Hooman Rahimi's 350Z: Pro 2 and the Cost of Drifting
At the end of a long day or week, we all have our own way of unwinding and loosening the shackles of responsibility. For some of us, it might be alcohol or working out at the gym, but for Hooman Rahimi, it’s always been about roasting some tires.
In some form or another, we all have a story about what got us into cars. The days of wrenching with Dad or Grandpa, late night shenanigans with friends behind the school, or the sheer panic of getting our first speeding ticket. For Hooman, drifting has been an addiction for him since the very beginning. “My first car was a 91 naturally aspirated MR2 in high school. I was young and dumb. I would always be on the lookout for empty parking lots to throw the car around in,” he stated.
He later found his way to some autocross events where he was still tempted with the thrill of getting sideways, powersliding the car every chance he got. This lead him to attend some of the local Atlanta drift events, and bought his current drift car, a 2004 Nissan 350Z, in 2009.
Hooman Rahimi showing out under the paddock at Nashville Superspeedway during the East10 Driftmas event.“(At) my first events, I would show up and drive on the tires I rolled in on, and I would use donuts to get home. I slowly added to my budget and one of my first ‘upgrades’ was a trailer so I could bring more tires to events and drive harder without worrying how I would get home.”
Drifting is an automotive sport just like any other, that requires money and patience to get to the top. Just tires and getting to the racetrack alone are a huge expense for these guys, not counting the endless hours in the garage making sure the car can handle what they’re about to dish out.
Hooman drifting the sweeper at Nashville Superspeedway during East10’s Driftmas 2016 event.“The cost is insane when you put it down on paper. The time and money you put in to have your car ready and your truck and trailer ready can be exhausting. Add to it the travel time, the time away from friends and family, and the sheer energy cost that all of this requires is a bit insane. But the time you get on track makes it all worth it in the end. It fuels you to keep going harder and stronger each time. It quenches that addiction.”
Hooman Rahimi uses an OMP and Grip Royal steering wheel to slide through corners in his 350Z.In 2014, he reached that point where he was ready to make his car more competitive and swapped the 350Z motor for an LS7. By 2016, he completed his first full season with his LS7 and secured his Pro 2 license.
If you can't tell whether it's a cloudy day or not, we assure you that it is just the tire smoke! 
