I can remember the first time I came across an ICON Derelict. It was the first year Jonathan Ward brought one out to SEMA. I knew right away that the naturally patina'ed exterior was much more than meets the eye. Ever since, I’ve eagerly awaited each successive Derelict build. Each unique, each superb, each inciting envy.

It’s a given that every car coming out of ICON is engineered to perfection with an unparalleled attention to detail. An earlier test drive of Icon’s Thriftmaster had me falling in love with its perfect marriage of vintage personality and modern handling. My expectations were just the same for their recent 1946 Oldsmobile Derelict build.

Rather than just take the car out for a short test-drive, I wanted to get a taste for what owning a Derelict would be like, doing with it what a normal car person would do. Which is why one Friday night I found myself sitting shotgun next to ICON's founder, Jonathan Ward, cruising to one of Los Angeles’ most iconic car spots, Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank.

Known as the place to see and be seen in SoCal classic car culture, Bob’s Big Boy has a regular parade of famous names bringing out their cars, as well as long-time residents and gearheads, making an eclectic mix of peoples and cars. As the Derelict pulled up, heads turned. Before exiting the car, people were headed over to take a closer look.

While ICON’s bread and butter is transforming late-model 4x4s, like the Bronco and TJ, Jonathan Ward’s pet projects are the Derelict builds. Beginning with what was once his own daily driver, a DeSoto wagon, Ward starts each build with a search for the perfect patina'ed body. Some car guys are willing to fake an old patina look with a custom paint job, but that notion would be unheard of for Ward. Most often cars of the late-‘40s and early-‘50s, Derelicts are all about respecting and preserving the old all the while making it stand up to our modern expectations of how a car should perform and ushering it into a fully usable, daily drivable state.

Guys like Jay Leno are known to be regulars at Bob’s, but this evening the automotive royalty was Ward – a number of people approaching the Derelict ’46 Olds were already fans. Plenty of others had no idea who Ward was, but it didn’t take them long to spot something on the Oldsmobile which brought them in for a closer look. Soon they'd dive even deeper were asking Ward what this build was all about. Owning a patina'd car myself, I was surprised I didn't hear a "So when are you going to paint it?"

Ward’s obsession with design is obvious. He geeks out on details and happily talks shop, explaining car modifications and how he and his team achieve transforming what appears to be un-touched vintage into a personalized modern driver.

On the “fully original” interior, Ward points out what all the knobs, switches and do-dads do. The original radio knobs control power and volume for a modern Bluetooth system, the analog window pulls are mated with power-window internals, the removal of the radio body made way for a modern air-system completely hidden behind a steel-mesh grate, and a tilt column is fitted with the original Oldsmobile steering wheel. No detail is brushed over in Derelict builds and it shows.

Under the hood is a Hilborn-injected 502 Chevy Big Block. As awesome as it is, the engine choice is a deviation from the usual modern Ford powerplant  used in Derelicts and is due to the owner’s request – an example of the personalization that goes into each build. In fact, the owner built the Big Block himself, including its custom-fabricated valve covers.

The lopy idle gives the ’46 Olds a distinctively different driving personality from other Derelict builds. The engine choice may not be for everyone, but it provides a nostalgic sound and feel that you’re not going to get from something more modern. After walking around Bob's and looking at the other cars present, we received plenty of thumbs up as we fired the Olds and headed out to hit up another cool spot in the Valley.

As luck would have it, and I find often comes along as car “karma” when you’re driving something extraordinary, we nabbed the primo parking spot in front of Idle Hour. Before heading inside for a bite, the valet guy and some patio patrons got in their questions about the Olds. These conversations, and the smiles and waves you get from strangers, are unmatched, I feel, from other exclusive cars. A supercar for instance may receive plenty of looks, but it doesn’t make the world feel like a smaller, friendlier place the way a classic car does.

By the time we leave Idle Hour, I’ve worked up the courage to ask to drive. It isn’t a long way back to my car, but I didn’t want this night to get away without taking the wheel. The Big Block, while lopy and aggressive, was still entirely civil. The original steering wheel told me I was driving a 1946 Oldsmobile but the suspension, steering and braking directed otherwise. It was driving perfection. It was everything I’ve come to love in old cars, and so much more, with none of the old car frustrations. Finding it difficult to return the keys and say goodbye – on my drive home I found my mind wondering to my own original-paint ’55 Studebaker and what she would look like if she became a Derelict. It’s most definitely a goal to reach for.

Details

View more photos in the gallery below or get car building tips from Ward in our Master Class article.

