Last weekend was a testament to this when ACT so graciously hosted the 2011 Drifting Pretty Field Trip.  The founder & President Dirk Starkensen, along with Daniel Starkensen & Chris Martin, opened up ACT’s doors on a Saturday afternoon and hosted a private clutch workshop & factory tour for Drifting Pretty.  They don’t get a magazine article or tv feature out of this, they did it simply because they believe in our purpose.  Now tell me if that isn’t authentic!?

We were honored to have this opportunity to come and learn at ACT.  We marketed this field trip to our students as a once-in-a-life time opportunity.  It was.  You can’t get this education from your traditional school.  From the bottom of my heart, again, thank you Dirk, Daniel and Chris.  Your support speaks volumes.

Here are some photos from the exciting field trip:

Background
Two weeks ago I finally made it back to the drift track. Its been shamefully, almost 4 years since my eyes have been hit with tires and dirt. Between getting my life together after having Elise, raising a teenager, working on my accounting career, running Drifting Pretty, buying a new house and keeping the family happy…where is there time for drifting? There isn’t. But as my old buddy Yoshie preached a long time ago, “if its that important to you, you will find a way to find money and make time for driving.”

The biggest hurdle was getting my car to the track. I can’t drive it and I have no truck and trailer. I am very lucky to have friends that will bend over backwards to tow the Drift Queen to the track. Thank you Chris.  He lives near the track and made 2 trips back and forth from Lancaster to Temple City.  THAT is friendship.

The Best Worst Day
We showed up just on time to the JustDrift practice. I unloaded the Drift Queen off the trailer and immediately went to the race gas pumps to fill up. I start pumping the pump stops. I try again…I get one gallon of 110 and it stops again. The gas guy comes to help, only to find that they were out of 110 fuel. Then we try to fill it with 91 and the tank overflows. I find out I miscalculated how much gas was in the tank when I stored the car (no gas gauge). So now I have 1 gallon of 110, 4 gallons of new 91 I pumped at home just to get the car started and another 10 other gallons of old fuel from 3-4 years ago. What a start!

I return to the track pissed about my gas and worried that the car will run crappy. I go to the driver’s meeting…all men..1 other gal driver. Typical. I cringe and they guys all convince me to go out with the advanced group. I’m rusty and nervous and want to go back to kindergarten in the beginners group. They push me and well, I end up in the advanced group. I grab a friend to ride shotgun and grid up on the track. As I was sitting on the grid, I tried to play back in my head how to drift. I finished the sequence only one time in my brain…the rest of the time I was staring into outer space. I used to be able to think about what was for dinner while I was drifting in 3rd gear. I kept anticipating if it would ever be like that again…

I went out for my first run…warning everyone I didn’t know what I was doing anymore. I dump the clutch…do a quick burn out to warm my tires and bust a 180. It felt so natural. I ran the car hard down the track, I hit 3rd gear full boost.  I checked the knock sensor and it was nice and low…the fuel wasn’t hindering me. I approached the main turn quickly (I stayed back in 2nd gear)…I wasn’t thinking I just did whatever felt natural. I found myself in a beautiful slide, flawless.  I yanked the e-brake to keep it going because I initiated so early…it was amazing.  I caught the next part of the track and transitioned the drift like I was possessed.   I was flooring it the tire smoke was billowing into the car. I was back.  You can see this moment captured on the in-car video section of this video feature, thanks to Mondoy.

I made another run and spun. On the final run, I dropped it into 3rd gear just like old times…kicked the clutch and pulled off an even better slide than my first. My tires were spewing out smoke and the engine was just purring away (despite my shitty fuel). I was back.

I took a break and shot some photos of my car at Horse Thief Mile (a neighboring course). I came back for my next run group. I was having a fantastic time…until I went out for my 2nd group of runs. Mentally, I hit a wall (thank god not physically). For that run group and all the other run groups of the day, I didn’t complete another run. I kept spinning out. I was there, just having fun, spinning out. Initiating drifts at all points in the track and not even trying to fix the mistakes I was making.  Benson was giving me pointers but I was Charlie Brown listening to the teacher talk.  I didn’t even hear it.

I walked away that day with mixed feelings. I had a fun time, sliding my car and seeing old friends, but know I could have driven better.  I have unfinished business with you Willow Springs.

