and the front strut tower was pushed in. The car would need a frame machine to be repaired safely, and qualifying was that evening.

Because of the time crunch, and because the wreck happened in our first “open practice” session and not our first “official practice” session, we decided we had a better chance of getting back on track if we switched to a different car instead of fixing the wrecked car for this round.

Our SR22 powered S14 demo car was sitting at home with the valve cover off and no cams, in the middle of a repair from its most recent double rocker arm failure on cylinder three. However, we knew it would be faster to get it running than it would find a body shop willing to take us in last minute. Crew Chief Dan and Tom drove the 45 minutes home to get the SR car running, while Daniel M. stayed behind to get new suspension parts on the Ford-powered FD car to get it at least rolling again.

The SR car arrived at the track at the same time I returned with some last minute decals cut by Tahir of Guardian Wraps (We have a brand new wrap planned for the demo car, but due to unfortunate circumstances it continues to be put on hold). We unloaded the car during our second practice session, but it was running very rough. With the help of Andrew DiMartino from Haltech, we got to work trying to set the timing and diagnose any issues. As time went on, we were moving from one possibility to another as to why the car wouldn’t run right. We checked and swapped spark plugs, checked grounds, checked fuel injectors, and we even checked compression. It came down to our second qualifying run and last chance to qualify. I hadn’t driven a full lap all day, but I decided that even if the engine was hurt if I thought I could get around that track, I would make it take one lap.

After calling for a competition time out to get out there at the last possible second, I pull up to the track in the demo car, sporting the brand new Voodoo Ride decals. As I’m doing so, the engine drops a cylinder. I’m devastated. I pull into the burn out box hoping for a miracle and to at least show in front of our fans. I do a few donuts but the engine continues to sound worse and worse.

At this point, I did not think the car would make it around the bank safely and it would just be a risk to the car, and myself, if I were to try. I signaled to the officials that I was calling it quits and exited the track.

Although we were unable to make a qualifying lap, I know that the team and I did everything we could to rally after such an unexpected and untimely failure. Fortunately, the support system and web of fans have been overwhelming, and they led us to Billy Mitchell, of Sanford Paint and Body. He had us on a frame machine Monday evening after business hours and stayed late to help us pull everything out in one night.

While we don’t have time to address our power steering issue before the next round, we do have some new ideas and adjustments to make on our current system. We have parts on the way and plan to make the changes as soon as we return home. In the meantime, if we experience another power steering pump failure at Road Atlanta, we are hoping our power steering preventative maintenance plan be more successful since the walls are further away and harder to hit there! We stay in good spirits and are looking for redemption in Atlanta!

As always, we will continue to get out there to compete hard and to constantly learn and improve.

All the best to each of you!
Kelsey (aka Drift Chick) and Dan Rowlings

www.driftchick.com
www.facebook.com/KelseyRowlings
https://www.instagram.com/kelseyrowlings/

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

Alec Robbins recaps FDORL ’19!!!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Formula Drift 2019 Season is rocking and rolling! With FDORL being the opening round for PRO2, Alec Robbins recaps his experience at FDORL!

There were a lot of nerves going into our first round of Formula Drift Pro2 in Orlando, FL. We had made a lot of updates over the offseason and with time constraints and bad weather we weren’t able to test our new set up. Luckily we have some great new partners on the team, like Sandbeck Race Development, who had the car on the dyno for the first time just a week before the event. With a full, fresh engine build (upgrading our stock rods and pistons to a set of Manley platinum series pistons and pro series rods) SRD had everything on the engine compartment built and tuned perfectly… We ended up 100+hp over last season. Other changes included adding a Whiteline swaybar setup to the car after running no swaybars in past seasons, as well as some other geometry changes.

Having not driven the car since the final round at Irwindale Speedway in October, I was anxious to get behind the wheel. After our first run, the nerves faded and the car felt amazing. With 40 drivers registered for the round, we knew that we would be limited on practice time, luckily no major adjustments were needed aside from tire pressures. We were able to get 4 practice runs in before qualifying, which isn’t nearly as much as I would have liked after not driving for 6 months, but the car was feeling better than ever and I had a good amount of confidence going into qualifying.

