Rowlings FDSTL recap!!!

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Konig Gfx

Hello St. Louis!!! In this guest blog, Kelsey Rowlings takes over the Blog and tells us her story of FDSTL. With a solid finish in Atlanta, Kelsey and the team walked into St. Louis with confidence and ready to take on the Gateway Motorsport Park. Below Kelsey gives us details on her adjustments to the new track and much more…

FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 St. Louis – ROUND 2 | August 10th and 11th

Coming into the second round of Formula Drift Pro 2 in St. Louis, the Drift Chick team was feeling hopeful and excited. After a 7th place finish in Atlanta for round one, we were looking for similar or better results. It was the first time Formula Drift would make its way to Gateway Motorsports Park and very few competitors had driven the track before which slightly leveled the playing field. Although our team was one of those that had never driven the track, we were excited for the high speed drifting it would allow.

Our first practice session went well but had a few hiccups. We had recently returned the car to run unleaded Thunderbolt E85 instead of lead. When we did this, one of the oil pressure safeties we had set up on the Haltech had reset itself to a higher number, so anytime the car would drop below a certain oil pressure, even if just for a split second, it would trigger the safety and lower our rev limiter to five thousand RPM. This is a great safety in case of loss of oil pressure because it would save the engine without completely cutting power and making for a dangerous situation in drift. Unfortunately, it was set too high and was dropping the limiter in a few of my runs, making it impossible to Drift the high-speed course. Fortunately, the safety rev limiter was an easy fix. We just had to lower the trigger oil pressure number to a lower, but still, safe number and our problems were solved for the next practice session which was right before qualifying.

Going into our second practice session, our runs were getting more and more consistent, but I also notice my previous power steering issues seemed to be coming back. The power steering feel was stiffening up under any slow speeds, off-throttle/hand-braking or deceleration. We thought we had solved our problem by switching from ATF to an actual power steering fluid because it had less chance of over-cavitating and seemed to work for a few events. Unfortunately, I was noticing the issue getting worse and worse. Even though my last two runs before qualifying were fantastic runs, we were thinking about whether we should try to make any changes, like changing the power steering fluid, before qualifying.

Ultimately we decided not to make any changes at the risk of possibly making it worse, and since our last two runs were definitely qualification level runs, we decided to ride out the problem and worry about fixing it after qualifying and before top 16 competition. Heading into my first run I was feeling very confident. I had great proximity to the first clip and went slightly wide on the second, but I had great speed and angle. I continued the course and positioned the car in the touch-and-go and had great proximity to the third inner clip. Heading into the only outer zone in the final sweeper of the course, I carried a little too much speed. This forced me to drop a couple tires into the outer zone, and once I was two tires off, I couldn’t get any traction in the slippery grass and it sent me sliding off track and into the tire wall, a problem that many drivers had throughout the weekend.

I drove the car back to the pits and everything felt fine. We went over the car and were pleased to find that the damage was only cosmetic and I could easily go out for my second run. However, I was sitting on a zero for my first run so the pressure was on. The sun was starting to set as I lined up for my second run. There were no lights out on track so seeing in the dim lighting proved somewhat difficult to perceive depth. As I floored it down the straight, I ended up entering just a fraction of a second too early, which forced me to put a wheel up on the huge rumble strip in front of clip one. This completely unsettled the car as I tried to transition for clip two so at that point, I was just trying to save it and keep drifting in hopes I could clean up the second half of the run. Unfortunately, I was so off-line and struggling with the power steering that I had to straighten slightly before the third inner clip, closing the door on our hopes of qualifying.

Although we didn’t have the results we wanted, it allowed us to realize that there is still more R&D needed to make this car reach its full potential. I think that once we get everything working properly, we will have a lot of success, and we can’t wait until the third round in Texas to see were our changes put us!

www.driftchick.com
Like on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KelseyRowlings
Follow on Instagram: @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.

Knapik takes on Gateway Motorsport Park! (FDSTL recap)

Posted on August 27, 2018August 27, 2018 by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 ST. LOUIS – ROUND 2 | Aug 10th and 11th

Formula Drift St. Louis have moved to a new track and the drivers from PRO and PRO2 are dealing with the change! Below is Adam Knapik’s recap how he dealt with Gateway Motorsport Park track in Round 2 of FDSTL PRO 2 series!

