Inside Formula Drift: Behind the Scenes @ Irwindale

October 28, 2013
Story By
Andrew Modena

We all love watching the epic battles and tire smoke of Formula Drift, but what goes on behind the scenes during a drift competition weekend? Follow along as DrivingLine takes you through the excitement of a 2013 Formula Drift Championships @ Irwindale - one moment at a time.

Wednesday

3:42 pm - The podium backdrop sits vacant and the winner of Round 7 and 2013 Champion is yet to be decided. By Saturday at 11:01pm winners will be celebrating.

3:52 pm - One of the most important parts of set-up, the track.

Friday

10:07 am - Four hours until the gates are open to the public for qualifying day, and Irwindale is beginning to bustle with activity.

10:18 am - Starbucks orders have yet to be drank. Vendors, media, and drivers are all checking in at Will Call. Here Chelsea DeNofa is just getting his long day started.

10:24 am - The entry line sits vacant... but not for long.

10:41 am - Vendors are just getting their booths set-up. At the Mishimoto booth, swag gets taken from shipping boxes before being whisked away by hoards of eager fans.

10:43 am - Industry pals stop and chat about their latest projects. This car will be displayed in the Nitto booth, but first must complete it's task of delivering bottled waters to the Avant Garde crew.

10:55 am - Tire changing won't be at its peak until later in the day during qualifying, but there's still work to be done. Here Vaughn Gittin Jr's bright green wheels are getting wrapped in Nitto Tires and ready for the day ahead.

11:17 am - The fire safety crew is sure to have some exciting moments during the two evenings ahead, but at the moment it's just another warm afternoon at Irwindale Speedway.

11:25 am - Taking the opportunity of an open track to get some video footage, Gittin Jr and his Mustang are throwing up some smoke.

11:34 am - Ryan Sage VP & FD Co-Founder and Judge Andy Yen take a short rest in what's bound to be one of their busiest weekends of the year.

1:18 pm - JR Hildebrand and Tyler McQuarrie exit the all drivers' meeting.

1:21 pm - On the track, the lines have been painted and cones set-up. This serenity will soon be replaced with the smell of rubber, revving of engines, and plumes of tire smoke.

5:29 pm - Smoke pours out as Matt Powers lays down his qualifying run.

6:02 pm - The judges difficult jobs of determining who progresses onwards has begun.

7:05 pm - Autographs are given out as fans get to come face-to-face with their favorite drivers.

7:11 pm - Forrest Wang signs a drifted-on tire that will go home as a fan's prized possesion. The following evening at 10:58 pm, Forrest would be taking his first podium finish in Formula Drift.

9:02 pm - Qualifying results are given during an all-drivers' meeting. Those who are within grasp of the Championship figure out who they'll be heading up against on Saturday.

Teams go back to mend their vehicles for the following day, fans go home, and Irwindale settles for the night. Tomorrow's the big day...all in all, 20,000 fans will come through Irwindale's doors and a new Formula D Champion will be named.

Saturday

5:10 pm - A few hours after the gates have opened and the stands are full. The first "Round of 32" competition is going on. In a couple hours, it will be dark and the opening ceremonies will start before the Top 16 Finals.

6:01 pm - "Half Time" break allows teams to grab a quick bite to eat...that is, if they're not busy making repairs to their vehicle for Top 16.

6:42 pm - Sun has set on the San Gabriel Valley and Formula Drift progresses full speed ahead.

6:44 pm - Food tents that were just being set-up 30 hours ago are now swarming with hungry fans. (See how many hotdogs, sodas, and beer the crowd devoured in our infographic.)

6:47 pm - No longer an empty parking lot, Formula Drift brings in record-breaking crowds to Irwindale Speedway.

7:13 pm - Fredric Aasbo's Scion tC gets a final check-through during half time break, ensuring it's set up for the evening's final round of competition.

7:17 pm - The "vendor village" packs the fans in, showing a level of brand engagement rarely seen at events.

7:34 pm - Jim Liaw, Formula Drift President and Co-Founder heads to the track for opening ceremonies along with Formula Drift PR man, John Pangilinan while Top 16 drivers take their cars from the paddock area to the track.

7:36 pm - Before the final competition begins, it's time for Opening Ceremonies, the "House of Drift" is lit up and buzzing with excitement.

7:39 pm - Jim Liaw takes a free moment to have some FaceTime with his family, who are watching from above in a VIP box.

7:50 pm - Vested media members snap away as parachuters glide down onto the track as the National Anthem is sung.

7:52 pm - Top 16 cars zoom onto the track with umbrella girls sitting shotgun. Jim and other Formula Drift staff ensure everyone gets to the right spot at the right time.

7:55 pm - The crowd roars as their favorite drivers are introduced. Who will advance to the 2013 Formula Drift Champion?

