On this episode of The BEHIND THE WHEEL PODCAST: QUICK SHIFT edition, we are joined by Formula Drift Pro driver, Matt Vankirk!
Currently in the running to be Formula Drift Pro “ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 2018” (let’s go Matt!!!). We go back to FDNJ, where we got a chance to chat with Matt about how it felt to battle against his idol (Aasbo), how the mechanical grip of his car makes up for it being underpowered and making the transition from Pro2 to Pro! Also, he gives some direction to the grassroots drivers looking to create a competitive program!
If you like what you hear and see, please consider subscribing! We’re on iTunes, Google Play and of course the full video version of every episode is on YouTube! Thank you!
You can also, subscribe or download the podcast on our website, iTunes, Google Play, Youtube & Stitcher:
Thanks for listening!
FOLLOW: Matt Vankirk: @mattvankirk18 https://www.instagram.com/mattvankirk18/
Scott Weiss (Konig): @scott_Konig https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/
In this Quick Shift Edition of the Behind The Wheel Podcast, we link up with Matt Vankirk, Formula Drift Pro driver.
Soon to be FD “Rookie of the Year” (LET’S GO MATT!!), Matt throws some insight on what it’s like to line up for the first time against your idols (like he did with Aasbo at Long Beach), how his cars mechanical grip keeps him competitive, and the transition from Pro2 to Pro!
Matt also drops some knowledge for the grassroots drivers that are working toward advancing their program.
Make sure to follow Matt Vankirk (information below).
Oh and if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please subscribe! We’re on iTunes and Google Play and we always post the full video version on our YouTube Channel! Thank you for listening!
FOLLOW: Scott Weiss (Konig) Instagram: @scott_Konig https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/
Matt Vankirk: @mattvankirk18 https://www.instagram.com/mattvankirk18/
On this episode of BEHIND THE WHEEL PODCAST: FD Edition, Scott and Joey Redmond talk FDSTL and how it all went down! From adjustments to the new St. Louis course(Gateway Motorsport Parkway) to Reeder being better driver than most of the PRO drivers? FDSTL was definitely filled with amazing moments and jam-packed with awesome match-ups. Tune in and give us some feedback!
You can also, subscribe or download the podcast on our website, iTunes, Google Play, Youtube & Sound Cloud:
In this episode of the Behind the Wheel Podcast, Formula Drift edition, we talk about Formula Drift’s first ever event at St.Louis’s Gateway Motorsport park. This is a heck of a technical course and with such high speed, this is arguably one of FD’s most exciting events of the season so far!
Things really heat up in the Pro 2 Championship race while the actual heat brought some challenges that pushed drivers and teams to the limit, and many to their backup engines, while they all learned a new track. Tune in, we will give you the highlights and throw some smack talk in along the way!
If you like what we’re doing here, please subscribe! We’re on iTunes and Google Play! Additionally, every full episode is uploaded to YouTube! …. (details/cheat sheet below! – Audio )
0:20 | Intro 0:55 | Overall thoughts of FDSTL…New track, outer-zone, rainstorm!!! 7:10 | Some of the best drifting ever! 11:55 | Travis Reeder better than Pro1 drivers!? 20:44 | Matt Field can be champ in 2019! 24:01 | Dean Kearney throws that fire in top 32! 26:02 | DeNofa is a drifting ambassador and the future of drifting 29:57 | Teams deal with engine issues at FDSTL 31:11 | Is Worthouse tandem battle ever going to happen?! Ughh! 32:52 | Gushi is an FD OG and loves these types of tracks 34:31 | Reeder and Hughes separated by 1 point! 36:30 | Aasbo…he’s focused man! 44:00 | Outro / Contact info
On this special edition episode of BEHIND THE WHEEL PODCAST, Scott and Joey Redmond of Wrecked Magazine discuss what went down at Formula Drifts Seattle Round 5 in Evergreen Speedway and much more! Tune in and give us some feedback!
You can also, subscribe or download the podcast on our website, iTunes, Google Play, Youtube & Sound Cloud:
In this episode of the Behind the Wheel Podcast, Formula Drift edition, we cover the ups and downs of Formula Drift Round 5 in Seattle. Seattle was an exciting round that included a lot of contact and collisions, some mechanical issues that most certainly shaped the look of the podium for this season and even saw an epic dance battle!?!?
In honor of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest don’t forget to check out Episode 5 with Matt Vankirk. He gives us some incredible insight into drifting, his program and even how writing an essay got him out of jail for street drifting!
Make sure to give it a listen! If you like what we’re doing here, please subscribe! We’re on iTunes and Google Play! Additionally, every full episode is uploaded to YouTube! …. (details/cheat sheet below!)
CONTENT CHEAT MENU: 0:18 | Intro 1:32 | Overall thoughts from FDSEA…collisions, contacts, and dance battles?!? 3:53 | FD heads to St.Louis for the 1st time…its impact on the championship 6:18 | Pawlak the new Mustang King 7:16 | Camron Moore returns with fire! 9:27 | Forsberg’s mechanical issues hurt season 11:08 | Jones brings the confidence 12:40 | Tuerck takes revenge! 15:01 | Did FDNJ cause the mechanical issues? 17:51 | Denofa steals the show with his chase run 20:12 | Daigo Saito hints at U.S. Return 23:30 | Dean’s win could set up back to back Championships 24:40 | Overall recap 25:47 | Talking about Kevin Lawrence 27:40 | Matt Vankirk is getting better and better 29:07 | Outro / Contact info
Matt Vankirk joins us on Episode 5 of Behind the Wheel podcast! Currently the leading FD Pro Rookie of the year, Scott sits down with Matt and talk the ups and downs of jumping from PRO2 to PRO, having to work a full time job while being a FD driver and also, will driving simulators a part of the future for the sport? All this and much more in this awesome episode!
