Drifting has gotten more expensive over the years, Harder and harder to fund our efforts, and more difficult for talented drivers to be able to step into the sport. So how do we solve it? Let chat.
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I think the cost starts with the entital cost of the car. Try to find a decent chassis to build on…
Some racing series are doing standardized space frame chassis with the car's body panels bolted over the top, the cost of the chassis may be slightly more, but the cost of parts will be the same or less, then it's the team setup, V8 supercars are doing it with the GEN3, I think they've done it the best, where 80% of the surface of the represented car is 1 to 1 match, just some aerodynamic treatments are tweaked for parity, the engines are different to suit what the car comes with, but makes the same power and torque (600hp actually lol), gearbox is spec ect
Please stop using the word ignorant wrong, Definition; lacking knowledge or awareness in general; uneducated or unsophisticated.
I think one of the most IMPORTANT things to change the game that happened in this video… was this conversation happening openly on this platform in general. I am sure it happens behind the scenes, but the more conversations between drivers/teams in small group settings that can be shared could really push for change in a positive direction. I think setting smaller tire size and weight requirement could really be a great starting point. I really feel like drifting is on the cusp of spilling over into a much larger body of water, like said also, it's just time and making sure the right moves are made to keep it sustainable in order to last that time it takes.
buying your own track and charging cheaper price to Compete and set a price limit on what you can spend on each car
Change the scoring system to include proximity sensors on the cars/walls/clipping points as 80% of the score and human judging to 20% of the score. Viewership would go up for sure. Offer the rear windshield, or anywhere on the vehicle, to smaller company sponsors and have the area on the car for those companies QR codes for fans to scan. The tire size seems like the way to go. Great content, as always.
Why is Nascar so popular? Because it is so damn simple to understand who is winning; Who is in front. Why is football so popular? Dude took the ball and ran into the colored box.
I actually tried to watch drifting a while back and the judging just didn't make a lot of sense, it was really difficult for the most novice/ignorant of viewer to understand what was going on.
Drifting could be reached by a MUCH wider audience if it can be simplified in a way that a total newbie who doesn't even understand what a damn lug nut is can watch and see who is winning.
Drifting is incredible in every way. It deserves to be in the same popularity realm as Nascar.
the horsepower "race" came when Diago came and walked everyone so everyone had to evolve to that level of drift car.
I think DeNofa has a good idea of limiting a cars capability, just not the right execution.
If you limit the size tire and weight, everyone will end up in the same car, bye bye diversity in the field of cars which is boring IMO.
Limit the power and people will figure out what size tire works best for them and their cars, 1000hp+ drift cars are unnecessary.
The first time I ever saw FD was on Television (G4TV) if they had a TV deal with some station, more companies might be more inclined to sponsor these drivers or events due to the larger exposure. Your entire audience isn't on YouTube/IG/FB watching the streams or VODS. For this sport to grow, you have to extend the reach to other avenues that might not exactly be LOOKING to watch drifting, with the current setup you only see FD because you are searching for it, if you put it on a TV station there are people who might not know about drifting now but if they see if on TV that is a potential fan.
I think the sport needs a major marketing revamp. Thompson Speedway looks like it should have 3x the spectators
245 tire rule is a great idea. FD needs to look at their own sustainability in this same light and help the drivers stay in
Building my grassroots comp car now and I think if you did spec series on tire size for people to build their cars around you would cut cost and also see different chassis come into play that would be more fun. I’m building a g35 sedan with a 3.7 VHR swap that’ll make 330 to the tire tuned with FBO. But a procharger and fuel would give me 550 easy with room to go and on a 245 that’s all I would need. I still planning on running a 245 regardless this year.
One of the biggest things that seem to holding FD back are the venues. These little hole in the wall short track Ovals that look like shit just aren't a good look for the sport imo. I think more street tracks in big name cities would be extremely beneficial to the overall growth. It just lacks that glamour and spectacle that brings in sponsors. An old beat up short track in the middle of BFE isn't enticing to big name sponsors.
Also, i think FD needs to land a big name tire company. Continental, Bridgestone etc. A Single tire sponsor that everyone runs with a set size like the 245. FD also needs to land a fuel sponsor. Sunoco is one of the biggest sponsors in nascar. That's where Nascar has an edge. The 2 largest consumables of the sport have big supporters.
Overall there just needs to be more money thrown at marketing the sport so drivers have leverage when trying to land sponsors. Especially the lower tier like Pro 2.
There's also wayyyyy too much down time during the events, which is a whole other can of worms in itself..