Our first qualifying run we decided to go for a more conservative, safe run and landed an 83/100 which set us up to be in 9th place. By the time we were up for our 2nd run, our 83 had us sitting in 15th place and on the verge of not making top 16. I knew we needed to throw down a solid run. Not wanting to leave anything on the table I initiated slightly higher than I had in previous runs and got into the wall. Staying committed I held it wide open, tapped the wall again before pulling away from it enough to maintain angle. I kept it high on the bank and still wide open dropping down to the first and second inner clips getting them perfectly. When we tapped the wall, it was hard enough to crack the left rear wheel causing it to go flat. Going into the last outer zone, I overshot it just a little bit before pulling the car back on line and finishing the run off with a big angle right on the outside zone. I could tell everyone in the stands was pumped, clapping and getting thumbs up as I pulled off track. The wall taps however impacted my score pretty heavily and we scored an 80 on our second run.. leaving us 17th out of 40 drivers and sitting just outside of making it into the competition. It was a huge bummer. However, going into the next round we know that we have a killer car. My confidence in my driving and in the car has never been higher and are super excited to tear up one of our favorite tracks at Road Atlanta for round 2 next week!

Huge thank you to all of my sponsors, friends, and family for getting us to the point we are at today. I couldn’t dream of a better group of people to be a part of this with us. Thank You!

Make sure to follow Alec Robbins on Instagram at @alecrobbinsracing for more!

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

Great Season for Kelsey Rowlings! FDIRW Recap!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 IRWINDALE, CA – FINAL | Oct 12th and 13th

“BREAKTHROUGH”

After a long drive from Florida, I finally arrived at Irwindale Speedway for the final round of the 2018 Formula Drift season. The team and I were feeling pretty confident now that our new power steering pump seemed to fix our previous steering issues. After a few warm-up laps, I already was feeling comfortable on the track and was running very high lines on the bank. I kept cleaning up each run and got settled very quickly, only making small changes to our setup before qualifying.

As I pulled up to the line to qualify, the nerves hit. The intimidation of this track, both in its layout and history, was intense. Not only was it the final round of the series, but it has been known as the “House of Drift,” and has the potential to destroy your car with its walls. I floored it down the straight and clutch-kicked into the bank. I held a very high line, very close to the wall at the top of the bank. Pumped on my bank run, I lost a bit of concentration coming off the bank and ended up being off the first inner clip by a few feet. Knowing I had to make up for the mistake I slid the car deep into the next outer zone, right up against the inner bank wall. I carried my momentum through the zone, past the final inner clip and finally past the finish line. Overall, it was a solid run with a score of 82. I knew I could do better, but I ended up with an 80 on my next run. With my higher score of an 82, I qualified 7th and was put in the bracket against one of my Konig teammates, Alec Robbins.

When we arrived at the track the following day, we prepped the car for top 16 practice and mounted some fresh Achilles tires to our Konig Hypergrams. My very first lap of top 16 practice ended up being one of my best runs of the weekend, so I was feeling very confident. Unfortunately, that confidence was shut down aggressively in just our fourth lap when we wrecked hard into the wall just before the finish line. Between running a little too wide, getting into the marbles, and finishing off my tires at the very end, we slid right into the wall and popped the car into the air a few feet. I broke both of my Konig wheels on the passenger side, the front Coilover, and brake line, and I bent the front lower control arm, rear lower control arm, and rear knuckle. With only about an hour before top 16 battles started, I wasn’t sure if we would make it.

We got the car back to the pits and the team was already pulling out all the spare parts we had. Andy Hately and his crew also rushed over to help us with the car, knowing we had our work cut out for us. Fortunately, we had most of the parts we needed. The rear knuckle and front lower arm were reused since we didn’t have spares, but everything else was replaced. Unfortunately, the Coilover broke so bad that it fell out on track and was taken away by the track cleanup crew, but I needed the spring. We had been running a 10k spring in the front but our spare Coilovers had an 8k spring on them. Because we had no choice, we decided to just run the different springs. We were able to get a top hat from James Deane since we also broke the Wisefab-specific top when our Coilover was ripped out.

We finally got the car to the point where we could align it and bleed the brakes after installing the new brake line. Because of the bent parts we had to leave, we had to get the alignment as close as we could. When the brakes were being bled, I ran over to participate in the top 16 opening ceremonies without my car, but I knew it would get done and we were going to make it out to compete.

My first run after the wreck was my lead run in competition against Alec Robbins. I threw the car into the bank as committed as I could, but I could tell it felt very off. I struggled to settle the car while still trying to position it in all the right places. After the inner clip, I transitioned into the inner bank and the car was so unsettled I had to shut it down or risk putting it into the wall again. Because of receiving an incomplete on my first run, I knew it would be hard to make up for it. I could have stopped just then, but since it was the finals, I knew I had to go out again and do better.

