Scott & Joey are back for FDSEA on Behind The Wheel Podcast: FD Edition!!!

Scott & Joey are back for FDSEA on Behind The Wheel Podcast: FD Edition!!!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

On this special edition episode of BEHIND THE WHEEL PODCAST, Scott and Joey Redmond of Wrecked Magazine discuss what went down at Formula Drifts Seattle Round 5 in Evergreen Speedway and much more! Tune in and give us some feedback!

Behind the Wheel Podcast

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Scott Weiss (Konig): Scott_Konig
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Lawrence battles it out at FDSEA!!!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Kevin Lawrence takes over the blog as he recaps how it all went down for him and the Enjuku Racing team at Formula Drift Seattle in Evergreen Speedway!!

“Thursday.

Thursday is a easy practice day for the Pro1 group as we don’t have to worry about qualifying till the following day so this gives us time to get in some vial practice laps and dial in our cars. Practice was running smooth and I was able to get in 5 laps in our first session, We opted to do a minor gear change to take out some wheel speed and get some grip in the car for the infield section. Practice session 2 went great and the gear change was exactly what I wanted but caused a bit of push in the front end. At that time we realized my front tires have been on the car for more than one round so first thing Friday was to get on a new set of fronts for practice. After the 8 laps on Thursday I was feeling comfortable just needed to work on my line a bit on the bank but figured the front-end push was most of my issue.

Friday.

After swapping on a new set of front tires I had 4 laps left allowed before I was up for qualifying. The new tires did help massively with my front end push issue, and I was able to get my line dialed in better than Thursday but was still struggling with keeping the high line on the bank all the way through but was ready for qualifying none the less. Now up to the line for my first qualifying pass I get the thumbs up to go and I’m off. Saw through the gears on run up and get into 4th as I break the tires loose and huck the car towards the wall and stab the throttle. I’m running a relatively high line but start to come down about 70% through the track. I throw angle to slow the car as I enter the touch and go and transition into the power alley wall. Tight on the first inner clip as well as the final after the transition and through the finish line. Judges awarded me a score of a 76 on that pass and I knew I could do better. Back up to the line for pass 2 and I knew I had to clean up my line on the bank if I wanted to gain a higher score. I enter again on the high line and persuade the car to stay on the higher line longer but still come up a bit short just before the end. I built up more speed on this run and pitched big angle going into the touch and go, This however was the demise of my run as the additional angle slowed me down too much and I didn’t make it into the the touch and go which threw off my lines flow going into the power alley. I exited the power alley rear zone late and was able to tighten up the rest of the course well but knew the miss on the touch and go would hinder some points. I did end up with a score of a 78 which bettered my first, I just wish I had gotten to that touch and go to get a score in the 80s to get me a higher qualifying spot. I ended up qualifying 23rd, which put me up against 10th place qualifier Dai Yoshihara for my top 32 battle.

Saturday.

Just before lunch is our time for tandem practice before the battles begin, I was able to get in 4 laps 2 lead and 2 follow runs to try and gauge my cars speed against the rest and feel out the track conditions. Car felt good but was still fighting to stay on the high line on the bank but I was making it work the best I could as it looked like others were having the same issue. Pulling up to the line I was to follow Dai in his Turbo V8 BRZ. We leave the line and initiate on the bank, my car was rather gripped up and had much more speed on the bank, which hindered my driving. I made a few corrections trying to mimic his line on the bank as I kept gaining proximity and when I would try and slow down a bit with some left foot brake the car would bobble and it showed massively. I gain composure after the touch and go and am able to reel him in and finish the course with great proximity. Switching positions now we leave the line and I enter on the bank, nearly immediately I pull a gap on him and continue to do so most of the bank, 80% through the bank I start feeling the car get greasy in the rear and knew it couldn’t be a good thing. I pitch the car big angle coming off the bank towards the touch and go to slow down and then realized that all my side bite was gone, I did all I could to keep the car going but unfortunately it was either rotate the car or go head on into the power alley wall. As the smoke cleared and Dai came to a screeching halt just a few feet from me, Thankfully he was able to see I was in trouble and was able to avoid the collision. My left rear tire ended up getting too hot from our battles and coming apart on the bank, which caused it to loose its grip. Dai was awarded the easy win due to my spin, which would end my driving for the weekend on one of my favorite tracks of the year.

Seattle was a learning experience and an eye opener for the team and I our new 3.2l RB engine ran beautifully, The car has more speed than ever before so now its just a matter of time before we are collecting wins and working our way to the podium. Thanks everyone for all their help and support, St. Louis is just a few weeks out and is a new track for everyone so it will be interesting to see how quickly all the teams can adapt and have their cars performing at the new location.

See you guys in St. Louis!”

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

Kelsey Rowlings putting in work at FD SEA!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

**** GUEST BLOG – BY KELSEY ROWLINGS****

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

After a long break, and a long drive from our home in Florida, my team and I arrived at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington for round three of the Formula Drift Pro 2 series. I was coming into this track with very little practice since my first and only other experience there was when my SR engine lost compression during my rookie season… on the first lap.