7:58 pm - In celebration of Formula Drift's 10th Anniversary, a special fireworks show lights up the sky. Founders Jim Liaw and Ryan Sage have helped to make drifting what it is today. A few moments later John Pangilinan would say to Jim, "Let it all sink in...you did all of this."

8:00 pm - Drivers Dean Kearney and Daigo Saito look on towards the fireworks display. Both have left their homes (Ireland and Japan, respectively) to compete professionally in the US.

8:04 pm - The track clears following the opening ceremonies, it's time for the Top 16 Final competition. Vested media take their place behind concrete barricades at track center.

8:12 pm - Following Jim Liaw to the VIP boxes, a parking situation has come to light. From parking, ticketing, team arrangements, and of course the actual racing - Jim's plate is full of details.

8:15 pm - Jim stops by his family and friend's VIP box for a quick hello. His young daughter is just happy to see Dad and doesn't understand all the hub-bub of this sold-out event.

8:17 pm - Leaving family and friends to enjoy the show, Jim heads over to the Judges Tower to get back to business.

8:18 pm - Other than the track of course, the Judges Tower sees the most action. It's Formula Drift central - with judges, social media personnel, DJ, and emcee's all in full "go" mode. Earlier yesterday during qualifying the room had a more relaxed atomosphere, but now it's heavy with nerves.

8:28 pm - Track officials alert Dean Kearney that he's just won the battle against Ken Gushi and will be moving on in the competition bracket.

8:31 pm - Judges and scoring officials, with team spotters below, look to the track with a full view of what's going on - each with respective roles to perform.

8:47 pm - Vaughn Gittin Jr. glides across the course.

8:48 pm - A thumbs up is given upon completion of Gittin's run.

9:07 pm - Smoke from the wheels is one thing, it's a different story coming from the engine bay. Fire safety crews see to smoke coming from underneath Tyler McQuarrie's car.

9:15 - Jim Liaw watches the action on the track.

9:16 pm - Fredric Aasbo and Ryan Tuerck battle it out in their Scions.

9:31 pm - A number of hard calls have intensified the nerves within the Judges Tower. Chris Forsberg was putting everything he had into each battle with hopes of earning his second Formula Drift Championship. After an all-out battle between Forsberg and Daigo Saito, the judges took some time to make the call - watching it over again on screen.

9:34 pm - Andy, Ryan, and Brian would have to decide the call and privately enter their decisions into their voting controllers. With one vote for "One More Time" and two in favor of Daigo, the run was called.

9:35 pm - Forsberg's loss meant Michael Essa would gain the 2013 Formula Drift Championship crown. As his own car had excluded him from moving up in the competition, it was merely a points game - Essa shows a moments surprise before breaking the tension into celebration.

9:58 pm - Following the declaration of his win, Essa heads to the Judges Tower for an interview with Jarod DeAnda, the official voice of Formula Drift. The first privateer to win an overall championship in Formula Drift - Essa operates his own shop, GSR Autosport and says, "Every hour in the shop, we try to put something into the drift car."

10:00 pm - Following Essa's interview, he's met by his wife and the two share an emotional hug.

10:33 pm - Although the 2013 Champion was decided, the finals for Round 7 podium was still at full throttle. Robbie Nishida tried hard for a second podium finish for the season, but got too close to the wall allowing Forrest Wang to earn his first FD podium.

10:34 pm - As Robbie's car was towed off track, the clock ticked on... the evening's competition was supposed to conclude by 10:30. And McQuarrie still had to face off against Daigo to decide first and second place.

10:41 pm - After getting a zero in their first run, Daigo led hard and McQuarrie slammed into the wall. First place would go to Daigo and one more car would need to be towed off the track at Round 7: Irwindale.

10:42 pm - The delays put Jim Liaw under pressure, he is after all in charge of all these details.

10:45 pm - With the final round of the 2013 Formula Drift season finished, fans call it a night and head for the exit. The Judges Tower is full of activity as the FD crew wraps things up and heads to the trophy ceremony.

10:57 pm - The hard core crowd is gathered around the podium stand when Irwindale goes completely dark. Is it because the event went later then it was supposed to? Bright stage floodlights powered via generator are the only light provided. Lights were on again before the final ceremony was done...I think the floodlights provided some dramatic lighting for the final photos...

11:00 pm - Umbrella girls make final adjustments before heading on stage.

11:03 pm - Celebrating a winning performance at Round 7: Irwindale, Daigo Saito, Tyler McQuarrie, and Forrest Wang put down their carbon trophys and let the champagne fly.

11:07 pm - Micheal Essa raises the championship trophy in victory.

11:37 pm - The last of the crowds exit and the paddocks are packed up. Used competition tires, an estimated 1800 per FD competition weekend, are marked "FREE" in hopes that fans will help in their disposal. The tenth year of Formula Drift goes down in the history books...

-Words: Kristin Cline | Photos: Kristin Cline & Andrew Modena

Inside Formula Drift: Behind the Scenes @ Irwindale

Wednesday

Friday

Saturday

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