"Blaze1's List of Drift" Top 10 World Rankings

[Bebop]

A little about me first, as most of you know I’m blaze1. I have been watching (mostly watching) and participating in drifting for over 7 years now on many different levels. Everything from grassroots, D1, FD, and anything that comes my way online. And as you see here I like to voice my opinion early and often. I decided to start a world ranking because honestly drifting is now a global art form and at some point someone would have to rank the best of the best in the sport. And who would be a better choice then someone who has no political ties to any organization, sponsor or sanctioning body.

I am planning on posting about 3 of these a year. Preseason (the one you are currently reading) will be based on off season changes to a team in all aspects (or lack there of). In this edition last years rankings combined with off season news will determined rankings. Things that impress me: test days, off season builds, off season upgrades, new sponsors, and even sportsmanship along with self representation. I like data and if you feel a driver is left out it’s probably because their management or sanctioning body has not provided sufficient data to be considered one of the best in the world.

I have spent countless hours digesting information to compile this list. Even some of my personal favorites I could not justify including. The next two installments will be based upon straight up points standings. With that being said lets begin.

#1 Ryan Tuerck

This guy had a great 2009 year despite finishing 2nd to his Drift Alliance team mate Chris Forsberg. But with a strong first place finish at Irwindale and the fact he is essentially coming back with the same team plus more support this makes him number 1. The only thing holding him back is the fact he could not win at his home track of Wall Speedway, seems a bit like a Drift Alliance curse. If I am not mistaken Vaughn Gittin JR is the only member who has ever podiumed on the crude course. Fix this problem Ryan and you can win the Formula D championship.

#2 Youichi Imamura

Arguably the greatest Japanese drifter of all time Imamura is once again proving he is a force to be recon with in D1GP. Even though Tezuka and Nomura were deep in the points race after the 4th or 5th round it seemed as if Imamura had an unseen grip on the championship. Nothing has seemingly changed with the car for 2010, a few new sponsors and a new paint job. Other then that it looks like he may be underway for another championship run. Youichi has already won at round 1 in Odaiba.

#3 Chris Forsberg

The 2009 Formula D champion, the first real pure bread drifter to win the series. In 2010 it looks like a lot of the same for Fors which is a very good thing. The thing that frightens me is that he looked a little out of it during the final rounds of the 2009 series. It was almost like he was physically or mentally running out of gas. Maybe he just had a few butterflies in his stomach, who knows? The car is dialed and he posted on his blog Nismo supplied his team with a Race prepped V8 motor designed for use in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. We probably won’t see it until round 2 or 3 of the series, but it’s good the guys at LS Auto don’t want to rush the change.

# 4 Tsuyoshi Tezuka

This is one of those situations where I mention about the lack of data I have about some of these drivers. All I know is that the guy is good, the sounds his car makes scares women and children but makes grown men giggle. It does looks like everything in 2010 is staying the same for the Goodyear/Bee*R sponsored driver which is always a plus. I actually would like to see this guy compete in formula D. His style kind of reminds me of a Vaughn Gittin Jr. He should really watch his back in the run for the championship though. You never know what you will get year by year with D1. I still have trouble believing Daigo Saito won the whole thing in 08.


#5 Phil Morison

Before I explain myself let me just say I feel that they’re way too many drift series in the UK. We got EDC, Pro Drift, JDM All-stars, and BDC. None of them claiming to be less then the other, or a grassroots series. But unconditionally drivers who drive in EDC say they do so because it is the best talent in the UK. And also they run on some serious professional tracks such as Silverstone and Brandshatch. It’s kind of unclear what Phil will be driving but like most euro teams they keep it real traditional (S15s R32s 4 door Toyotas) but throw in little twists. I have no doubt he will stay a tough competitor in 2010.

[Bebop]

#6 Gaz Whitter

I told my self I would not make any sort of Aussie or New Zealand jokes, slang, or anything of that matter when talking about a driver for the down under…. F$#@... Didn’t mean to do that. Gaz Whitter is back to back 2008 and 2009 D1NZ champion. During the RBWDC back in 08 he was one of few foreigners who looked conferable on the fast course. Old statistics I know, but he is still consistently on the top of his game in his home country, and that is all he really needs to do to stay on this list.