If you like what you hear and see, please consider subscribing! We’re on iTunes, Google Play and of course the full video version of every episode is on YouTube! Thank you!
You can also, subscribe or download the podcast on our website, iTunes, Google Play, Youtube & Stitcher:
Thanks for listening!
FOLLOW: Matt Vankirk: @mattvankirk18 https://www.instagram.com/mattvankirk18/
Scott Weiss (Konig): @scott_Konig https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/
MATT VANKIRK is a formula drift Pro driver and is currently leading the FD Rookie of the Year race. With half a season under his belt Matt discusses what it is like to compete with the best drifters in the world. VanKirk’s entire team operate on extremely tight budgets and without the safety nets of spare parts! Heck, the engine in his pro car right now is even a junk yard 2JZ. Even with all of that VanKirk and his entire team show so much love toward each other, their fans and the sport of drifting that its hard not to immediately become a fan after having some exposure to their program.
Matt also takes time to discuss his rise through grassroots drifting in to professional competition. One of the most interesting take aways from this conversation is Matt’s input and thoughts on the use of homemade driving simulators to learn, practice and even preview tracks with specific car setups. “ Drift Simulators “ are allowing drivers to enter the scene with an in-depth understanding of driving technique which fasttracks their progress.
Could driving simulators be the future of the sport and even lead to its growth in participation?
Make sure to take a few minutes to listen in and as always you can use our timeline cheatsheet to jump around in the podcast and hear what excites you the most.
Thanks for all of your support and listening!
And please, if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please consider subscribing! We’re on iTunes, Google Play and we always put the full video interviews on our YouTube Channel (links below)! Thank you for listening!
CONTENT CHEAT MENU (podcast audio): 0:18 | Intro / 10 question quick-fire 3:32 | Introducing Matt Vankirk 4:03 | We just met… and it felt like Family 5:03 | We do it for free… team roles 6:43 | Getting the team together 11:00 | Moving to a V8 powered car 11:40 | Police cornered us at a storage unit 12:35 | It’s getting hot in here…fire everywhere! 14:08 | Who does most of the car build work 14:39 | What is your program like to run? 16:28 | Running a Pro FD Program with a full-time job 17:41 | Typical event week 18:33 | Prepping the car 19:03 | Gambling… no spare parts! 21:20 | Go pro 1 or not 22:55 | The car is not competitive! It has a stock 2JZ junkyard bottom end 23:27 | I’m going on the record… (Scott – Konig) 25:32 | It’s not the power, it’s the torque – 2JZ talk 28:28 | A new car for next year? 29:10 | If I had to make this car better 36:26 | Reliability change to Pro 1 (of drivers) 37:52 | First exposure to cars 39:34 | First exposure to drifting 42:06 | Street drifting and the cops (arrested) 44:19 | Any FD Driver you look up too? 45:03 | Running your first Pro 1 event 46:07 | Dealt some tough matches 48:14 | Going from 225 to 275 tire 49:47 | Do you think about the “Rookie of the year” race? 50:59 | First time driving some of these tracks 51:34 | Using drift simulators to preview tracks 55:24 | Driving simulators in drifting 1:00:14 | Will simulators become a popular tool in drifting 1:01:17 | Advice for building your own simulator 1:03:26 | Are you on twitch? 1:04:43 | #neverletgo 1:07:49 | “My girlfriend drifts too!” 1:09:59 | Final thoughts: Where do you see yourself drift wise in 3-5 years? 1:12:50 | FD judging is improving the sport 1:13:54 | Where to find Matt / outro
FOLLOW: Scott Weiss (Konig) Instagram: @scott_Konig https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/
Matt Vankirk: @mattvankirk18 https://www.instagram.com/mattvankirk18/
On this episode of The BEHIND THE WHEEL PODCAST: QUICK SHIFT edition, we are joined by none other than Formula Drift Pro and Pro 2 driver, Kevin Lawrence!
After a successful 2017 season and being crowned PRO2 CHAMPION, Kevin Lawrence returned primarily as a rookie in the FD PRO Championship series! Kevin is running both Pro and Pro2 seasons at the same time in 2 different cars (S14 and R32) and he gives us feedback on the differences in both classes. Also, drops some knowledge to the pro-am, grassroots drivers on what it takes to run a successful and competition ready program!
If you like what you hear and see, please consider subscribing! We’re on iTunes, Google Play and of course the full video version of every episode is on YouTube! Thank you!
You can also, subscribe or download the podcast on our website, iTunes, Google Play, Youtube & Stitcher:
Thanks for listening!
FOLLOW: Kevin Lawrence: @k_lawrence352 https://www.instagram.com/k_lawrence352/
In this Quick Shift Edition of the Behind The Wheel Podcast, we link up with KEVIN LAWRENCE, Formula Drift Pro, and Pro2 driver.
We find out what it’s like being the current “RB King” of Formula Drift, running both Pro and Pro2 seasons at the same time in 2 different cars (S14 and R32), making the jump from Pro2 to Pro, being a Pro1 rookie and driving new tracks.
Kevin also drops some knowledge and tips for the grassroots drivers that are working toward advancing their programs and takes us through the types of adjustments and changes that happen every round to bring the car from the trailer to a competitive state.
Make sure to follow Kevin and Enjuku Racing (information below).
Oh and if you like the podcast and what we’ve been doing here, please consider subscribing! We’re on iTunes and Google Play! Thank you for listening!
FOLLOW: Scott Weiss (Konig) Instagram: @scott_Konig https://www.instagram.com/scott_konig/
Ryan Litteral: @k_lawrence352 https://www.instagram.com/k_lawrence352/
