A few weeks ago I got word that there was a SEMA Networking event during Formula Drift Atlanta. Fortunately, sometimes my job puts me in interesting places and this was exactly what happened. A chance meeting the following week with a client led to a weekend trip to Road Atlanta. My agency joined SEMA last year and as luck would have it there going to be a Young Executives meet up during that time. I also have made friends with a handful of guys in the industry and its always great to catch up - especially at the track.
After the last five years at various race tracks across the US, I still get excited to hear big LS V8s, rev-happy inline 6 2JZs and everything in between. The car control and drama of Formula D is hard to describe. Nearly every round is smoky door-to-door racing. While the legitimacy of a "judged" motorsport is a hotly debated topic, there's no doubt that experiencing it firsthand draws you in.
Over the last five years, the technology and engineering of the cars continue to grow. The most competitive cars have nearly 1,000 horsepower and get there in all different kinds of combinations. There's Vaughn Gittin Jr with a Roush-based NASCAR V8 that peaks around 8,000 RPM, Ryan Tuerck with a 1,000 HP 2JZ inline 6 that snap, crackles and pops, Kristaps Bluss with an LS-based supercharged V8 with a full titanium exhaust system covered in a full carbon body. Despite its niche status, the brains behind the cars should get full credit for dreaming up these cars.
The pit was crowded as drivers and fans mixed together and crews went to work on last minute changes
Ryan Tuerck's 2JZ Toyota FRS
Last year the Worthouse team came over from overseas and captured the 2017 Formula Drift championship with driver James Deane
A perfect example of Formula Drift insanity. This BMW E30 is powered by a LS7 with 660 wheel HP and 785 ft-lbs of torque
As part of this round, there's a car show run in conjunction with the competition
This particular weekend the competition was going off and so were the fans. Road Atlanta has a fantastic layout for both drivers and fans, with the keyhole section of the track between turns 10 and 11 delivering high entry speeds and an arena "bowl" like view of the cars. I grabbed a handful of photos from the pit and of Friday night's Pro 2 competition. Kristaps Bluss ended up winning the event over Frederic Asabo in a hotly contested battle. It was Kristaps first win and he was incredibly stoked on the victory.
Pro 2 Formula D competition.
With a few days to kill my buddy Jarod DeAnda, who happens to commentate for Formula Drift linked me up with his friend Steve West, who is a killer jewelry maker and also shoots some amazing photography. Steve's shop is inside of Fuller Moto and he was kind enough to give me a tour and guide me around some of Atlanta's fantastic culture. I was able to hit up a few other institutions like Brother Moto and cop some shirts and coffee too.
Check out some photos from the trip below.
After a 72 hour, crazy trip I came to the realization that Atlanta is a cool city.
Steve West, photographer, jewelry maker and occasional Atlanta tour guide
Garage side of Brother Moto
Coffee and retail side of Brother Moto - the vibe was on point
There was no shortage of metal to check out inside Fuller's shop
A funny car the Fuller Moto team was working on
Krog Street Bridge is a spot to check out street art. If you have a can of spray paint handy, you can leave your own mark
I was tempted....
A surreal place, the tomb of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr and his wife