#7 “Mad” Mike Whiddett

This young man has drifted all over the globe the past two years. And has done constantly well at all the events he has attended overseas (other then the WWE style of judging in D1). The sound of his Naturally Aspired Rotary motor brings F1 like sounds to the sport of drifting. The only question is, is that all hes got? This year will be a true test for the D1NZ and FD international veteran as he enters the domestic Formula Drift series for the first time. I’m honest when I say how well he does in the next three months will truly determine if he stays on this list as one of the best of the best.

#8 Tyler McQuarrie

Rather you need a man to break records in time attack, or drift just about any car with low chances of it ending up in a wall Tyler McQuarrie is your guy. He had his best year in Formula D in 2009 with a third place finished overall. That also made him the highest overall ranking Falken driver of all time in the Formula Drift series. In 2010 he will return under the Falken Banner with the same 350Z which almost took him to the top. The downfall of being a hired gun as good and as consistent as he is, your status as a driver becomes a bit unnoticed. Tyler in a lot of instances almost becomes just another intricate part of the car he is driving. His style is very robotic and predictable, maybe his nickname should be Intel. Then again, more then half the cars he has driven in the series have belonged to someone else before him. He does have a cool helmet though (spoon livery).

#9 Tengku Djan

You can’t bring up Asian (non Japanese) drifting without mentioning Tengku Djan. He has been a serious force in drifting for 4 years now. In 2009 he dominated just about every event Formula D held in the continent. He is one of the few drivers who has can drive a S13 with the same intensity as a Toyota corolla. This is another driver who should stay right where he is at, no need to come to America for more fame and fortune. Formula D is holding an event in Singapore in a few weeks, no doubt in my mind we will see more of the same for Djan at that event. Rumor also has it that he might be LSX powered in the coming months. Talk about growing trend….

#10 Joon Maeng

The true peoples champion, never in my 7 year involvement of the sport have I ever met a driver so fourth coming in respectful. Every fan who comes near his pit will get a friendly smile and greeting from this young man. And during the off season it all seemed to pay off. Not only did he land a new car, but he landed on one of the greatest family oriented race teams of all time. Team Bergenholtz is sure to bring the budding superstar to the next level. Unlike other drivers on different teams this season, the focus will be 100% on Joon. I predict at the very least a top 5 finish overall this year. In previous threads I spoke about the difficulties of switching from an S chassis to a RX7 or 8. Those test day videos sure did shut me up quick, when I think of this team I think of a recipe for success.

[boxmod]

lets agree to disagree.

[ALI's DRIFT GARAGE]

Thank God for the word Opinion, Lol. I kid, I kid...kinda...Blaze you're still my favorite Drifting.com *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored* talker. Excellent thread for the coming storm of opinions, facts and manipulated truths.

[OldSkool510]

Hey Blaze- Did you get some form of compensation from drifting.com for starting this thread or what? Some FD Long Beach VIP tickets maybe. lol Tuerck and Forsberg needs to prove you right this weekend.

[Bebop]

I do this all for the love of the sport!!

I'm heading to long beach right now, after i buy another cell phone... cracked out on me at the job site lol.

[AE86_Fan]

the only thing i dont agree with on the list is the Tuerck is #1... i think you are jumping the gun a little bit on this... while i admit he does belong in the top 5, he is definitely not #1.

[YOitzJDM]

Hey Blaze...

your number 7 driver on the list can't even make top 32 in Long Beach.... is he still in your top 32? he looked pretty crap-tacular at FD!

And Phil Morrison? is this based on internet hype or actual driving?! that guy isn't too good, from what I hear.

[Bebop]

thanks for the feeback

ae86 fan and jdm, this is made off of preseason outlook, mad mike and ryan did very good at the end of the season in 09 and tuerck made very little changes to his machine which is top notch IMO.

like i said, Mad Mike will need to do good in the next 3 events to stay on this list.

And Phil is the EDC champion, he must be doing something right.

