I thought I’d do a feature on some folks that we are friends with as we are all in this drifting/speed addiction thing together. Most anyone who knows clubFR knows Rob as the guy who makes Miata’s look bad ass. Allthough his Miata isn’t around much anymore, he still has a strong love for the roadsters and you can find regular posts on his blog - Roadster Drift - which show he still has an obvious soft spot for the little whips.
He’s been missing from our scene for a little while and as it turns out, hasn’t missed a beat at all. In fact, it appears he’s only raised the bar for himself as a driver.
I couldn’t exactly get him on the phone so I did a little email interview to see how he’s doing and what’s next. Enjoy!
Where are you located?
- Kameoka city, Kyoto Prefecure Japan
What car are you driving and what have you done to it?
-2000 Nissan S15 Silvia
-Mods
= Engine . RSR Catback , NGK Racing Spark Plugs #8
= Suspension . Stance AL+Pro (Swift Springs 9k/7K) , Nismo GT LSD 1.5way , Cusco RUCA, GT-1 Tension rods, rear toe arms , Ikeya Formula inner tie rods, Stance subframe collars, GT-1 Rigid Diff mounts, Project Mu D1spec rear brake pads
= Interior. Bride ZeigIII bucket seat , Nardi 330 Classic, WorksBell quick release, GT-1 30mm hub spacer
= Wheel/Tire . Yokohama Advan AVS Model5 18×9 +15 / 19×10+30 spare 18×10+30 , F 215/40-18 Goodyear Revspec RS02 , R 235/35-19 Kenda KR20 & 235/40-18 Kenda KR20
Do you miss drifting in the US?
- Yea, I do a lot actually. I miss driving with everyone. I also think we are really blessed in the midwest with some of the coolest tracks to drive on so I still dream about hitting USAIR and Gateway all the time. I never was able to get up to MN but that bank looks like mad fun so I always think about hitting that up with all the TMF folks someday. Just hanging in the pits or waiting in line to drive was always so chill, I really miss that….and the drunken night before d-day shenanigans.
What are the key differences between how you are experiencing drifting in Japan vs. Chicagoland?
- In Chicago we had an off season, so it gave everyone time to either build and or go insane waiting for the season to start. Here I can go drive just about anytime I like, not only becuase winters are more mild, but also becuase touge is a mere 10mins (or less) from my apartment. It may sound cliche, but people in Japan live drifting. It isn’t a hobby to do on the weekends or when time allows. Thats how I always felt when I was back home, living life one event at a time..but those were monthly or longer apart sometimes so I was always going crazy to just go drive. Here I can go drive whenever I like…something that will be hard to leave once I do decide to move back to the states in the future.
Do you anticipate driving the Miata at all this year?
- I left the car in a decently bad state when I left for Japan. I parted some things off of it to fund the move and such so as it sits now…its not really driftable. I have been playing with the idea of fixing a few things and sending it here to Japan however…..so in reply to this question…maybe?!?
If you could build and drift any car, what would it be and why?
- Toyota JZX110 Mark2…I have always loved this car (as many can attest to) and given the chance I would love to build one. They are still a bit rich for me, but maybe one of these days I can make it happen. Something about a big, powerful, gutted, caged, open wastegate screaming 4door has always made me grin.
Is there any member of TMF Opposition that you think could beat you up?
- Hrm…..I think that Keith could. He has that cop walk…you all know what I mean! It screams `dont make me get out my baton boy!`
What’s the most embarracing thing you have ever done behind the wheel of an automobile?
- Man a lot of things, but one that lingers is getting in Simbas 180 at Road America, kicking the clutch into the 1st turn…and spinning…and then realizing that at the same time the motor popped…that was fairly embarracing. Come to think of it, I also flew off course a few time in Simbas car at RA..haha what a whore of a car!
Who would you like to say hello to or shout out?
-Of course all the guys at ClubFR and over at Origin/TF. What I miss most about being back home is hanging out before, at, and after drift days with everyone. I really think we have something special in the midwest that not a lot of other areas do. Everyone is chill, we build sick cars, drive them even better and all get a long doing it. Not everyone has that, and I think we should all realize how nice it is.