If you aren't familiar with "VIP style," it is as the name implies: taking luxury cars and making them more exclusive. This usually includes large deep dished wheels, extremely low ride-height and fancy executive interiors. Basically, everything that a "VIP" would want. 

Tucked away in the western suburbs of Tokyo is a shop specializing in VIP styling. L-Tide offers body kit installation and paint services in addition to their speciality, interior dress-up. L-Tide President Mayumi Fujita agreed to let us visit her shop and check out one of their projects, a 2000 Toyota Aristo (Lexus GS300/400).

Getting Reacquainted

The last time we saw the Aristo at Tokyo Auto Salon, it was matte white. Imagine our surprise when we were greeted by it in candy-pink! This recent color change definitely matches the style that L-Tide promotes with plenty of luxury and plenty of pink. 

Our assumption was that this was an L-Tide demo vehicle owned by the shop or its president, but that isn't the case. The Aristo's owner, Sayuri Sugimoto, has actually owned the car for about 10 years, and during that time has amassed quite the modification list.

Concept to Reality

After overcoming the initial surprise of the color change, we started to get a run down of all the details. If the body lines look familiar, you would be correct to guess that body was reshaped to resemble the BMW M9 concept.

All of the external fabrication done the Custom Project 2000 service provided by Chic Inc. This includes the custom door fabrication, front hood fabrication and a seamless rear spoiler. Additionally, the car was given cleaner lines with the removal of the door handles and fuel door. There is so much to take in from this wild body style; we're still scratching our heads trying to figure out where the gas goes.

Custom Everything

The front headlights were stunning. This was our first time seeing anything like them. Custom-built by Chic Inc. with their L's Factory division, Aristo headlight internals are often replaced with Infinite Q45 projectors, but in this case, Chic Inc. owner Tomoyo Sugimoto chose to go with Lexus NX internal components. 

Rounding off the body modifications are a set of custom fabricated rear tail lights, Wald front and rear bumpers and of course the fresh candy-pink finish.

Static

In the world of VIP, most cars are fitted with air suspension, allowing the owner to have the car parked as low as possible while still being able to raise it in order to be able to actually drive it. In Sayuri's case, her car is static, fitted with a set of coilovers with a spring rate of 6k front and 5k rear. 

The static ride height proved challenging as we moved the car to various locations. Although definitely drivable, on smooth and even pavement, it takes a spotter to move over anything more than an inch in height. But, that is the life of VIP style.

High Heels 

Modification of anything is a slippery slope as most people know. Once you modify one thing, something else will not quite look right and has to be modified. This is definitely the case when you modify the body of a car like Sayuri did. To keep the proportions in balance, she chose a set of Work Equip E10s in a staggering 20x10.5 -41 in the front and 20x12.5 -63 in the rear. 

To bring a sedan like this with massive wheels like that to a stop requires equally massive brakes. A set of 8 pot front and 6 pot rear big brake sets will definitely bring you to a stop quickly and perhaps leave you with a sore neck afterwards.

Fashion Over Function 

The 2JZ engine has been left pretty much stock except for the addition of a front mount intercooler, blow-off valve and three-row copper radiator. When you have this kind of style, it's all about the slow roll in order to get noticed. 

Opening the scissor doors reveals an immaculate interior as one would expect from the experts at L-Tide. The perfectly white leather with pink stitching was flawless with no interior panel left untouched. Although white does cause significant glare, it does look good and complements the pink interior perfectly. 

The head rests and floor mats were also customized to match. Additional touches such as the crystal steering wheel and gear select definitely personalizes this Aristo to Sayuri's taste. The car's interior is kept clean by requiring all passengers to remove their shoes before entering. We definitely enjoyed everyone climbing in and out through the window while holding their shoes.

Always More 

As most custom car owners admit, it is never finished. In Sayuri's case, there isn't much left to do to the body or interior — maybe some engine dress-up and a bit of detail finishes such as the underside of the hood. There may even be some air suspension upgrades in the near future. 

We are sure to see more of Sayuri's Aristo at future events or even at an L-Tide hosted VIP meet. However, we may have to look twice, as it might have changed color again.

Check out all the photos of Sayuri's L-Tide Project 2000 Toyota Aristo in the gallery below.

The last torture test for Ultimate Callout Challenge (UCC) competitors to undergo in 2017 would be the most demanding: the sled pull. Not only is the potential for broken parts greater than what you’ll find at the drag strip or on the dyno, but transforming an 8, 9 or 10-second truck into one that can effectively lug the sled 300 feet is a tall order. To make it happen, many teams turned to nearby shops for adequate working space, tools, parts and other resources as a lot of trucks received vast suspension tweaks, axle swaps, different torque converters and ring and pinion changes — not to mention the addition of aggressive tires and front weight boxes.

