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| This picture looks to be from around 2004 at Willow Springs Balcony. JR is screwing around in his Falken S13 (which he still owns) with other Drift Alliance teammates. |
MK- What is it like to be the 2010 Formula D Champion? What did it take for you to get there?
JR- After 7 years of dreaming about being the FD champ I would say it is like standing on a ladder at the top of Mount Everest; I am simply on top of the world. It’s excitement, emotion, and relief all mixed up. It has taken passion, commitment, confidence, practice, a great support system, a kick-ass car, a great team, great sponsors, business skills, intense focus and sacrificing a lot of things I used to take for granted, to chase and live this ultimate dream. In short pretty much… it has taken everything I have and then some. It is a very intense quest that from the outside looking in you would have no idea. I know this because I once was on the outside looking in at other motorsports and it never seemed so challenging until I was in it.
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| When the Japanese were gods. I remember back in the infancy of pro drifting in the USA, the D1GP Japanese pros seemed like another level higher than the fledgling Formula D drivers. JR shocked the drifting world when he beat the Japanese at their own game, the D1GP. |
MK- Tell us about your car, the infamous Monster Energy/Falken Tire Mustang, we think it’s the most technologically advanced car on the Formula D circuit by far, MotoIQ readers are totally into tech, what can you tells us about it’s engine, chassis, suspension and brakes?
JR- I’m not sure about that, but there is no doubt that ASD knows what’s up when it comes to building cars and it is an amazing machine. Last year’s engine setup was a supercharged Ford racing 5.0 liter built off of the 4.6 liter block and DOHC heads. It made about 650HP and about 550ftlb just about everywhere I needed it. The gear box is a Mid Valley four-speed dog box and we use a Winters quick change to dial in the gearing at each track. For brakes we use Wilwood six-piston superlight in the front and Twin Dynapro four-piston in the rear. We use double adjustable Tein coilovers and Speedway sway bars. The chassis is a 2011 Ford Mustang that has the hair of an angel, some Kiwi feathers, a bit of apple pie mixed in the carbon and a dash of gunpowder. Like its team and driver, it likes to party!
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| JR’s victory was an iconic event, firmly establishing Americans as world class competitors in the world of drifting. |