This time, I had an idea of what to expect from the car when I threw it sideways behind Alec. I kept some distance on the bank since I knew I would be fighting the car, but started closing the gap as we approached the first inner clip. I managed to stay with him around the remainder of the course with decent proximity. Although overall the performance was not my best, I knew I did the best I could at the moment and I was proud of myself and the team for getting the car back out there for the competition. This season has definitely been one of learning, but even more so of improvement. Now that we are entering the off-season, I can’t wait to refresh the car and see what we are capable of achieving next year!

www.driftchick.com
www.facebook.com/KelseyRowlings
https://www.instagram.com/kelseyrowlings/

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

THE CHAMP! TRAVIS REEDER!! (FD PRO2)

Posted on by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 IRWINDALE, CA – FINAL ROUND! | OCT 12TH and 13TH

** Before Travis jumps into his recap from this past weekend below we just wanted to say a few things. We want to start out by congratulating Travis and his entire team on a great season. These drivers and teams work extremely hard and spend so much time, money and effort all year long to be able to attend these Formula Drift rounds and perform at such an intense level.

We’re extremely proud to have Travis as part of our extended family. Over the past couple of years, he has been the definition of class and really lives up to, and exceeds, what we look for in a driver. The season’s last event at Irwindale is the perfect example of that. He stripped parts off his own car to help his friend, and competitor, Dylan Hughes be able to make his Top 16 battle. Dylan was the only one that could have beat Travis for the championship this year and all he needed was a single win in his Top 16 Battle. Travis knew that but still wanted to make sure that his friend had the opportunity to be champion. That is not just sportsman ship…thats the definitiion of class.

Travis always puts the sport first. So Travis CONGRATULATIONS again and THANK YOU! **

TRAVIS REEDER RECAPS FDIRW:

travis reeder fdirw

This event recap is going to be a little different than past examples for several reasons. Some of those reasons I am proud of and some…not so much. Formula Drift Irwindale was the most difficult, eye-opening, crazy and humbling event I’ve ever been a part of. If you would have told me in 2011 when I started drifting that I would be where I am today and what happened this past weekend was going to happen, I would laugh at you hysterically.

The crew and I started the weekend like any normal pro 2 round. Double checking things on the car, organizing parts and going over a general game plan for the coming weekend. The time came to head out on track for our first and only three-hour practice that connects straight to qualifying afterward. Immediately after the first lap, I knew the car was WAY off from what it needed to be for the steep and fast Irwindale oval. We made gear changes, shock changes, tire pressure adjustments and anything else we could do to try and get grip out of the car. It was overly tight and damn near undrivable. The difficult part of the situation we were in was that with our time limit, we had to juggle seat time and time making changes so that we didn’t favor one thing or another. In the end it only netted us 9 practice laps before it was time for qualifying.

I lined up on the grid, nervous as usual, but ready to get qualifying going to see where we land for the ladder part of the competition. I made my first lap, still fighting the car and struggling with the outrageous amounts of grip the car was still producing. I made multiple mistakes on the first and second banks but kept the car sideways for the whole run. We were given a 65 which was disappointing and placed the team and me outside of the pack for the comp on Friday. With the pressure high and me struggling to think of anything other than a championship, I lined up for my second run. I drove the car 120% with nothing to lose. I was prepared to wreck the car or get into the show, and although the team and many of my peers felt my second lap had solidified us a spot in top 16, it did not. I had scored only a few points below the cutoff and didn’t know how to feel. I had never failed to qualify for a drift competition throughout my career until now. And it just so happened to be the most important event of my life where a championship seemed the most possible. I felt like I let everyone down who had ever supported me. the déjà vu set in from last year where I had to wait on the sideline and let other drivers decide my championship at the final event of the year. We had a couple whiskey’s that night lol.

travis reeder fdirw 2

Friday was competition day, and although I was still feeling embarrassed and down, I held my head high and was ready to bench warm and wait for everything to unfold. With the focus on my good friend Dylan Hughes who had qualified 15th, the only driver who could clinch the championship from me, we watched from the grandstands as practice started. All Dylan had to do in the competition was advance past the top 16 and the championship would be his. Shortly after practice started, something happened that changed everything. Dylan had made a mistake and driven his car into the wall on the first corner.