Needless to say, I was hungry for practice time to try to make up for my lack of experience, as well as to take a shot at the extremely long bank. After taking the couple laps, I realized I had way too much grip dialed into the car. Along the bank, the car was wanting to straighten into the wall if I lifted at all and I was fighting the car the whole way around. After making adjustments during the remainder of the first session , the car was finally starting to feel more settled in drift.

Heading into the second practice session before qualifying, I was less concerned about the handling of the car, and I could now perfect where I was putting the car throughout the course. My spotter was watching my runs as well as listening to judge feedback. One of the main tips was to enter later; Since I was entering at the second set of entry cones, it was suggested that I enter at the last entry cone.

With this in mind, I decided to concentrate on my entry. I accelerated towards the bank and threw the car sideways – too late. My rear end hit the wall and started to rotate. I tried to turn my wheel fast enough to save the front but I had too much momentum. The front of the car hit and I bounced off the wall and down the bank to a halt.

As soon as the safety crews arrived and checked me out I jumped out of the car to assess the damage. When I returned to the pits we got to work replacing: Broken rear wheel, bent rear upper control arm, bent front lower control arm, bent tie rod, bent cross-member, and broken power steering rack. Unfortunately, due to time restraints and qualifying just around the corner, we decided to leave the bent suspension in the rear and just try to align it close. For the front, we hammered on the cross-member to bang it back into shape and then replaced the lower control arm and tie rod end. The power steering rack had to stay due to time constraints.

We were just about to put the car on the ground when we were informed it was out turn for qualifying. We weren’t ready, so we pushed forward to make it for the second qualifying run. When I took the car to the burnout box to test the car and see how bad the steering was, I realized that while I did have power steering, the rack would get stuck when I turned to the left and I would have to force it back the other way instead of it returning to center like normal.

I decided to run the car as-is and attempt to qualify. If I just managed to get a score high enough to get me in the top 16 I could have swapped the rack for the competition the next day.

I threw the car into the bank. My line was alright, but I had to make corrections to stay up high on the bank as I entered the infield. I managed the transition with the broken rack and continue the course. I wasn’t as close to the second outer zone as I would’ve liked, but I was able to wrap around the final two clipping points and make it past the finish line. I was pumped. It was definitely a score-able run, but it was only a 49.

I knew there was little hope to making it into the top 16 and my suspicions were correct. Although I didn’t make it into the top 16, I was really proud of myself and my team for pushing through and getting the car back on track. Now we can come home and prepare for the finals in Texas!

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!

Adam Knapik Recaps Formula Drift Seattle!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

**** GUEST BLOG – BY ADAM KNAPIK****

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

Round 3 of the Formula Drift Pro2 series was held in Evergreen Speedway, located in Monroe Washington. This track has a massive high speed 5/8th mile banked right hand turn, and immediately follows into an infield that has a slower technical portion that has two outer clipping zones and two inner clipping points. I had never been to Evergreen but have only heard great things about it, so me, and the whole teams excitement was high to be testing our abilities there.
The drive up to Washington from Southern California was effortless, but that’s where our good fortune stopped. Come Thursday’s practice we where met with constant challenges and issues.

For this round we had installed a supercharger system, as we knew that we would need more power than the back up stock LS2 that we had in the car. With this new system on our car came some hurdles that we didn’t foresee. Because the long bank puts so much stress on the motor, and then coming off the bank unloads just as much, we where having issues with our serpentine belt snapping. Since the belt controls the water pump and power steering as well, when that belt goes, you looks everything. On our third practice run we hit some more bad luck. Our belt had snapped, and the slave cylinder o-ring had failed. We got the car back to the pits and noticed that when the belt snapped, it had also hit the wiring to the fans and not just cut the wiring, but had pulled it out of the fans. . The team scrambled like champs though. In no time the car was in the air, the front end was disassembled to get to the fans so that we could re-solder the wiring, changed the belt, and the transmission was out so we could replace the o-ring. We got the car back out for some practice runs, but on our 2nd lap the belt tensioner actually broke past the “stopper” and the pulley seized up. Again we brought it back to the pits and started working away. Right away one of the guys hopped into the truck to run over to a parts store to get another belt and tensioner. Unfortunately all local stores where out, and the closest store was 20 minutes away. And as luck would have it we where due to run our qualifying runs in about 15 minutes. We did what we could with what we had. We popped the tensioner back over, realigned the pulleys, threw on a new belt (that luckily Jeff Jones was nice enough to lend us), and lined up to qualify!

First run I put 2 tires off on the first infield outer “touch and go”, scoring a 61, and on the second run the belt had had enough, and snapped when I was coming off the bank. Down on power because the blower was no longer working, and with no power steering I was almost able to finish off the run, but unfortunately straighten at the very end, giving us a 0.

The score landed us just outside the top 16 in 18th place. The weekend was a tough one for us, but everyone worked great as a team, we learned alot, and can’t wait for the final round in Texas!

Adam Knapik is a Konig Sponsored Professional Drift driver that competes in Formula Drift Pro 2 Series. Adam drifts on Konig Rennforms in 18×9 et 23 all the way around. The Konig Rennform is Flow Formed.

Make sure to follow Adam Knapik 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.