THE CHAMP! TRAVIS REEDER!! (FD PRO2)

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.

1st place finish at FDSTL!!!

Posted on 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: Ryan Litteral

Posted on 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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Travis Reeder joins us in Episode 3 of Behind The Wheel Podcast!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

On this episode of the Konig BEHIND THE WHEEL PODCAST we sit down with Travis Reeder, 2017 Formula Drift Pro 2 Rookie of the year and 2nd place finisher. Travis doesn’t hold anything back providing very specific details about how he moved his way up in competitive drifting.

If you or anyone you know is into grassroots drifting, grassroots racing and building a reliable, extremely efficient program that can operate on a budget, YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE! Travis goes into what skills and vehicle modifications are needed for every level of competitive drifting as well as all of the aspects of operating a program.

So much of the information Travis supplies extends well surpass drifting and really is a solid takeaway for anyone that is building a race program. You can head to the podcast page below and see the timecode cheatsheet to jump around!

If you like what you hear, please consider subscribing! We’re on iTunes, Google Play and of course the full video version of every episode is on YouTube! Thank you!

Behind the Wheel Podcast

You can also, subscribe or download the podcast on our website, iTunes, Google Play, Youtube & Sound Cloud:

itunes google play youtube sound cloud

Thanks for listening!

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

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

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

Behind The Wheel Podcast: – EP03 – Travis Reeder

Posted on 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!




CONTENT CHEAT MENU (podcast audio):
0:18 | 10 Question Quick Fire
1:50  | Intro
2:44  | You could learn from Travis Reeder
4:00  | The efficiency of your program
6:01  | How much staff before, during and after an event
8:15   | How Travis linked up with Konig…Caleb Quanbeck with the assist!
12:55 | Exposure from work and bigger drift programs
16:02 | First exposure to drifting
18:09 | First mods in drifting/progression of the car.
22:07 | Would you change your engine progression?
22:42 | Going to more power…advice for developing drifters
24:00 | Same platform x seat time = reliability
24:42 | Difference between pro-am, pro2, pro
26:05 | Most important skillset
27:30 | Pro-am level cars needs and don’t need!
30:21 | Horsepower to grip ratio
31:11 | Difference in the car between pro-am to pro2 (more advice to drifters)
32:36 | Pro2 championship was so close!
34:35 | Did you know what Lawrence needed to win?
37:48 | Not moving up to Pro for 18
40:19 | Watching the Pro Rookies make the jump
43:00 | How much more intense is Pro vs Pro2?
47:00 | What changes are needed to move to Pro1
49:09 | Progression of Formula Drift / Drifting
50:52 | Power needed for Pro1
53:14 | Dylan Hughes is my favorite Tandom
55:00 | Tandom
56:06 | Questions from Instagram
56:14 | The 255 Tire rule (pro2)
57:24 | Take away for drifters and racers alike
105:57 | Gramps and Grams FTW!!
107:45 | Outro / Contact Info

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

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Podium finish for Travis Reeder at FDATL 2018!

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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.

FDATL 18 Friday Need To Know!

Posted on by KONIG

Tonight at 6pm EST Formula Drift will be heading into Pro1 Qualifying and then directly following that, around 10 pm EST, Top 16 for FD Pro2 will kick off.  We wanted to bring you up to speed in case you want to follow some of the Konig Team as they take to the grid!  So here is your Friday Need To Know for Formula Drift Atlanta.

In Pro1 make sure to look out for Kevin Lawrence and Matt VanKirk as they attempt to qualify.

In Pro 2, FIVE out of SEVEN Konig Drivers qualified into the top 16.  Travis Reeder, Kelsey Rowlings, Adam Knapik, Ryan Litteral and Geoff Donati.

Travis Reeder is your #1 seed as he qualified with a 95!  You should also note that Travis won this event last year so he’s looking for a repeat victory!

Make sure to watch it all godown LIVE starting at 6 pm.  http://www.formulad.com/live

And make sure to SUBSCRIBE to our PODCAST!  We will be running through highlights from this event early next week and we will do so after every Formula Drift event!  If you like the PODCAST, please subscribe (available on iTunes and Google Play)

2018 Konig Formula Drift Drivers

Posted on by Konig Gfx

Getting to know 2018 Konig Supported Formula Drift Drivers

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Vankirk (SR20DET powered Nissan 240sx)

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

Geoff Donati

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

Travis Reeder Konig Ultraform

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

Kelsey Rowlings Konig Hypergram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kelsey Rowlings (5.0L Coyote powered Nissan 240sx)

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

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

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

 

Garrett Denton Konig Dekagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett Denton (2JZ powered Nissan 240sx)

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

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

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

 

Alec Robbins Konig Hypergram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alec Robbins (LS powered Nissan 350z)

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

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

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

 

Adam Knapik Rennform

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adam Knapik (LS powered Nissan 240sx)

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

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

 

Donovan Brockway e30 beast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donovan Brockway (LS powered 2014 BMW 2-Series)

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

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

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

Travis Reeder breaksdown FDTX & 2nd place series finish!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

**** GUEST BLOG – BY TRAVIS REEDER****

FORMULA DRIFT TEXAS – PRO 2 FINAL ROUND | August 8th and 9th

Prepping for Texas wasn’t as smooth as previous rounds for the team. Just nine days before the car had to be on the road we had an internal engine failure while testing some setup changes we had made after seattle. The timing chain had snapped which netted us eight bent valves, two bent pushrods and a collapsed lifter. Luckily the pistons were fine. We quickly got ahold of the awesome guys over at Thompson Motorsports of Texas and they got us everything we needed to rebuild and had the car in he trailer and back to 100% just in time.