Smaller tighter tracks will eliminate the need for big power and big grip. Better to watch too but not as hectic and showy that Americans froth on
Chelsea can we get 6 drivers together and make another video on the same topic, need some OGs aswell and a rookie in the conversation get a full wide Spectrum of opinions
D1 street legal class in America
I think if they could run events near a larger racing event on or around the same time it could help. Indy car races, NASCAR, SRX, Stadium Super Trucks, Monster trucks, Cletus races, piggyback it.
Amazing content! More in depth discussions into sustainability and the future from people who live it every day. 5/5 would watch more of this 😒
I was into drifting back when we would pack spares and tools in our cars and drive hours to attend a stadium lot like Seda or lookout drift or drift411 put on. Only a handful of guys had cars coming in on trailers. Now that it's so commercial and monster energized I don't even enjoy watching it anymore. Once again the pursuit of monetizing it and marketing it to the masses is killing it like it does most things. When it was getting going it was a family , now it's like the monster drinkers and pacsun kids
Welp if fd starts to go around the world to different countries in the us they could make more money instead of goes to the same countries.
Better not let that supra beat u is all that matters
Been saying it for a couple of years now. Drift competition cars, namely FD Cars, are so grip focused and overpowered. Yes it's still drifting, however it is in no way as attractive and amazing to watch as it is seeing a 300hp modified street car rip a mountain road.
Smoothness, style and flow is DEAD in FD
Drifting is the most stupid modalities of car racing sports” you are stuck in the burnout box😂😂 just learn how to race your car and keep growing dont just do burnouts 😅🙌🔥
The Downtime in between runs is a HUGE BUMMER In Formula Drift. How do you fix that? It's soo bad sometimes that people just walk away mid competition because they're so bored. You gotta fix that for sure.
Go to Japan, learn how things are done there. You dont need 1000hp to drift
We ran 2 series in the UK with a control tyre and it made the battles better and kept costs down whilst levelling the playing field massively.
Would be interested to know the cost of a 315 nitto or similer for a driver who isn’t receiving tyres for free as part of sponsorship
The tire and weight limit is basicly pro spec.
Controversial thought: the top level of motorsports should be wild and maybe not attainable for most. NASCAR Cup, F1, Top Fuel/nitro funny car are all super expensive and people want to watch them because they're insane. FD pro is that. It could just be as simple as promoting pro spec so that more drivers are ok with it being their home like you have in the lower levels of stock car, drag racing, and open wheel.
If people weren't charging ridiculously high prices for rear wheel drive cars, it'd be more affordable. 8-10k for clapped out s13s and the older bmws, etc is insane.
Also for all the global warming people if these cars were better on tires parts ect they would have to take note that we as a car community are doing things to help with cars being less impact full on the environment I for sure want my sons grand kids to be able to build and modify petrol engines not to mention the ev lies of it being sustainable makes me not ever want to see them fully go through everything has a down side the thing that matters is how close to eliminating that flaw you can get or a work around that issue
Chelsea is 100% on the track to sustainability
Would be nice to see FD use a more relatable tire size and compound that the super sticky steam rollers on some cars but I also see the point of the rules being wide open and it being the top of the top. Other motor sports have a lot of feeder series and loads of different classes to fit different budgets and drifting just doesn’t have something like that on nationwide scale yet
Take a look at FD Japan, those cars average around 500-700whp and the driving is amazing. They focus more on driving technique and reliability in a chassis. Also making the courses more complex will also help decrease the need for high hp. I think making FD more like grassroots drifting will benefit everyone. Also there’s no telling how long this sport will last with the EPA around
If RTR and Papadakis racing left FD, it would almost be better for the other teams. They’re more like factory teams competing against privateers. But if FD is the high form of Drifting in North America, you need those factory teams.
Less power
Slow the cars down
Make the tracks more technical less high-speed smoke shows Make it more about actual car control and driver skill over who has the moat power most speed and most smoke l…
Fix the way the judging works
more ride alongs! more money!
I was a fan of RadDan when he started. Now im a rad fan of RadDan because he is rad and is the man! 🤙🏻
We all know the biggest issue in fd is the judging. And the next biggest issue in my eyes is the hp and these banks tracks. Go to more conventional drift courses. Lower the hp make the cars go thru less tires. Absolutely change the judging. If people start watching money will come in
A wise man once said, cheap cars bring joy to drivers. A certain red compact
I feel like this interview REALLY needed Aaron from Lonestardrift too.
i always had the idea of a street course touge style woule be the sickest for fd
Just need different classes and class rules