Keep the feedback coming

[Bebop]

i will be at formula d tommorow, if you want to talk drifting feel free to say hi

[boxmod]

Originally Posted by blaze1

And Phil is the EDC champion, he must be doing something right.

not saying anything about him directly, but if you had a pro series in like... brazil, there isnt much talent there, but the guy that wins would be the best of the not so good. not saying EDC doesnt have talent, but i dont know if its the same level as FD talent, so being the champ doesnt put you into top 10 of the world.

i dont have anything against that series or Phil, just making a point.

[Bebop]

I know its alot of text, and I didnt mean to go all speedhunters on you guys. But you might want to read the explanations.

For Phil, I stated the fact that there are alot of sanctioning bodies in the UK. But most drivers consider EDC the best. That's Why I ranked him, he won that series.

[YOitzJDM]

Some more fun facts:

mad mike was the 3rd best red bull driver at fdlb
6th best Mazda driver
12th best on Falken tires
7th best fd rookie / long beach virgin

........

I think the hype machine on mad mike is dead.

[Bebop]

Saw mike hanging out with his girlfirend? on sat @ long beach

seemed to be in good spirits.

just a little bit of history, in 08 Rhys Millen did not show up to long beach due to his back injury but ended up 3rd overall and won the $$triple crown$$

all is not lost for those who did not make it to the big show

[MonkeySlide]

I can appreciate what you're trying to do here but personally I don't think you can create a "worlds" list that includes international drivers when some of these international guys haven't faced US guys or vice versa. Or, some drivers who haven't done too well when they've come to our turf.

Take Mad Mike for instance..he sure doesn't suck but when he has been up against our talent he hasn't made it too far but he makes #7?

And why is there no Vaughn Gittin Jr.? Granted you couldn't have known he was going to win Long Beach before you made this list. But despite his lack of wins hes easily one of the most consistant drivers in American drifting and is still the only guy to beat the D1 guys. Not saying Vaughn should be #1 but he should definitely be on the list.

And no Tanner or Sam? Both guys are two-time FD champs and both have tons of experience taking on Japanese drivers.

I know you spent a lot of time compiling this list but I think you left out some important names.

[BigGameHit]

cool stuff

[Bebop]

Originally Posted by MonkeySlide

I can appreciate what you're trying to do here but personally I don't think you can create a "worlds" list that includes international drivers when some of these international guys haven't faced US guys or vice versa. Or, some drivers who haven't done too well when they've come to our turf.

Take Mad Mike for instance..he sure doesn't suck but when he has been up against our talent he hasn't made it too far but he makes #7?

And why is there no Vaughn Gittin Jr.? Granted you couldn't have known he was going to win Long Beach before you made this list. But despite his lack of wins hes easily one of the most consistent drivers in American drifting and is still the only guy to beat the D1 guys. Not saying Vaughn should be #1 but he should definitely be on the list.

And no Tanner or Sam? Both guys are two-time FD champs and both have tons of experience taking on Japanese drivers.

I know you spent a lot of time compiling this list but I think you left out some important names.

I was trying to make a world list not a Formula D list. I honestly do not care if a driver has beaten Americans. I'm impressed with a strategy of being dominant in your own series.

Sam finished in fourth which isn't bad but not good enough to be considered the best. He also changed chassis, now granted long beach has come and gone I cannot put a driver on the list who finished less then third and then built a brand new car in 3 months.

Tanner was hard to keep off the list because he was basically coming back with the same setup. But with a 6th place finish plus all the series hes involved with in the USA or Europe I feel he has alot on his plate...maybe too much.

JR is one of my favorite drivers period. But seriously he needs to make a better habit of finishing his battles. Even though I felt he got robbed @ irwindale last year its still another situation of JR not being able to not leave it up so much to the judges. I'm glad he is doing good so far and if he keeps it up he could land in the mid year report.

Mad mike did very good in the formula D asia events. Which included drivers like Miki, and Djan

Thanks for the feedback.

[Amanda]

#6 Gaz Whitter looks like Rob Pattinson from Twight. LOL!