As we arrived at Texas motor speedway we were quick to get unloaded. The team performed the usual fluids changes, alignment and bolt check. We were ready and eager to get out on track and demolish some Achilles radials.

Practice was a definite learning process. The track at Texas was extremely fast with brutal consequences if mistakes were made. After focusing on perfecting a line and finding the correct gear ratio for the car we were ready for qualifying.

The team and I felt solid going into qualifying. On my first run I had made a slight mistake after inner clip one and ended up throwing my line off for the rest of the run. Run one scored a 67 which at the time was already deemed out of the top 16.

With the pressure building I lined up for my second run. All second runs granted a parade lap before the run due to some fluids spilled during Danny George’s roll over. I threw a new set on the car and decided to make two full runs. Practice is practice right? I ended up with a 79 which put me in the 9th spot for the big show.

With the bracket set for Friday I was lined up against Austin Meeks. I knew his car was fast so I was preparing for a solid battle. Austin led first due to qualifying position. I matched his pace all through the course until he made a correction in front of outer zone 3, at the wall. From my perspective it looked like he was going to drive off track so I dove in and attempted to finish my run. He then jumped back on track and we made contact, which was unavoidable. I was deemed at fault for the contact and Austin was awarded 10 minutes to look over his car and fix what I assumed to be a bent suspension arm or tie rod.

Once fixed, we were ready to swap positions. I made as close to a perfect lead run as I could as Austin made some mistakes in the chase position. The judges awarded a one more time.

On our second run I was in the chase position first, again. I maintained proximity with Austin through the first half of the course and ended up making a small mistake through the last inner clip and going a bit wide. On my lead I put down a solid lead run as Meeks made a very similar mistake as I did in my chase run. After some review from the judges it was a 2-1 decision flavoring Meeks and my weekend was cut short.

With Texas being the final round, the rest of the weekend was spent relaxing and reflecting on what an awesome rookie season I had in formula drift pro 2. I ended up 2nd in points for the season which felt amazing and was awarded rookie of the year on top of that! I can’t thanks my family friends and sponsors enough for the outstanding support, especially Konig Wheels for lacing the car up with the raddest wheels in the game! That’s a wrap for me, see everyone next year!

Travis Reeder is a Konig Sponsored Professional Drift driver that competes in Formula Drift Pro 2 Series. Travis runs Konig Ultraform in 17×9 et 25mm front and 18×9 et 25 rear. The Konig Ultraform is Flow Formed.

Make sure to follow Travis on INSTAGRAM!

Travis Reeder makes top 8 at FDSEA!

Posted on by Konig Gfx

After a long couple months off, the team and I were anxiously awaiting Seattle and stoked to get back on track. Here is a breakdown and recap of our weekend at rd 3, the throw down.

The car was prepped, up to temp and it was time to go out for the first practice session of the weekend. We were in for a rude awakening as the track conditions turned to be drastically different than previous pro-am 5/8 rounds. The car was over gripped and under powered. Unbeknownst to the team there was a NASCAR race a couple weekends back, and with pro 1 practice being before us, there was no shortage of traction to be had on the longest and largest bank in Formula d.

Once suspension changes and adjustments were made we stepped into qualifying. I kept the first run conservative, and pushed a little harder on the second. We ended up seated in the 6th position after qualifying, which the team and I were pretty happy with.

It was now time to step into top 16 eliminations. We were paired against Brody Goble, who’s a good friend of ours and absolutely rips behind the wheel. I led first and put a decent lead run on the board with some minor corrections. Brody ended up getting into the wall behind me and disrupting his line slightly and I got the small advantage. On the second run I chased Brody on the bank with decent proximity as well and through the rest of the course, I was awarded the win and advanced to the great 8.

Now on to my favorite battles of the weekend, not due to stellar driving but due to the fact I got to drive against one of my best homies, Dylan Hughes. Dylan led first due too a higher qualifying score. I made a few mistakes on the bank in the chase position but kept proximity in the power alley and latter part of the course. On my lead run dylan fell back in proximity at times during the run which led the judges declare a one more time battle.

During dylan and I one more time battle I made a pretty sizable mistake on the bank in the chase position, giving dylan an advantage going into run two. On my lead run I did my best to put down a solid run but unfortunately I was unable to overcome my mistake in the chase position and dylan advanced.

Seattle overall was an amazing event in more ways than one. We learned a lot about car setup as well as team work. I had an absolute blast driving my home track and can’t wait to get back in the drivers seat. Massive thanks to Konig wheels, my family, friends and sponsors that have a hand in making my program run. See you all in Texas!