After experiencing the failures, mishaps and hardships that often accompany trucks making four-digit horsepower, a few more teams had no other choice but to bow out following the dyno competition. By the time the first truck hooked to the sled on Day 3, just 18 of 31 entries remained in the running. As for the points tally, a First and Second Place finish from Lavon Miller earned him the top spot heading into the sled pull, with Derek Rose’s Second and Third Place efforts keeping him within striking distance. Thanks to solid showings on both the drag strip and dyno, Wade Minter couldn’t be counted out either. With the right distance and a win in the sled pull, Wade and especially Derek still had a legitimate shot at First Place. Things were about to get interesting…

It’s worth noting that two rounds of sled pulling take place at the UCC. After the first round, an hour intermission is observed (for repairs and cool down) and then the second round serves as a way of giving competitors a chance to improve upon their initial distance. The furthest distance achieved in either round becomes the competitor’s final distance.

Sled Pull Prep

While a simple tire change might’ve been able to get you by between the drag race and dyno events, the same couldn’t be said for the sled pull. With massive axles, aggressive tires, ring and pinion swaps, blocked suspensions and hanging front weights making their way onto most of the trucks, they didn’t even look the same. The transformations many of these trucks underwent between events was truly remarkable.

Jeremy Wagler: 297.05 ft.

Back with a freshly built DX500 Duramax (if you recall, the truck melted two pistons during the drag races on Day 1), the Wagler Competition twin-turbo’d and blown “Shop Truck” reappeared for the sled pull. This time, the two-wheel drive Silverado was rocking a massive rear axle from Engler Machine & Tool — complete with cut tires. Taking advantage of the 30-inch hitch height rule for two-wheel drives (vs. the conventional 26-inch requirement for 4x4 trucks), the Wagler monstrosity’s best hook of the day yielded a respectable distance of 297.05 feet.

Aaron Rudolf: 247.02 ft.

Also back with a brand new engine was Aaron (Rudy) Rudolf’s 6.4L Power Stroke powered Super Duty. Rudy's truck is running Nitto Mud Grapplers, which are one of the favorites of regular sled pullers. During the course of his pull, the front and rear axles — both of which were drag strip-friendly 9-inch units — suffered damage. Then just as the truck came to a jarring halt, the weight box literally flew off. Despite the carnage, commotion and the fact that Rudy had basically brought his drag race setup to the pulling track, he still managed to squeeze a 247-foot effort out of his Ford.

Wade Minter: 311.05 ft.

With so many dedicated drag racers competing at UCC, a lot of folks were curious how these trucks would react with a sled in tow. In a 311-foot show of force, no one would’ve ever suspected it was Wade Minter’s first time ever hooking to the sled. His Fourth Place pull surprised everyone that knew his 9-second Silverado was built exclusively for drag racing.

Mike Graves: 275.11 ft.

The carnage gremlins would unfortunately come calling during Mike Graves’ hook. At the tail end of his pull, the rear AAM 1150 axle rotated, causing all kinds of driveline mayhem. Still, the dually-converted GMC was able to go 275 feet and change, which would be good enough for 10th Place and a Seventh Place finish overall.

Todd Welch: 321.02 ft.

Stirring things up in more way than one was Todd Welch and the Power Driven Diesel Dodge. Not only did the truck show up to pull sporting an SQHD rear axle fitted with dual cut tires, but its 321-foot run would end up placing Todd roughly 10 feet ahead of Derek Rose — the competitor with the best chance of catching Lavon Miller for the overall points win. After all the mishaps at the drag strip and on the dyno, it was nice to see the Power Driven Diesel truck finally live up to its potential.

Jesse Warren: 283.03 ft.

With years of sled pulling experience on his side, Jesse Warren finished ninth in the sled pull despite foregoing a dual rear wheel conversion and running a hurt atmospheric turbo. Jesse’s 283-foot haul solidified him a Fifth Place overall finish — not bad for a full weight, 6.0L-powered, crew cab Super Duty.

Donavan Harris: 312.11 ft.

After finishing 10th on the dyno, Donavan Harris came roaring back in the sled pull. His fire-breathing Ram’s 312.11-foot hook would surpass Wade Minter’s distance for the No. 2 spot — and in the process propelled him back up toward the top of the overall standings.

Derek Rose: 312.07 ft.

Knowing he needed a strong pull in order to catch Lavon Miller, Derek Rose tried to apply every ounce of his truck’s 2,100 hp to the track. While the power was there, the track simply wasn’t. When the dust settled, Derek’s Dodge would end up less than an inch behind Donavan Harris’ Second Place distance.

