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

Driver: Mike Bolanos                                                                                     Photo Credit: Paul Lopez
We caught up with Mike Bolanos one of the OG’s in the Las Vegas Grassroots Drifting scene today after his 4th place victory that earned him a Co-Championship Title with Mickie Frial in the 2009 “Top Drift” Southern California Formula Drift affiliate Pro/Am series.

Vd: So Mike how does it feel to be Formula Drifts newest licensed driver?
MB: FD license… All I can say is wow! I was always been a little intimidated of even joining the pro-am series.  I’m very excited yet I have no idea where to start planning… Budgeting for making my demo car an FD spec car is a big question for me right now
Vd: So you will be in a different car next year?
MB: Maybe, (continue reading…)