“So after the first round in Atlanta there was plenty of work to be done on the car. I had to pull out the “temporary” motor, redo the cooling system and wire up new more powerful fans, redo the engine harness wiring, install an OS Giken differential into a 350z pumpkin for a taller final drive, install said pumpkin into the car, rebuild a new motor, get it tuned, and all the other little things in between to make a car work. With such a long laundry list of things to do I set out to work as soon as I got back. Since there was a 3 month break from round 1 to round 2 I had a good amount of time to get a lot of things finished up. But as always time flies by way faster than you think it will. After getting the car almost completely finished up my tuner noticed that my alternator was starting to die. I ordered a new high amp alternator that came the day before packing up and heading out to St. Louis. Unfortunately, this alternator came dead out of the box. I was so excited to slap it on only to see that it wasn’t putting out any volts. Since we where about to leave and no one could get me a replacement before I had to head out, we packed up the car and figured we would try to figure it out on the drive to St. Louis. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get a high amp aftermarket one in time but I found out that an OEM Pontiac GTO (04-06) alternator would bolt up with the correct spacing and put out the right amount of AMPs that the car would need, and only some minor wiring would be needed. We arrived to the track early and luckily enough there was a junk yard across the street from Gateway Motorsports Park. We didn’t find an alternator, but lucky for us GM uses the same plugs for a lot of harnesses. As for the alternator, no parts store within a 100 mile radius had a replacement, but we had another stroke of luck as someone local on Craigslist was parting a GTO. GOLD! We grabbed the alternator and slapped it on!

The next day was practice followed by qualifying. I was excited to get out there and see how the car ran and handled. In FD it seems like practice is always the hardest on the car. There are at least 30-40 drivers that all want to get in as much practice as possible, meaning that you do one run, and then wait in a line of 30-40. So the car will heat up, and then sit and heat soak for about 15-20 min before running again. But the car’s temp’s held up ok because of the new fans, also all the rewiring for the harness proved itself, as the gauges and logging was working great. Next run out the serpentine belt snapped and I had to pull in. The new alternator had a slightly larger pulled, making the belt a super tight fit. We through on a spare that’s a little longer, but unfortunately it was a bit too long, and we ended up loosing some boost since the belt started slipping. So with that we changed up some pullies to see if we can get the belt a bit tighter, which definitely helped a little. I was able to go out and get a few good runs and was getting more and more confident and then the car lost power and felt like it was running with some dead cylinders. With a massive pit in my stomach I limped the car back to our pit to do a compression test on the car. Luckily the compression check out. We changed out all the plugs, kicked it over, and it purred like new! Nothing but some foaled out plugs.

While working on the motor we noticed that our radiator had a pin hole leak coming from one of the welds. Unfortunately qualifying was starting and with so little time to address it we decided to throw some JB Weld onto it and hope it holds. My first run was super conservative so that I could put a score on the board. The team and I thought it was good enough to at least make the show but with more and more scores coming up we quickly realized we would be on the bubble. So lining up for the second run I knew I had to throw it in much harder. On initiation the slave cylinder failed and it threw off my line. With this being my second qualifying run I tried to make up this error on the last outside sweeper, I went in a little too fast and just barely put a wheel off the track. Since Gateway has grass off the track, if you touch it even a little, you’re going off, and OFF I went. So my first score of 74 would be what we are betting on to get into the show. We watched our position drop slowly, and then with 3 runs to go, we where sitting at 16th. The anxiety was real. Unfortunately we got bumped down to 18th and just like that we where out.

We didn’t make it into the show, but nothing major went wrong with the car, and the team did great under all the pressure. Texas is round 3 and we’re looking to come out swinging! See you soon guys there!”

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

1st place finish at FDSTL!!!

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 ST. LOUIS – ROUND 2 | August 10th and 11th

With great match-ups and some sick shredding, FDSTL was definitely an awesome watch! Even more excited for us was watching our friend, Travis Reeder leave St. Louis with a 1ST PLACE FINISH in the Pro-2 series. Check out below as Travis breaks-down how he came out on top at FDSTL! Congratulations Travis!

“While sitting here on my couch, stuffing my face with Oreos, I’m trying my hardest to figure out how to sum up Formula Drift St. Louis without writing a novel. An insane event with even more insane results, I don’t know where to start to explain the madness that was FDSTL. And After an exponentially long break between Atlanta and St. Louis, I was chomping at the bit to get back behind the wheel of my car again. A new track and even playing field had me excited to see how the weekend would unfold.

After arriving at the track my team and I jammed through the process of unloading the car, prepping it and getting the pit space organized for the coming week. Later that day with the sun out and the humidity high, we jumped into practice. Right out of the gate we were struggling to find our gear ratio and alignment setting that worked well for the track. The track was extremely fast and had a ton of grip in it, which was difficult at first for the car and I to navigate.