Chase Fleece: 296.06 ft.

Equipped with rear duals, six Nitto Mud Grapplers and an NV4500-based, three-speed manual transmission from Pro Fab Machine, Chase Fleece’s regular cab Ram pulled off one of the smoothest pulls of the day. Unfortunately, a loose track never allowed him to apply everything the truck had to the ground. Still, Chase would finish with a 296.06-foot hook — Seventh Place on the day.

Derek Rose: Round 2

Knowing he’d hurt something in his valve train, Derek Rose went for broke and took one last shot at getting the sled as far as he possibly could. In his final blast down the track, the DNR Customs Dodge looked strong. But just as the truck reached ground speeds at or approaching 30 mph the engine checked out, bringing his hard charge to an abrupt halt. While this cemented Derek into the Runner-Up position at UCC 2017, his valiant, last-ditch effort was exactly what fans came to see: a fierce competitor laying it all on the line for a chance to win.

Lavon Miller: 296.09 ft.

Following his 2,399 hp dyno performance with a mechanical Cummins under the hood, Lavon Miller reverted back to the common-rail power plant that sent his Dodge through the quarter-mile in 8.63 seconds. Along with the engine swap, Lavon also tore apart the truck’s 48RE transmission prior to the sled pull (namely to inspect its internals) and then added a converter with a pull-friendly stall-speed. Dual rear wheels, more aggressive tread and hanging front weights made their way onto the truck as well. The combination of all of the above culminated in a 296.09-foot pull, which earned Lavon his second UCC title.

Back-to-Back Wins

To us, Lavon Miller’s performance on the chassis dyno illustrated just how talented he and the rest of the Firepunk team is. What’s crazy is that mechanical injection is new to these guys. Lavon’s family-owned and operated shop, Firepunk Diesel, specializes in common-rail injection technology (i.e. ’03-present Cummins) and Dodge transmissions, so his crew’s ability to take on a whole new animal, tame it and finish near the top with it was beyond impressive.

Lavon has now won back-to-back UCC events, not to mention his previous back-to-back wins in Diesel Power Magazine’s Diesel Power Challenge. It’s clear that he and his team thrive in these types of competitions — where a truck has to be a versatile, all-around performer and not just a one-purpose vehicle. Lavon and the people around him are the definition of dedication and determination. Until another team can match Firepunk Diesel’s level of tenacity, work ethic and support, expect this group to continue to dominate any competition they enter.

SLED PULL RESULTS

FINAL POINTS STANDINGS

Learn more about these amazing diesels in Trucks of UCC Part 1 and Part 2.

Wekfest returned for its fourth annual show at Port Messe in Nagoya, Japan. This year 350 cars were brought in from around the country — each pre-screened to ensure the highest quality builds were on display, challenged with the show's theme of "USDM vs. JDM."

The event is run in a way that makes participants feel as if they were at a U.S. show. Modification sheets have to be written in English, and the awards ceremony is also conducted in English. The reaction from participants is overwhelmingly positive, although some find it a bit difficult, understandably.

This year brought many high quality builds, and as one of the judges told me, the level keeps improving, especially when it comes to the engine bays. Everyone we met in attendance loved the event, and when we asked about the cars, they loved the fact that Japanese tuners can take the American style, apply it and improve it with a Japanese twist.

Without further ado, let's take a look at some of our top picks from this epic USDM vs. JDM showdown.

What is JDM? Learn what this tuning movement entails exactly.

'90s JDM

There were a pair of Honda Integras fully kitted with Mugen goodies. If these were back in the states, there's no doubt they would take the crown for top JDM '90s model with their ultra-rare Mugen CF-48s with optional aero covers.

Shocking SVX

Have you ever known someone who modified a Subaru SVX on purpose? We haven't, so imagine our shock delight when we came across just that. We know it probably isn't the first thing people think of when the words "Japan" and "car show" are put together, but the owner of this SVX had pulled it off.

Bring the Fizzle

The Honda CR-Z was supposed to be a descendant of the CR-X. Although both were hatchbacks, it seems that the CR-Z just doesn't get the same admiration as its predecessor. Available in Japan, it is a bit of a rarity to see one modified since there are so many other choices.

Five-O

A Toyota Mark II wagon and AE86 were transformed into police cars with push bars and LED light racks. The Mark II had additional wide fenders, while the AE86 was left-hand drive. If you ever saw them on the road, you need not worry because they were sporting Decepticons police badges. On second thought, maybe you should be a little worried.

