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| Robbie Nishda has been struggling with new car blues all season long. He is an excellent driver but the team hasn’t gotten a handle on the new R35 GTR yet. It should be awesome once it’s dialed in. |
The 32 qualifiers then go through 2 consecutive tandem runs in a ladder based on seeding position. The higher qualifier leads the first run and the lower qualifier leads the second. Ideally the following car should use the lead car as a “clipping cone” taking the same line as the leading car as close as they dare the inside rear quarter panel, but may choose a higher line to pressure the leader. They should also try to stay as close as possible to the lead car’s line. Passing is only allowed if the lead car fumbles enough to where a pass is needed to avoid collision. A safe pass must be completed while in drift and must not interfere with the other car’s line. Cars do occasionally bump each other or the wall. The driver at fault will lose some points, but both drivers must complete the entire course. The lead car’s objective is to pull away and shake the tailing car for maximum points and the following car has to stay as close as possible without passing for maximum points. Falling out of drift or spinning is a severe points penalty and the only way to advance if this happens is if the other car messes up worse! The three judges then either choose a winner or there is a tie. If the vote between the judges is split, the drivers must go “One More Time.”
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| Brian Wilkerson in the 4-Rotor RX-8 should get the award for the most irritating sounding car. It sounds good and bad at the same time. Dai Yoshihara easily dispatched him in the top 32 |
Derogatory comments about drifting being gay like ice skating don’t hold true, the scoring contains many elements of racing, you have to decisively beat and pull away from your opponent or follow with aggression, showing who is boss and you have to maintain a high clocked speed around the course, all with style and without making a mistake. Drifters probably have the highest car control of any drivers in motorsports.
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| Chris Forsberg is one of the best textbook drivers in Formula D. He pulls off lap after lap smoothly hitting his clipping points. I think this car powered by a hard to develop Nissan VH45 V8 doesn’t have enough power to win the speed game. Here he is against Wild Bill Sherman. Chris hit the wall in Friday practice but was able to fix the car overnight. |
On to the event, I attended the media briefing Saturday morning and was given my bright green vest which was also my ticket to a spa treatment on the track- a rubber facial and debris exfoliation. I quickly learned to snap pictures right until the cars were directly in front of me, and then turn my head to let the rubber and fiberglass tidal wave wash over me. A good sized chunk of rubber settled on my head during the first round and for a second I thought someone in the stands had thrown something at me!
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| The Wall is exceedingly hard on tires with a set of rear tires only lasting 2 runs on the faster cars. Rubber was being thrown everywhere. This is rubber on the backside of the guardrail I also got a rubber facial and had rubber highlights in my hair. |