After minimal practice time and not having a setup we were very comfortable with, it was time to go into qualifying. I pulled up to the start line slightly nervous, made my pass and awaited my score. I had been given a 72, which at the time was in the 14th position with a few drivers sitting on lower scores or zeros. As we made our way through the list the scores got higher and we quickly dropped below the 16th position, meaning at that moment, we were not qualified for the top 16. With the pressure now on I took off for my second qualifying run. A score of 78 was given which seeded us in the 14th position for competition the next day. We had barely qualified but the team was glad we were in the show.

My team and I spent some time the night before brainstorming ideas to make the care more drivable for competition and had it buttoned up and ready for top 16 practice. I pulled up to the burnout box to warm tires and had noticed some rain on the windshield, and by the look of the clouds, we new this was just the start. I made a few passes in the rain during practice but before we knew it all hell broke loose. 60+ mph winds, hail and lightening were tearing through Gateway Motorsports Park. We rushed to get the car back to the pits and under cover and during that process almost any equipment or belongings left outside were taking quite the beating. To no one’s surprise, the event was shut down for the rest of the day and pro2 competition was rescheduled for Saturday morning bright and early.

Its 8am Saturday Morning, were on the hot grid and ready to finally kick off top 16 competition! After a couple practice laps we were happy to know that our changes to the car worked and I was feeling confident and ready to get the party started. Our first battle in the top 16 was against Ola Jager, who was the winner of Rd 1 in Atlanta. So, I knew if I wanted to catch him in points, I had to push hard and try to move on to the top 8. I was in the chase position first as I had a lower qualifying score. During my chase I had stayed on his line with a consistent 1-2 car gap and matching angle. In the lead I made a high scoring qualifying run and Ola ended up making a large mistake and straightened off of the touch and go. I was awarded the win unanimously and was moving on to the Great 8!

Coming into the top 8 I was paired against Hooman Rahimi and he was set to lead first based off qualifying position. During my chase run I initiated on his line with good proximity but coming into the power alley towards the touch and go I got lost in the smoke and transitioned slightly late. I ended up putting three tires off in the dirt and receiving an incomplete on my chase run. Luckily during my lead run Rahimi had made a mistake leaving the start line and fell back roughly ten car lengths in the chase position. He was given an incomplete as well for his chase run so it was up to the judges to find a winner based off of lead runs only. The judges had concluded that I had laid down a higher scoring lead run and I was awarded the win, on to the final 4!

Alec Robbins was my opponent coming into the final 4. I knew that if I wanted to get to the podium I had to beat Alec, as he was the highest qualifying driver in the final 4 and would get the third-place trophy no matter what. Once again, I was in the chase position first due to a lower qualifying position. I chased him off the line and initiated a few feet from his door and carried that proximity through the first 2 inner clips and the touch and go but fell off slightly in the last outer zone near the finish. In my lead run, Robbins had fell back on the start and was unable to gain proximity throughout the course. That mixed with my lead run that had minimal mistakes was enough to get me the win and move the team and I to the finals!

Were in the finals! And with no one other than my good friend Dylan Hughes. Dylan had taken me out in the great 8 in Seattle last year so I was looking to level the playing field. In my chase run I knew I had to apply some pressure because Dylan’s car is fast but consistent. I did just that and chased him down on his line with a car length gap for majority of the run. In the lead at the touch and go Dylan had fallen back slightly and wasn’t able to catch back up before the last outer zone and inner clip.
My team and I had won formula drift St. Louis! After struggling with car setup, weather and other unsuspecting variables we had gone from the nearly not qualifying to the top spot on the box! It was an amazing overall event and I can’t wait for Texas next month. Thanks to all my amazing family, friends and sponsors for believing in me and giving the team the support that’s needed to do what we love! As I could not do it without you all.”

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

Behind The Wheel Podcast – Quick Shift: Kevin Lawrence

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Konig Gfx

In this Quick Shift Edition of the Behind The Wheel Podcast, we link up with KEVIN LAWRENCE, Formula Drift Pro, and Pro2 driver.

We find out what it’s like being the current “RB King” of Formula Drift, running both Pro and Pro2 seasons at the same time in 2 different cars (S14 and R32), making the jump from Pro2 to Pro, being a Pro1 rookie and driving new tracks.

Kevin also drops some knowledge and tips for the grassroots drivers that are working toward advancing their programs and takes us through the types of adjustments and changes that happen every round to bring the car from the trailer to a competitive state.

