Tunerology

Lately it seems all I've been doing is complaining about things and this month isn't any different. It's time to let some more steam out. Now that another D1 has passed through the U.S. for a second round, my prediction of import drag racers jumping on the bandwagon has come true. Some of these are guys I consider my friends, and this may only apply to a few of them, but I'm about to get a little harsh. By all means, I hope they have fun drifting, but there is one thing I don't want to see them bring to the sport. Most of these straight-line racers that are just starting to get into the sport have sponsors for their drag cars and I don't want to see their sponsors follow them to the drift sport. Don't get me wrong, I want to see the sponsors become involved with D1, but there are plenty of people currently drifting that can really use the sponsorship dollars. In all honesty, it's these guys that deserve it. For example, these drag racers have their sponsors in the sport of straight-line drag racing for a few different reasons. Either they are good at drag racing and place very well in a competition or two or they market themselves very well and have plans of being on top and still make an effort to get their name out there. It is a fact that drag and drift is like comparing apples to oranges; one requires turning the car once to get off the track while the other requires constant turning on the track. I've drag raced and more recently been drifting and while I can't say I'm professional at either one, unlike some of my professional drag race friends I refuse to say, "I'll have no problem winning D1 cause I'm fast in the quarter mile." So, knowing that, I really hope sponsors take advantage of somebody's drag racing skills just as they would with a drift racer's driving skills.

Of course there is another thing I need to bitch about. Why is it a that people who build drag cars think big horsepower is gonna win a drift event? I've been hearing some of the drag race community talk about building a drift car and their approach surprises me. Maybe I shouldn't say anything about it so most of them learn the hard way, but I just can't hold back! There are some retarded things I've been hearing. "I'm gonna run methanol to make a shitload of power!" Go ahead, dumb ass! You only need a certain level of power so if you bring your 1000-hp car to the track, are you planning on having it last more then eight-seconds? "I want to put a big-ass turbo on my car!" Go ahead, smart guy. See you at the finish line when your turbo is done spooling up! "I haven't seen anybody make a tube chassis drift car yet. We should make one." Yeah, that sounds cool. Maybe you'll learn to drift in a tube chassis drift car. That sounds much cheaper to crash then a unibody car!

This is just the beginning of a long list of reasons why sponsors need to go to the drifters to get the job done. There are plenty of grassroots guys that deserve sponsorship before the newbies in drifting get all the love. Honesty, I think it's cool that some of the drag guys are giving it a try, and lately I've started to see more of them at the local drift events. Can you blame them? Drifting a car is probably the most entertaining time I've ever spent in a car, while drag racing has absolutely the biggest adrenaline rush you can experience. The way I look at it, everyone can have fun, either watching or participating. Just don't say you can kick ass in the sport without even trying it first.