Immediately after the hit I had stood up rapidly. I had only two choices. Knowing Dylan had very minimal spares for his car I could lock up my trailer and wait to see if he can fix the car before competition starts, most likely handing me the championship, or I could do what most people wouldn’t and do everything I could to get one of my closest friends back on track for a fighting chance at the title. I sprinted to my car which was parked at the AEM booth and drove it (faster than I should have) to the pit and waited for the tow truck to drop off Dylan’s mangled s13. I had gotten word that he needed nearly every passenger side suspension piece replaced to get the car 100% again. I made the decision to get my car on jack stands and offer Dylan and his crew any part they would need off it. With only an hour until opening ceremonies, I and my team, alongside Dylan’s thrashed as hard and as efficiently as we could to get his car together in time. We replaced front and rear lower control arms, front and rear coil overs, camber arms, tie rods, repaired a bent subframe and realigned the car. Dylan pulled the car on track just in time for opening ceremonies. We all were ecstatic seeing what we had done in such a short amount of time, and before we knew it the competition had started. Dylan lined up for his top 16 battle against Fillipi. As I stood on the outer bank, unable to see what was happening, I stared anxiously at the finish line. I was overflowing with nerves as I awaited the call from the judges. The decisions were in, and Dylan had failed to beat Fillipi and advance to the top 8.

This was the strangest feeling I had ever felt in my entire drifting career, I was unsure if I was supposed to feel bummed that a great friend was knocked out of competition after all of our hard work to get him back to the line, or to feel overjoyed that something I had always wanted so badly was finally mine, a pro 2 championship. Something hit me right then, it was now that It had dawned on me what professional drifting was all about. It’s about family all coming together to help each other and enjoy this crazy motorsport we all love so much, even if it means sacrificing certain things that mean worlds to you. So, with that, I am so proud and thankful for my amazing team for supporting me tirelessly through the ups and downs of this 2018 formula drift season. My family, for standing by my side no matter what and always having a smile on their faces. And my ever so awesome sponsors for believing in my small program and making sure I have every tool I need to succeed in this insane game. You are all the real MVP’s!

WE ARE THE 2018 FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 CHAMPIONS!

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

Robbins recap of FDTX!!!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Formula Drift Texas was full of some great battles in both Pro and Pro 2! With a podium finish in FDSTL, our boy Alec Robbins is back with a vengeance! Check out below as Robbins recaps his experience in Texas…

“Texas is one of my favorite tracks. Everything is, in fact, bigger in Texas. Big fast entries, a long sweeping power alley, and ending with a wallride and tight inner clip, its got a little bit of everything. Going into our first practice, we like to focus on our lead runs and prepare for qualifying. our suspension setup was left the same from St. Louis but Texas being we little bit tighter track we found ourselves stuck in between two gear ratios. 3rd gear is a bit too high and fourth not quite having the power we needed to keep the tires lit up. We decided to run a gear high in practice and qualifying, with some clutch work it was able to keep the tires spinning in a lower rpm and make for a smooth run. I felt confident behind the wheel and we were able to put down a good run to score us a 6th place qualification. However, we knew running a gear high was not going to work well in tandem competition the next day. So the team went to work making some rather large suspension adjustments. When practice went underway Friday the track was half wet and half dry, making it hard to determine if our changes were working or not. After a few runs the track dried out, and with one more rear toe adjustment, we were feeling good. running in third gear left us touching the rev limiter quite a bit down the power alley, but with more grip in the car, we were able to keep the speeds up and not have to sacrifice too much angle. Our top 16 battle had us up against the S14 of Sebastian Gunther. Leading first I put down a great run. hitting all the clips and zones and even pulling a bit of a gap on Sebastian. Judges made it clear in the drivers meeting, they wanted to see aggressive follows, so I knew I wanted to stay close even though I knew I had an advantage. He got a small jump on me off the line but I was able to close the gap and get on his door by the first inner clip. I stayed close through the power alley navigating through his thick smoke. Coming into the last outside zone Sebastian slowed more than I had anticipated and I had to get on the brakes hard, and ended up making contact in the last zone. I was able to finish the run but Sebastian straitened just before the finish line. Judges deemed me at fault and the battle was lost. It was very frustrating but always a learning experience. The team did amazing all weekend in the heat and ever-changing weather conditions and I am so thankful for all of their support. Looking forward to the final round at another new track for us, Irwindale CA. Already getting excited to get back in the driver’s seat!”

Make sure to follow Alec Robbins on Instagram at @alecrobbinsracing for more!

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