Make sure to follow Kevin and Enjuku Racing (information below).

Oh and if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please consider subscribing! We’re on iTunes and Google Play! Thank you for listening!

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

Ryan Litteral: @k_lawrence352
https://www.instagram.com/k_lawrence352/

Enjuku Racing: @enjukuracing
https://www.instagram.com/enjukuracing/

More on the Konig Behind The Wheel Podcast and to SUBSCRIBE:
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Kelsey makes to TOP 8 at FDATL!!!

Posted on June 19, 2018June 19, 2018 by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 ATLANTA, GA – ROUND 1 | May 11th and 12th

“BREAKTHROUGH”

On Wednesday May 9, in the rolling hills of Braselton, Georgia, Kelsey’s 2018 PRO2 season of Formula Drift officially began by passing tech inspection for the new season. Held at Road Atlanta, the premiere drift venue in the country, the setting and weather were perfect for the next few days of competitive drifting and Round 1 for all the Pro2 drivers and teams. Team Drift Chick was ready to go and Kelsey was feeling good with the fixes made to the car’s steering working well.

After taking advantage of the awesome setting and scenery for some photo shoots with the new livery on the car, the crew got to work checking and making final adjustments to prepare the car for competition. Every fastener and wiring connection was checked to help make sure car reliability would not be a problem. With the Crew Chief declaring the car good to go, the team took the evening off, to rest up and be ready for Qualifying on Thursday.

Thursday kicked off with a short driver’s meeting. During this meeting, the Formula Drift judges explained the course layout as well as their expectations for the drivers. By the end of the session, the judges had clearly explained what was needed to attain a high score in the qualifying rounds.

Following the driver’s meeting, practice began. The drivers had a few hours to practice on the course while teams made needed adjustments to the cars in anticipation of qualifying runs. With the crew watching from their hot pit on the top of the hill, Kelsey put down a number of solid runs in practice with her spotter offering advice for improvement during each and every practice pass. With practice complete, it was on to qualifying. Each driver is given two passes to obtain their best qualifying score. In Kelsey first pass, she scored an 80. Pretty good overall, but the field included 30 talented drivers and Kelsey felt she could do better. On her second pass, she improved to a score of 84 which would be good enough to qualify ninth in the field of 16. Over all, the team was pleased with the first qualifying round of the season and looked forward to Tandem completion the following day.

On Friday, the crew again got to work and completed a thorough check of the car to make sure everything was ready for tandem competition later in the day. During this time, the car was also on display in the pits and Kelsey engaged with many fans stopping by to say hello.

Under the setting sun, a short tandem practice round began. After a few solid runs it was time for opening ceremonies. With a solid crowd of fans cheering them on, the drivers were introduced one by one. It was then game time.

In the round of 16, Kelsey was paired against the number 8 qualifier, Josh Robinson. Josh hails from Australia and is an awesome driver. In 2017, Kelsey competed head to head with Josh in the Orlando round, ultimately losing a close battel. Kelsey was determined to even the score. In the first pass, Josh led and Kelsey followed. Kelsey had a good follow run while Josh had some problems in the lead position. Going into Kelsey’s lead run, it appeared she had an advantage. In the second pass, Josh followed Kelsey. While Josh gave it his all, Kelsey put down a solid lead run. After a few moments to evaluate both passes, the judges awarded Kelsey the win. It was on to the Great 8!

In the Great 8 round, Kelsey was paired against Travis Reeder. Travis is a formidable driver and missed winning the 2017 season of Formula Drift Pro2 by just two points! But, Kelsey had been driving well, so an excellent battle was anticipated by all. Unfortunately for Kelsey, Travis’s car was a little quicker off the starting line and he created a gap ahead of Kelsey that gave him an advantage in his lead run. With Kelsey’s crew and spotter totally stressed, Kelsey calmly lined up for the second run. Kelsey took the lead position and put down her best lead run of the entire round. Unfortunately it was not quite enough and the win was awarded to her opponent.

Ultimately, Kelsey finished seventh in Round 1 of Formula Drift Pro2 competition, her best performance to date and a real “breakthrough”. Kelsey and the entire team were ecstatic and look forward to improving the performance of the car further in advance of Round 2. The next round will be held August 9 and 10 in St. Louis, Missouri when the team plans to build upon success.

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.

