lookie here

[Mondo]

Hopefully the 7 was one of the 3 (sounds like the Borg-collective)

 

!

[scannon]

Hopefully 7 of 3 has been assimilated.

[BusaNostra]

I never like to watch a drifting cars, what I would like to see is a seven

driving on the Bonneville salt flat week.

[MoPho]

I never like to watch a drifting cars, what I would like to see is a seven

driving on the Bonneville salt flat week.

 

 

....because driving in a straight line is much more exciting than sliding cars around corners with deft car control skills? http://www.websmileys.com/sm/sad/533.gif

 

 

 

.

[BusaNostra]

Nope.....just want to see how a non aerodynamic car like 7 will do in all out speed.

 

drifting is a non sense driving...a rap music.

If I want to watch drifting, I will watch "outlaws" at least there is a winner.

[turboeric]

drifting is a non sense driving...a rap music.

If I want to watch drifting, I will watch "outlaws" at least there is a winner.

Actually, what Mr. Block is proposing is gymkhana (updated), which has a long history in the UK and for which 7s are often the weapon of choice. E.g. YouTube - 7 Gymkhana

[jimrankin]

Just wasting some electrons here...

After 50 years of driving where I'm trying to keep hook-up drifting doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me but it looks fun and done at speed obviously takes skill. Unfortunately most of what I see locally is just hacks trying to run over someones toes or hit a parked car.

Gymkhana was not popular in America because our cars were never built for quick tight turns but I was exposed to it while in the service and it started my life long love affair with British sports cars. It takes some real pratice to "drift" a car Gymkhana style, where the drift has to end with the car pointed dead on to where you need to be going next.

While living in Virginia Beach in 1969 I had a chance to give it a try. As I was half way through restoring a 1958 MGA the only running car I had was a base model 1961 Chevy II with a four cylinder engine and a 3 speed stick (my surfing car). It turned out to be one of the "better' cars at the meet for that type of event. I turned out to be one of the "not better" drivers though and sadly that was the only organized event I was ever able to find before I moved back west.

Since average Americans are slowly becoming interested in cars that actually turn and stop as well as run fast we are now seeing street cars that actually work in Autocross (notice how many events are popping up, and selling out) and drifting is getting big coverage. I'd wager it won't take too long before we start seeing some Gymkhana events here. It takes less than a quater of the room of an Autocross, 10% of the hardware, speeds are pretty much dead slow and you get to watch from much closer by.

Sounds like the next European import, and a lot less running than soccer. LOL.

[jimrankin]

I hadn't watched the Ken Block invitation video before I replied yesterday. Watched it late yesterday and it's a typically "American" adaptation of the sport, as the tool man used to say "MORE POWER". Only problem is that doing it "bigger, faster and driftier" also makes it into a real production to stage, limits the venues available and takes the "Grass Roots" local small clubs/cheaper cars right back out of the picture.

I'm sure it will be a great event, the promoters will make money and the sponsors will get lots of exposure, it just won't be what Gymkhana was always meant to be, something everyone could do often, get into for low bucks and have some fun while learning their car.

Just gotta' hope that the exposure gets the idea of doing Gymkhana out to a wider audience and doesn't send the message it's only for the people with big bucks in prepped cars.

[80-CU.IN.T]

I've been lurking here for a while & never posted. Lots of info "THANK YOU everyone".

 

I've wanted to build a 7 replica for the last 12 years same excuses as everyone else - family, house, job. Same Bull excuses. 2011 that will change. This has given me a re-kindled fire," in my pants", along with following Jim Myers progress after his first showing at the Grassroots Motor Sports UTC. Then after his second showing using ground-effects - "Exactly" - What I wanted & will do.

 

So Build my own - Lots of R&D - I have several modified blueprints. Unfortunately all R&D, building & no driving

Buy a kit - The Stalker is a strong possibility. Most R&D done and more driving time. Can purchase replacement parts instead of making everything including molds from scratch. I Also should fit. It will be powered by a 20B Rotary. A NA Peripheral port or turbo. Most likely turbo. The computers & boost controllers have come a long way in the last 12 years. Easy to limit boost thus HP for each gear.

 

 

Here's a link to the Irwindale event. Not my video some spectators but I was there. My friends were running the RX8 in the video. NA - LARGE Peripheral port. - custom 4 Rotor. They unfortunately were eliminated in the first round.

Thank-you to all who contribute to this forum with the wealth of information available.

 

Hope to see some of you at various events in 2012 or sooner if I can figure out how to get my act together. Time will tell.

Copy & paste

YouTube - MOTOR MAVEN GYMKHANA @ irwindale speedway pt.2

Edited December 8, 2010 by 80-CU.IN.T
Link problems

[MoPho]

I had dinner with a friend who is one of the top pro drifters and a precision driver for movies and he knew the guy with the 7 at the Gymkhana event and that the car got "banned" for being too good LOL

[BusaNostra]

I had dinner with a friend who is one of the top pro drifters and a precision driver for movies and he knew the guy with the 7 at the Gymkhana event and that the car got "banned" for being too good LOL

 

Then, the 7 could be similar to a guy carrying a card counter in Vegas?

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3761/cardcounter.jpg

[TheDingo8MyBaby]

I had dinner with a friend who is one of the top pro drifters and a precision driver for movies and he knew the guy with the 7 at the Gymkhana event and that the car got "banned" for being too good LOL

 

Alex did get FTD (excluding block's time) with his 7. They banned the 7 because it wasn't "fair" to everyone else, so he used his sc300 formula D car in the invitational. I've known Alex for about 8 years now. He's a damn good driver - both drift and grip.