Interesting list...

Mine would look similar as well but w/modifications:

1.) Haraguchi
2.) Tanner Foust
3.) Nomuken
4.) JR Gitten
5.) Rhys Millen
6.) Ryan Tuerck
7.) Chris Forsberg
8.) Tyler Mcquarrie
9.) Alex Pfieffer
10.) Pat Mordaunt
11.) Daijiro Yoshihara
12.) Taka Aono
13.) Ross Petty
14.) JTP
15.) Ken Gushi
16.) Matt Powers
17.) Stephen Verdier
18.) Robbie Nishida
19.) Mad Mike
20.) Ryuji Miki

Obviously, this list is my opinion but I think after the top 5 my list went downhill because I didn't know where to classify the other drivers. All the drivers are great in their own unique way. Taka in his rolla. Steph in his subaru. JR makes hella smoke in his mustang. Pat is so young & talented. Robbie has a great personality & he's so humble & will be drifting the awesome GT-R. Matt has his flushed S14. Ross is lives the BOSO life, drifts amazingly & builds great drift cars. etc, etc, etc.

[Bebop]

i miss haruguchi

[Amanda]

I heart Haraguchi. I love his gangster initiation at Irwindale Speedway in the Silk Road S13.5! He needs to teach me to do that gangster initiation!!

[driftnutz]

#5 Phil Morrison. killed it at the weekend!!! winning Round One In awesome style!

Lets just say his second "sighting lap" of the practice and qualifying day saturday at Silverstone (new Stowe circuit) Was FULL ON!!! And was Ran like a winning Finale run... SERIOUSLY!!!!!!

Mark Luney Is close to being My Favourite of the UK scene rooted for him all year last year and he won the series!

Big respect to all Pro/Am what ever series/country drivers. It's a showman's Motorosport and they all put in so so much!

[driftnutz]

One more thing to add after reading through again! UK Ireland and even the Euro boy's that I've seen over the years, I'd say there is HUGE talent to make an interesting world class battle! although I am yet to see Formula D drivers in action IN PERSON at Road Atlanta round 2

[Bebop]

driftnutz

What series was this?

And in your opinion, which of the series in the UK is superior in your eyes?

[driftnutz]

It was the BDC round 1.

EDC was superior and probably still is but JDM Allstars is getting big quick!
Ireland's Prodrift is good too. It seems that drivers kinda float around a lot

but EDC is like this now...
"All sponsors are supporting the all new invitation only format for this year"
Which could mean it's a promotional event or something I don't really know the score with what's going on there. maybe someone else will be able to help.

[b_hydra]

Originally Posted by blaze1

The only thing holding him back is the fact he could not win at his home track of Wall Speedway, seems a bit like a Drift Alliance curse. If I am not mistaken Vaughn Gittin JR is the only member who has ever podiumed on the crude course.

Hi Blaze1 -- Wanted to ask you about your thoughts on the Wall, NJ course. (And really anyone feel free to chime in...)

I've been going to the FD events in New Jersey for a while and actually am a huge fan of this course -- from a spectator's perspective. You're able to see literally the entire track from most seats and it may be amongst the longest courses that FD runs on, giving plenty of opportunities for shifts in momentum or applying pressure, etc. I can't say that E-Town's track has been as exciting for me to watch things from the couple times I've been up there. (I was in the BP Lounge the year that FD ran there, which may have been worse seats than General Admission.)

I can understand that Wall Speedway is not in great shape or offering much in the way of facilities. I'm wondering if drivers dislike this course as well -- maybe it is a bit more dangerous than others? I believe it heavily damaged Ken Gushi's blue Mustang in '07, if not totaled it. Stephan Verdier had a heavy hit last year that literally knocked his tires off, too.

I can't claim I've been there since the OG days, I just know it made me smile to see FD back at Wall Speedway for me attending with friends and enjoying the show.


On a side note, does anyone know what the official story on Summit Point, WV being a 1 and done is? I know the drivers loved the course. I'm very familiar with the facility and know it isn't necessarily suited for holding a huge event, so maybe that was it. Still love its road courses, though.