Behind The Wheel Podcast – Quick Shift: Ryan Litteral

Posted on June 10, 2018June 11, 2018 by KONIG

Ryan Litteral might have made his Formula Drift Pro1 competition debut at #FDNJ (Wall Stadium) however, he is far from new to professional competition. Litteral is an experienced FD Pro2 driver and has been running his own program for well over 10 years. This year he has teamed up with Koruworks out of Atlanta Georgia to compete in their LS Swapped 350z in both FD Pro1 and Pro2 series.

Ryan is extremely knowledgeable about what it takes to become a professional drifter, run a successful program as well as market that program. We had a few minutes to chat with Ryan about some of these things at Formula Drifts 100th competition round. Litteral drops some serious knowledge here…check it out!

Make sure to follow Ryan and Koruworks (information below).

Oh and if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please consider subscribing! We’re on iTunes and Google Play (links below)! Thank you for listening!

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

Ryan Litteral: @ryanlitteral
https://www.instagram.com/ryanlitteral/

Koruworks: @koruworks
https://www.instagram.com/koruworks/

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

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Behind The Wheel Podcast: – EP03 – Travis Reeder

Posted on June 3, 2018June 11, 2018 by Konig Gfx

Travis Reeder, 2017 Formula Drift Pro2 Rookie of the year and 2nd place finisher talks about the development of his program from the beginning, how people should build their skill set, their car’s and their programs as well as so much more.

If you’re a grassroots drifter, pro-am drifter, grassroots racer or even just wonder what it’s like trying to build and run a competitive program, this episode is for you!

It isn’t every day you can crawl into someone’s head and learn from their experience. Travis gives you a ton of valuable information he learned from his experiences so you can bypass some of the pain. We hope you find this episode informative. Travis is a great guy!

If you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please consider subscribing! We’re on iTunes and Google Play (links below)! Thank you for listening!

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

Travis Reeder: @travisreeder
https://www.instagram.com/travisreeder/

Joey Redmond: @joeyredmond
https://www.instagram.com/joeyredmond/

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Formula Drift Atlanta ’18 Gallery!!!

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT ATLANTA, GA – ROUND 3 | May 11th and 12th

Formula Drift Atlanta brings the heat with Round 3 of PRO and Round 1 of PRO 2 as both series hit the track at Road Atlanta! Below are images of what went down in Formula Drift Atlanta brought to you by Konig Wheels in collaboration with Wrecked Magazine!

Podium finish for Travis Reeder at FDATL 2018!

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 ATLANTA, GA – ROUND 1 | May 11th and 12th

New year, new team and a whole new energy. Coming into the 2018 formula drift pro 2 Season, I was uncontrollably excited, anxious and hungrier than ever. After an extremely successful 2017 pro 2 season and a relatively uneventful off season I was more than ready to jump in the car and throw down at my favorite track in the formula drift series, Road Atlanta.

Coming into our first practice of the season the team and I had our data from last year collected and set up the car quickly. We immediately found out that having previous experience at a racetrack, especially one this challenging was more valuable than anything in this sport and it showed after executing a very strong first few laps in practice. The car was fast, settled and extremely drivable right out of the box, which allowed us to really dial in and fine tune the setup efficiently as well as develop a good strategy for the weekend.

With qualifying coming up quickly Thursday night, I knew I needed to improve on how I performed last year drastically considering only a few qualifying points had cost the team and I a championship in 2017. My first qualifying run was a conservative one, only to try and guarantee a spot in the big show Friday night. I had been a little shallow in outer zone 2 in the keyhole but hit all my clips, touch-and-go’s and zone the rest of the run. We were given a 91 and a second position seeding at that time which guaranteed the team a top 16 showing the next day. On qualifying run 2 we pushed harder as we had nothing to lose. I was deeper into the 2nd outer zone and was extremely committed and on throttle 99% of the lap as well as hitting all my clips with angle. The judges awarded the team and I a 95, which earned us the top qualifying position for the event!

After practice and opening ceremonies, the team and I were excited for top 16 and to put on a good show for all the awesome fans Road Atlanta attracts. My first battle was uneventful as I was set to battle Crick Fillipi but he had unfortunately broke minutes before, giving me a free ride into the top 8. So, I had taken advantage of the opportunity to practice putting down my closest rendition of a perfect qualifying run. On to the top 8!

Kelsey Rowlings was our opponent for the top 8. I lead first and put down a solid lead with minimal corrections and had pulled a bit of a gap on her after the first front clip. Going into the second run I was in the chase position and new I had to apply consistent pressure and maintain proximity to get the team into the final 4. Rowling’s was on fire for her lead run, which allowed me to really attack in the chase. I followed close with great proximity and it was enough to give me the win, the final 4 was set!

