Irwindale

Evergreen Drift ProAm Nats Spotters Guide

The biggest event of the year for the up and coming drifters is happening this weekend.

The best drivers from all over the country who qualified at the various Pro-Am events will converge on Toyota Speedway in Irwindale California this Saturday (11/21). Everyone will be gunning for glory and dogfighting for the golden tickets to compete in the Formula Drift pro series next year.

The Evergreen Drift drivers will represent the Northwest in force with 6 drivers from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. These guys have had tons of seat time on Evergreen Speedways huge 5/8th mile oval which should give them confidence when charging into the House Of Drift’s famous high speed 1/2 mile bank.

Here is a run down and spotters guide for the Evergreen Drift crew (in no particular order).

Victor Moore

• From - Port Orchard, WA
• Car - KP Race S14
• Bio - Victor is a Pro-Am nationals veteran having been lucky enough to compete at the Pro-Am held during the 2008 Red Bull World Drift Championship event. Victor didn’t earn a license that day but he is back stronger than ever and ready to earn his license. He is backed by KP Race Engineering, the same team that has tuned and run Tommy Suell’s rocket ship of an AE86 this season in FD. His S14 is professionally set up, has tons of steering angle, and his support team is FD experienced.
• Stats - 2008 Evergreen Drift Champion. 2009 Evergreen Drift #2. 2009 Evergreen Drift Pro-Am #2
• Sponsors - KP Race Engineering, Advanced Street Performance, Hankook Tires, Maaco, Racetech

Ian Fournier

• From - Abbotsford,  B.C. CANADA!
• Car - R32 Nissan Skyline (4 Door Family Sedan)
• Bio - Everyone loves Ian’s car, the smoke it makes, and his aggressive driving. He always is on the high line with the throttle pinned. He and Trent make up the Drift Safari duo and what we like to call ‘Team Canada’. The Drift Safari boys are super dedicated and traveled 3 hours and a boarder crossing 1 way down to practically Evergreen Drift event this season. They were the first ones putting in the practice laps on the 5/8ths this season and have the most practice of all the drivers. The work payed off for Ian with a podium finish at the Evergreen Drift ProAm event. Look for Ian to put in a good showing on the Irwindale bank.
• Stats - 2008 Evergreen Drift #6. 2009 Evergreen Drift #6. 2009 Evergreen Drift Pro-Am #3
• Sponsors - The Skyline Shop, Wheels West, Drivers Edge Autosports

Trent Stromkins

• From - Chilliwack, B.C., CANADA!
• Car - Toyota Corolla - AE86 Hatch with S14 SR20DET
• Bio - Trent Is the other half of the Drift Safari crew. This tight team has what it takes to go pro and make it to events and deliver results. Trent’s long time yellow AE86 coupe met with some trouble mid season and so he did a chassis swap in 9 days including a new cage to his current burgundy hatch. The S14 SR20DET under the hood is lightly tuned and set up for reliability to ensure the car lasts to the final round.
• Stats - 2008 Evergreen Drift #8. 2009 Evergreen Drift #3. 2009 Evergreen Drift Pro-Am Top 8
• Sponsors - Wheels West, Work Wheels Japan, Drivers Edge Autosports, ShowStoppers USA

Andrew Coomes

• From - Portland, OR
• Car - Nissan 240SX - S13 with SR20DET
• Bio - Andrew get the ‘Most Improved’ award for 2009. His first season of drift competition was ‘08 in a ratty Corolla coupe. He was bitten by the bug and traded up to a well built S13 in ‘09 and it was just what he needed to show his rapidly developing talent. Andrew has a great pit crew of friends and family that support him at every event. He went down to the Vegas Drift ProAm and got 4th place while battling overheating issues and earning an invite to the Nationals. Back at the ranch he got knocked out in the great 8 at the Evergreen ProAm. Andrew is focused and with a great team behind him has what he needs to do well at the Nationals.
• Stats - 2008 Evergreen Drift #82. 2009 Evergreen Drift #4. 2009 Vegas Drift Pro-Am #4. 2009 Evergreen Drift Pro-Am Great 8
• Sponsors - Photo Finish Media, F Records, K&N Filters, Unnatural Inc

Rolland Gallagher

• From - Bothell, WA
• Car - Nissan 240SX - S13 Newport Green with SR20DET
• Bio - Roland and his super style car are already well known and have achieved some internet stardom. The cool thing is that he has the skill to back up the style.  Roland has only has one mode - Maximum Attack. His tandem battles always bring the crowd to their feet as he trails his opponent with mere feet to spare from initiation to to finish line. Don’t miss a single one of Roland’s runs if you want to see some awesome action.
• Stats - 2008 Evergreen Drift #2. 2009 Evergreen Drift #5. 2009 Vegas Drift Pro-Am #3, 2009 Evergreen Drift Pro-Am Top 4
• Sponsors - Garage Autohero, K&N Filters

Nikolay Konstantinov

• From - Lynnwood, WA
• Car - Nissan 240SX - S13 with RB25DETT
• Bio - Nikolay is one of the drifting godfathers of the Northwest. He was part of the original group of drifters that organized events in Washington. He went on a hiatus as his car went through a 2 year rebuild into it’s present state. His 180sx with a UP Garage special recipe RB25 and RB26DETT twin turbos setup puts down over 400HP with no lag. With the new whip finished he has jumped back in the the game with the goal of playing with the Pros.  His motto is “Go for speed” and his super smooth style and aggressive door to door tandem car control skills make him a crowd favorite and podium contender.
• Stats - 2009 Evergreen Drift #10. 2009 Evergreen Drift Pro-Am
• Sponsors - UP GARAGE, DISCOUNT TIRE CO., Cascade Wheel, KIZO GRAPHICS, FALKEN,  DOWN TOWN BANYA, JMI MOTORING

And one more honorable mention. While Cyrus Martinez is a SoCal guy he did earn his invite at the Evergreen Drift Pro-Am by winning. He overcame competitors with a huge home course advantage and a big crash in practice to beat the Evergreen Drift boys in their own house. Cyrus is a great guy and we loved having him compete with us but there are a few drivers looking for redemption and a chance for a re-match!

Good luck to all the competitors from across the country.

Be sure to stop by our pits and say hi.

Irwindale

ProAm Finals Tickets On Sale

The tickets for the Formula Drift ProAm finals are available online. FD is offering them for only $10!

Purchase your tickets online here.

Show up at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, CA on November 21st and support your buddies as the best amateur drifters from around the US and Canada do final battle to earn a Formula Drift Pro license.

The Northwest has made a strong showing between the Vegas and Seattle rounds and the following local drivers have qualified:

• Roland Gallagher
• Andrew Coomes
• Victor Moore
• Ian Fournier
• Trent Stromkins
• Nikolay Konstantinov

The combination of the Irwindale track, event pressure, and FD judges will insure the action is  intense and only the best will earn the ultimate goal of an FD license. The Evergreen Drift drivers will be ready to rock the House of Drift!

Check http://www.formulad.com for full official event information.