The Aftermath
The Drift Queen is safely tucked away again. I have a faulty bleeder valve on the new stop tech calipers, ripped couplers (I went off course and hit the intercooler, which ripped 2 couplers) and for some reason my front bumper doesn’t fit (new wheels threw everything off).  Oh yea, and I’ve got to siphon all that gas out.  I’ve got lots of work to do. I’m returning to Willow Springs in October for my birthday. I think I’m going to rent the track out and throw myself a birthday party.

See you soon.

I have a lot to say.  But for now, I will let my photos and videos speak (vids are at the bottom).

Nadine Hsu 2011 – Drift Feature by Mondoy from Nadine Hsu on Vimeo.

Nadine Hsu is back! 2011 from Nadine Hsu on Vimeo.

Benson named this stray “Gary Busey.”  He likes to come and visit our outdoor cat Vera Wang.  He is TORE up.

As we prepare for summer break, we’re touring preschools for Elise and college prep courses for Kristy.

Another  advantage I have over the guys…I shop at craft stores with hot duct tape!

my daughter Kristy helped design my new sticker scheme…its multi-functional design ensures my bumper doesn’t fall apart!

(taken with my iPhone) the DriftQueen runs for the 1st time, in…2 years.  She starts on the 1st try with no problems.

I’ll see you after the car’s brakes are bled!

Each of my students showed up right on time and ready to work.  With the increasing popularity of our twitter account, I tweeted the play-by-play of our tech day.  For you, here are the play-by-plays (taken with my iPhone):

10AM: we take an inventory of the Stop Tech big brake kit we’ll be installing, elect project managers and go over functions of each part

Linda starts off the install by taking off the old brake setup (Z32 [Nissan 300ZX]) calipers/rotors

We split up into 2 groups and start project #2: re-coloring the face of my new AME wheels.  With fine grit sandpaper, we start scuffing up the surface of the wheel face

12:30PM rolls around and we break for lunch (in the ac cooled house)…followed by scoops of ice cream.  This is our most clicked on photo out of all the photos we tweeted!!!  Why??

We get back to work and the passenger side is finally finished.

Rena heads up the other team and finishes masking the wheels.  The painting starts.  Yes, we’re using spray paint.  High temp engine paint to be exact.  We spray a semi-gloss…which comes out as a nice satin finish (which is exactly what I was hoping for!!).  See the detail pics towards the end of the post!

We let the wheels dry and the gals are let loose to go at the other side with no instruction.  They do a fantastic job working as a team.  Chanting out names of tools that they need and the “righty tidy, lefty loosey” quote.  I could barely get in to undo a bolt…they were so fast to change it all out themselves!

with a short time in the sun, the wheels dry enough to be slipped on to the car.  Here is the finished product

Success!  (Linda had to leave before we could snap this photo)  after 8 hours of work/laughing/eating and lots of learning. my car was done and hooked up, courtesy of Julie, Samantha, Linda, Rena and Sarah.  I can’t thank you enough for hooking my car up ladies!  Big thank you goes out to Marc, Benson & Steve for leading the morning training session!!!

Photog
Out of all the photos I take, I’ve taken ZERO of my race car.  After we ended I pulled the DSLR out and started taking well-deserved photos of my race car.

Close-up of the finished wheel faces

The ol’ gal tucked neatly back into the garage

My ricey tailights.  They’re genuine from Japan with LED filaments.  No china stuff here.

For now that’s all the photos.  I think I’ll take the rest of the photos when she’s at the track later this month!!!  Back to work I go.  Still have to buy a battery, install the new rear brake system and get new intercooler piping.  That’s all.  HA!

The Baby Who Stole the Show
I had the opportunity to borrow a pro-level Canon lens over the weekend.  (a 35mm 1.4 L-series for you photogs).  I didn’t have any photoshoots setup for the weekend, that’s until Easter dinner started!  Our friends, Steve & Jenny (the same couple from the engagement photoshoot) were at Easter dinner.  They brought their adorable son.  The rest speaks for itself.  Here are some test shots with the show stopper:

Dusty Show Stopper
I’ve been hard at work doing accounting side jobs to fund the repair of my race car.  I sat there in the garage tonight, staring at my car, searching for one original piece of the car.  There isn’t any.  I started in 1997 and here it is, 14 years later, and I’m still NOT done with the car!  I’ve changed everything from the bulbs inside my gauge cluster, to the tail-lights (3 times) to the lugnuts, to the glass on my quarter panel, to the hinges on my door…wait the door has been changed too!  I can’t find much of anything “stock.”  What a show stopper my car was and still is.  I love that I could keep going 14 years later with just as much interest as I had before.  I’m going to be a senior citizen and still be tinkering with my show stopper!!!