Our final 4 Battle was against Ola Jaeger, who was on an absolute war path all weekend. I led first and had a killer lead run hitting all my clips with angle and smoke and only sacrificed a few points in outer zone 2, as well as pulling a couple car lengths away from Ola in the chase. Going into the second run I knew he had a unique and difficult entry style to adjust to, so I had to try my best to match and apply pressure in the chase position and not lose ground. I was close on entry and on his door after our first transition up the hill, but he was fast and pulling away. I sacrificed angle and line slightly to gain proximity in the keyhole and throughout the rest of the run. Blazing across the finish line a foot off his door we came to a stop at the top of the hill. After review from the judges they had concluded that my correction in the chase position had outweighed Ola’s falling back during my lead run and he was awarded the win and moved on to the finals.

Thankfully, by qualifying p1 in the event, I was guaranteed a 3rd place podium finish if I had made it to the final 4. So not only were we the top qualifier but we were still able to go home with a carbon fiber trophy! I can’t complain about one thing over the whole entire weekend. The car ran flawlessly as did my crew! With round one being in the books, and the team and I in the chase for the championship, I can’t wait for St. Louis as well as more great times at the track.
I want to give a massive thank you to all my family, friends, fans and amazing sponsors for the support to chase a crazy dream that is professional drifting. Without you all I wouldn’t be able to do it. Period!

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

Knapik makes top 16 at FDATL 2018!

Posted on May 22, 2018May 22, 2018 by Konig Gfx

FORMULA DRIFT PRO 2 ATLANTA, GA – ROUND 1 | May 11th and 12th

Round One of the Formula Drift Pro2 Series is finished and in the books and it was definitely not with out some challenges. About a week before needing to leave for Atlanta our built LS2 suffered a catastrophic failure during testing. A flaw in the block gave in, and the block cracked (let that be a lesson, always have the block x-rayed for flaws). So with no time to spare, and our engine builder not being able to crank out a bottom end in that short of a time frame my crew chief, Adrian Quiroz, and I went for a hail Mary. Scouring craigslist we found a used LQ9 with about 150k miles on it for a good deal and swapped it into the S14, chucked the Edelbrock supercharger on it, gave it mild tune of 500 HP so that it wouldn’t (hopefully) explode and set off on our cross country road trip from California to Atlanta!

The drive went great and we made really good time. So good in fact that we where able to get the car teched a day early so that we wouldn’t have to be rushed the morning of practice. During practice though is when some gremlins would start rearing there heads. The oil pressure started to drop below safety perimeters and would cut power to the car to save the motor. We lowered the perimeters a bit to get in some runs with out the car cutting, but then the oil pressure only kept dropping. After practice we went through the car to check for leaks but came up empty, so we decided to change the oil to something thicker thinking maybe the oil was oiling over and thinning out. The thicker oil helped but the pressure would keep dropping, and we came to the conclusion that the oil pump was possibly on its way out. With not time to be able to swap oil pumps, I decided to turn off all the perimeters and send it, as qualifying was coming up. As luck would have it the moment I line up for the first qualifying run, it begins to rain. I put down a safe run to at least get some points on the board, scoring a 76. On my second qualifying run, coming up the hill the clutch pedal gets stuck on the floor and because of no drive, the car straightens. So the first run or 76 would have to do. We sat anxiously waiting to see if the 76 would hold up while all the other drivers finish off their 2nd passes. After the smoke had settled the score was good enough to get us into the show with a 15th qualifying spot and pairing us up with the 2nd place qualifier Dylan Hughes. After watching some replays of his qualifying and practice runs (and he did get 2nd) I knew he was a solid driver that wouldn’t play any games.

The day of competition always has a practice session before and our oil pressure was still a major concern, and now our motor is running a bit hot as well. But we had made it this far so we decided that we would go for it. I decided to only do one practice run to save the motor as much as I could, not even letting it idle, the team would push the car up to the starting line. Dylan and I had a hard fought battle for our first run, each making some minor mistakes. The judges deemed it was too close to call and we would go on to a One More Time decision. On our second battle it was another close call with the judges needing to review the replays a few times but after some time they would call Dylan the winner.

After all the ups and downs the team and I are happy with the outcome. We put some points up on the board and are pumped for Round 2 coming up in St. Louis, Missouri. This is a new track for Formula Drift so we’ll see what challenges it throws at us! Now its time to pull out the motor (again) and get to work on something with a bit more confidence. See you guys at Round 2!

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