Formula D to air on ESPN, But will glut of "pro" series kill Drifting?

[Ming]

Will the influx of several new "pro" series kill drifting?
http://cars.ign.com
by Terry Henderson



February 8, 2007 - Drifting in the USA has really taken off in the last several years. In 2007 there are a tremendous number of grass roots organizations that are hosting drift events across the nation. I remember when there was one, one group that was officially only drift oriented. Those guys laid the foundation for what grass roots drifters have today. Those guys are recognized and thanked because they laid down a solid model for many organizations to follow and emulate.

I do worry that the influx of new "pro" series' for 2007 will have a negative impact on drifting in the USA. Like any other form of Motorsport, once there are multiple top tier management bodies our fresh new sport will become watered down, and the competition will most likely be at a lower level because the talent will be spread throughout many different series' and as the quality of the "show" goes down so will the popularity of drifting.

A great example of this is the CART vs. IRL showdown of the 1990's that lead to one of the lowest points of popularity for open wheel racing in the USA.

Another group with roots in a much closer area to drifting is Spo Com Drag Racing. We all watched (those of us that are ol' skool) as Battle of the Imports turned from a phenomenon to a sham, and then splinter into the shards of import drag racing that you see today. I talk with my friends about drags and they laugh about how there are only 3 cars in a bracket, and how sweet it would be to get a free pass straight to the finals because there is no one else to line up against.

Formula D is going to be aired on ESPN networks this year. I hope that this will help solidify their position as the top sanctioning body for Drifting in the USA. Formula D has made efforts in every year of their existence to improve their rules and regulations, and this has helped the final product to improve and become a better show for everyone.

More / Full Commentary: http://cars.ign.com/articles/762/762883p1.html

[spdwayGm]

Yea, that and the fact that good ol' boys have been drifting for DECADES on short tracks around America.

Only 2 cars on the track at the same time? Try 30. That's real racing.

[jmihalje]

^^^^^what he said!!!!!

Oh this NEW sport of drifting.... it has also been said that if you can drive, and control the car on dirt you can drive anywhere!

[Ming]

Watching UDTRA type racing is great fun, but it and other dirt track and oval racing suffers from a lot of the same problems as NASCAR:

1. Does not appeal to "Gen Y" or Urban culture types. More for the Midwestern or Southern middle-aged man, or traditional (not NOPI type) Drag Racing fan.
2. Cars don't look anything like production cars, and don't even try to. The look runs from NASCAR-ish like shells, to go carts with giant wings on their roofs.
3. Not at all tied in with the whole "import car" culture (goes with #1), so there's nobody in the stands for GM to go after that they don't already have in their back pocket.
4. Its generally run on an oval, "roundy round" race track, like NASCAR, and some (especially GenY raised on Gran Turismo games) think that isn't interesting racing, wrong though they may be.

[spdwayGm]

When I ran the speedway down here, I visited every so-called tuner shop to open up the 4-cylinder class to them--which had been open only to rwd -4-cylinders. (mostly small trucks + pintos & vegas)

Each of the shops and car owners, who had several cars prepped and ready, said drag racing was the future of racing and they didn't want to dent their cars.

They also said anyone could do it and that it wasn't competitive enough.

Diff strokes for diff folks, i guess.

[Ming]

Originally Posted by spdwayGm

Each of the shops and car owners, who had several cars prepped and ready, said drag racing was the future of racing and they didn't want to dent their cars.

Yep, sounds about right. A lot of the Drifting thing is having a shiny show-car worthy look about the vehicles. Cars that can be on the cover of Modified magazine and can get a Red Bull or X-Box sponsorship. Oh, and having "Import Model" type women draped over the hood of your car in suggestive poses isn't going to happen with a dinged up, scratched to heck, grime-smeared dirt racer. Maybe Daisy Duke... Much less chance of getting banged up and filthy in a tandem 2-car Drifting competition on nice pavement.

[GTOken]

But will glut of "pro" series kill Drifting?

god lets hope so.

[Randle2I]

I find it sad that a gaming site has an automotive section. IGN needs to stick to games, something that they're merely O.K. at doing.

Anyways, this article is a few years too early. Drifting in the US, while growing, is small fries and the vast majority of people don't even know what it is. He uses IRL/Cart as an example, but it's a bad analogy. When IRL/Cart split they where at the top of their game. Money was rolling in, fans where plentiful, and ratings where up. They split because the owners got greedy. With Drifting the sport is still too small, too grass roots, to splinter and die. Right now the only channel that I know of that shows drifting on a regular basis is G4 and they have a shrinking audience. Formula D still has a long life ahead of it and is in no danger of disapearing.

[redimpss5]

But since that type of racing is not in Japan or on the west coast, most young people dont know how long that has been around. I remember just 20 years ago, I had 15 places to watch sprint cars, now I have to travel many miles to see those same cars.

[Ming]

Originally Posted by Randle2I

I find it sad that a gaming site has an automotive section. IGN needs to stick to games, something that they're merely O.K. at doing.

I find it telling and disturbing (for GM), not sad, that a gaming site has an extreme slant towards Japanese cars in its reviews and the focus of the guys writing for IGN Cars. The Tokyo Auto Show is bigger to them than NAIAS. They know more about the JGTC than the Grand Am Cup (Koni Challenge) or Rolex 24 hours at Daytona. When they did an article on the GAC, they kept using the JGTC as a reference point.

Not entirely surprising given the concentration of Japanophiles interested in games, anime, etc. due to so much of the product coming from Japan.

All that said, GM can't afford to retreat to a world of NASCAR and Bud Light and ignore the way Japanese cars like the Skyline made their way into the hearts and minds of the youth of America through video games.

[spdwayGm]

Too true, Ming. I still have dreams of A Skyline GTR.....wonderful dreams >shudder<