I could write on and on and about my car, but that will be another time.  Perhaps in a book or screenplay (I’m not joking).  The ladies of Drifting Pretty will be working on the ol’ drift machine with me this weekend.  Its going to be a blast.

Jesse's 1965 Shelby Cobra replica

Jesse’s car just happened to be hanging out at Temple City Auto Repair during the Drifting Pretty tech day workshop.  Its a new car built from the ground up.  Its new but not.  Hot car hello!!!!

Shant's 1974 BMW 2002

Shant, of my lunch bunch at work, seems to always get suckered into driving us to lunch spots in his BMW 2002.  I’ve never driven a car more difficult to drive in my life.  I love this car though, its a beaut!!!  On the roof of the parking structure at work during the last 5 minutes of our lunch break.

Sad sight in my garage

Dear Diary,
I write you today to take note that the car revival starts tomorrow.  The pink dusty drift machine in the garage needs some attention and it starts tomorrow.

Week 1 To Do List:

Step 1 – Order a new battery! – Do this tomorrow

Step 2 – Order the rest of the parts for the ebrake upgrade – Do this by Friday

Step 3 – Open up StopTech brakes and make sure you have all the parts. – Do this by Monday

The start of my official “to do” list.  I’m drifting again in May.  I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed drifting.  My heart hurts…that’s how much.  Finally the days return where I can think about what’s for dinner while I’m kicking the clutch in 3rd gear.

The DP gals are coming to help set up my car next month.  This is so exciting!!!

Stay tuned.  Drift Queen Revival!!!!

Happy 4 year anniversary Benson

Our cars married each other too.  Happy Anniversary Cars

Nisei Week
This past weekend I skipped down to Little Tokyo in LA for the 70th Annual Nisei Week Festival.  If not for the fun booths and taiko…I go for the annual Import Showoff car show.  Every year for probably the last 6 years I’ve entered my car in the show (and took a trophy home) and set-up a Drifting Pretty booth.  This year was the first year I did neither.  It was nice to stroll along the aisles of show cars and get caught almost every 3 minutes catching up with old friends/mutual car lovers that I’ve known for the past 10 years.  I can’t believe its been that long since I started cool gal car thing.  I didn’t push the Drifting Pretty gals to attend…I didn’t need to…a few showed up and I happened to run into them at the show!   Embracing not just drifting, but anything in the auto enthusiast culture is A+ in my book.

Car shows are usually not my cup of tea, but the Nisei Week import showoff is the exception.  You’ll find a lot of entrants that only enter their cars once a year and show up with these nostalgic cars that aren’t necessarily the trend of the moment, but are near and dear to the hearts of the people who can appreciate that type of car.  Our friend even brought his 1986 Corolla there and displayed his car along side his teammates from his racing crew that has been no more for years…but circled back together just for this event.

We also strolled to Bowls who was having their grand re-opening at their new space right near Daikokuya in the heart of Jtown.  The sweet guy boutique offers cute accessories for Ruckuses (and even sells Ruckuses), men & women’s apparel and footwear. Its a hip boutique that makes you want to hang out and buy cool stuff all day.  The owner I met years ago of course through my drifting fame lol.  Its awesome to see friends succeed at something in addition to the car thing.  Cheers to Brandon!

Nisei Week Photo Gallery

The Next Food Network Star
Another blast from my drifting stardom past… Aarti.  I met her when she was a producer for a media piece that was done on Drifting Pretty back in 2003.  We’ve kept touch all these years and she started a food blog then cooking show on youtube…to now…winning her own show on the Food Network!

Her show will be about infusing Indian flavors in everyday foods.  Check out her interview here on LAist.  And more importantly, set your DVR to tape her new show Aarti Party at 12pm on Sundays starting this Sunday!!!