VegasDrift hosted Vegas-ProAm Round One on March 13, 2010 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring Lot.  Local amateur drifters, as well as drivers from Utah, California, Arizona, and even Canada, went head-to-head in a Top 16 battle for points and prizes.
Formula Drift Judge, Ernie Fixmer (pictured below), explaining the Formula Drift-style scoring system at the qualification drivers meeting.

Jarod Deanda, the voice of Formula Drift and several Need for Speed video games, stands next to Team 671′s DJ Ortho, aka Anthony Del Rosario .
Media coverage included Wrecked Magazine, 4RP (Four Reel Productions), Kidyosh.com and SAVphoto.  Las Vegas model Mariel Mendoza was out signing Posters. 360 Imports Car Show hosted a charity car show benefitting the Clark County Injured Police Officers Fund.
Dstroyr Clothing displayed an amazing array of radical threads.

The event kicked off at 9:00 AM giving the drivers four hours of practice before the start of qualifications.

Court was in session with Vegas-ProAm judges, Ernie Fixmer (FD/D1/Driver), Tommy Suell and Mike Bolanos (local FD pros).
#2 qualifier and 4th place winner, Josh Guild, leads in an intense door-to-door practice run with Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis.

Joshua Guild and Mike “Bucky” Laing featured below were tandem in Top 4 Dave Briggs in his Blue S14 and Adrock Rosin Black SRD 350z

Congratulations to Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis on his VegasProAm Round One 1st place victory!!!  Local Las Vegas Driver Mike “Buckey” Laing came in a close 2nd!  Canadian David Briggs fought incredibly hard with amazing runs to fight his way to 3rd place.

Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis, 1st place!

Mike “Buckey” Laing, a local VegasDrift driver, earned some stripes this weekend and exchanged a lot of paint with the K-rail banners.

David Briggs, 3rd Place

VegasProAM Standings

We would like to personally thank our sponsors/supporters GPSCity.com, Sparco, CP Pistons, Wrecked Magazine, Dstroyr Clothing, 4RP (Four Reel Productions), First Source Signs, Emergency Hookers Towing, Motor Mavens, Jarod Deanda (The Voice of Drifting), Belle-1 Communications, 360 Car Show, Carrillo Rods, AITRacing.com, Paladin Automotive <–extra low lifts at their new shop!, DJ Ortho, and Formula Drift.

See you at Round 2!!

-WDizon

Vegas Pro Am 2010 Competition Format

Philippine International News Cast ABS-CBN Balitang America (News America) had a special report for pinoy drifters in Las Vegas. Interview was dated 01/16/10.  For more information on Mike Bolanos please visit http://bomac.wordpress.com

Tommy Suell from Ross Fairfield on Vimeo.

Tommy Suell ran the entire 2009 Formula D season, with his share of struggles and trials. From having to completely rebuild his car after the AE86 was totaled in long beach, to just being able to make it to the event, Tommy pushed through it all and charged into each event faster than the event before.

We will certainly miss you in the 2010 season Tommy. Come back soon.

Filmed, Edited and Colored by Ross Fairfield

Software
Final Cut Pro, Magic Bullet Looks

Hardware
Sony HDR-FX7

Song
Spencer Davis Group-Gimmie some lovin
Days of Thunder

Vegas Drift had its VD016 Pre-tech inspection on Thursday night at Garage Vegas.  Garage Vegas is something special to the Las Vegas drifting community because its a place that they can go and have seasoned veterans point them in the right direction. Garage Vegas started as partnership between drivers Vegasdrift staff member Joel Mello, who’s had his share of VIP rides to 240′s, Pro-am driver Shawn “Volchok” Coward, and Formula D/D1 USA champ Forrest Wang.  It just snapped one morning, that working under a car port or out of a storage unit is just not cutting it anymore. They have all the tools and the knowledge to get the job done, and very very clean work at that.  When you walk into Garage Vegas,  you see cars with full cages, tubbed fenders, stitch-welded chassis and gussets galore. Another thing I noticed was how somebody there really loves to weld. From the work benches, racks, and even a grind rail for bmx/skating after hours.  Not a bad gig they got going over there!

The hottest thing there were Forrest Wang’s new “Wangles” which are cut-shortened spindles for that extra-gangsta angle! Check out a set on his s14. Project Mu disc brakes are absolutely ridiculous. Oh, for the photography guys, Sigma 15mm Fish + sb900 on cam sb800 off cam.  I liked this shot a lot!

I thought the brake calipers were HUGE on those, then across the garage is “wang-mobile #2″ with these ENDLESS calipers. These cars are so money!! These are what every s-chassis owner would dream of having!! I remember seeing Forrest’s BN s14 for the first time and being blown away especially from a driver with no major backings.  +1 for the privateers!!

Here’s motor shot of Volchok’s almost finished 2010 rebuild. Lots of chrome, anodized blue, and pearl white overwhelming the engine bay. Kind of makes this fisheye shot legit because it can throw you off if you stare at it too long!!

And lastly, one more of Forrest’s s14.5′s engine bay, (it seems like this is a Forrest Wang feature by now but I assure you it’s not, that’s maybe later in the future!)  This pictures funny to me because the sticker “SNAFU” (which is a bmx accy company) just kept making me think of ZT’s “BASTFU”!  (sorry if you don’t get it, you probably failed!)

Lots of grilling, drinking, good times at Garage Vegas. Everyone passed tech got a “VD POSITIVE” sticker, which in its own is just awesome. Thanks guys!

FOLLOW MY BLOG!!! -BRENTON HO