PRO Drifting In Technicolor
Check out the 2024 livery lineup! This season, the theme seems to be the loudest color combinations you can imagine, with a ton of ‘salt and pepa’ sprinkled in.
The Professionals
Hobson, Hansen, Hateley and Brutskiy (@rudyhansen119, @benhobson213, @hateleydrift, @dimabrutskiy) aren’t exactly lawyers or architects, but it’s a string of names with a nice ring. Especially in Formula DRIFT, where these professionals have earned props for moving from PROSPEC to FD’s PRO league. Along with inbound international rookies Shanahan (@conorshanahan79) and Minowa (@hiroya.minowa).
Musical Drivers
Anyone up for a game of ‘musical drivers’? Let’s see if you can keep up. Adam LZ (@adam_lz) left RTR and Ben Hobson slid into DeNofa’s yellow Penzoil ‘Stang. Jerry Yang Racing/JYR (@jerryyangracing) welcomed 14-year-old Hiroya Minowa from Japan, but said sayonara to Nick Noback. A new Beemer showed up on the Garagistic fleet, but not for DMEC champion Conor Shanahan (@conorshanahan79). He’s got Charpentier’s beloved E36 this season and Rome introduced an inbound E82 chassis.
‘The Shanahan’
Speaking of Shanahan. It’s a rare moment not to see ‘The Shanahans’ competing together. Even so, Conor’s brother Jack (@jackshanahan59) followed his bro to Long Beach to root for him from a different vantage point.
Beechum’s First Parade!
Each year, FD’s season opener is marked by an awesome stampede with thousands of automotive horses roaring up and around the track’s southside and through the Long Beach downtown core. The drivers settle under a covered breezeway leading into The Pike shopping center, where the night ends with drivers mingling amongst a huge throng of fans who’ve been waiting all year for the moment. Participation is by invitation, and this year, Trenton Beechum (@trenton_beechum) proudly led the pack!
Photo courtesy of DRIFTEM Correspondent Daniel Gooda.