Smooth Criminal

From the same group that brought the police cars was an impressive Toyota AE86. When you get past the fact that it is indeed a U.S. Toyota Corolla, you get hit by its clean engine bay containing a worked 4.5AG engine with ITBs and high-rise header.

European Elegance

There were also a few German cars on hand, including this Scirocco with over fenders, 18-inch wheels and Cayenne front six piston brakes. Representing his Canadian team, Lost Royalty, the owner likes the mix of cleanliness and aggressiveness.

The Last Event

Port Messe's round hall is unique in that it has skylights, so when it is sunny it provides some great lighting. We just happened upon this Honda Civic Si as the sun came out and provided us with a spotlight. Featuring plenty of go-fast goodies and tuning from Global Auto, the only note it had on its modification sheet was: "This is the last event."

Low Low NSX

This left-hand-drive NSX was both bright and low. Sporting a Honda Verno banner and running Nitto Tire NT555s, we can only guess that the car has some high quality performance upgrades to match its looks. This is one that we definitely need to follow up on.

Renown

Sporting the legendary Renown livery that adorned the 787B at Le Mans, this FD3S RX7 by Body Works Hyoukoya won the "Best of Show Livery" Award. Featuring Rocket Bunny aero to accommodate its aggressive stance, it was definitely a crowd pleaser.

Extra Credit

One of the things that people enjoy doing at events like this is to watch the roll-in and the roll-out. Sometimes, a car might get stuck or scrape a few additional millimeters off their front bumpers due to the low ride height. We were more interested in hearing how the cars sounded on the road, and as the sun was setting, it marked the end of a great day.

Check out the gallery below to see more from Wekfest Japan 2017.

Vintage racing brings back a forgotten time. An era before carbon fiber, traction control, paddle shifters, kinetic recovery systems and other driver aids-filled cockpits. The days where alcohol and tobacco corporations slapped their logo on every corner of a race car. Back when firing up carburetors would bring gauge needles dancing to life and send rich exhaust gases through side pipes.

Recently, Auto Club Speedway was filled with the buzz of European and Japanese 4-cylinders and the burble of carbureted NASCAR V8s. Nearly a hundred vintage racecars filled the paddocks of Auto Club Speedway for the Southern California Historic Sports Car Festival.

The event brought out an eclectic mix of cars ranging from Lotus Super 7, Alfa Romeo GTVs, Mustang GT350s, BMW 2002s, historic stock cars, Trans Am and open wheel racecars.

Most of these old race cars now spend their time collecting dust or sitting in climate-controlled storage, but they were finally given the chance to stretch their legs along the 21-turn, 2.8-mile course.

It was a treat to see these iconic liveries in motion. Race cars still wearing the names of the drivers who once crossed the checkered flag with these cars — Dale Earnhart Sr, Jimmy Johnson, Mark Martin and others — back on track after nearly 30 years.

This event marked the inaugural Mazda Miata Heritage Cup. As crazy as it sounds, it’s been over 25 years since the Miata was introduced. In those 25 years, the Miata has built a rich racing history, and crossing the 25 year mark makes it eligible for vintage racing; however, not all vintage racing organizations have accepted the little roadster yet.

Created by Mazda Motorsports, this is the first of a five-race series. What makes it different from Spec Miata is that the Miata Heritage Cup only allows the Miata in its purest form: the 1.6-liter B6ZE from the '90-'93 model.

Vintage sports cars might have been around for decades and decades, but there's always more to learn about them, especially Sportscar Vintage Racing events. Get info at SVRA.com, and make sure you browse through more shots from the festival in the gallery below.

Formula Drift returned to the track that spawned the series just 13 short years ago for the third stop on the 2017 schedule. Entering the event, Fredric Aasbo was leading the championship after a win in Orlando, and had high hopes entering the event as he podiumed at two previous events at this track.

ROAD ATLANTA COURSE

The Road Atlanta course layout remained unchanged from the past few seasons, with drivers starting from midway down the back straightaway before initiating drift at the bottom of the hill into turn 10 on the traditional track layout at speeds of nearly 100 mph. After the sharp 90-degree left turn with an inside clip at the foot of the hill, drivers immediately transition for a second 90-degree turn that shoots them up the hill towards the bridge at speeds around 70 mph.

In the early seasons of Formula Drift, the course layout pushed drivers into the first turn midway up the hill before looping around the "keyhole" area in counter-clockwise fashion, but a change in 2012 now leads drivers clockwise around the keyhole on a line that requires much more horsepower and grip. Drivers are asked to burn their tires along the outside edge of the keyhole at the top of the hill in front of the judges stand before hitting an inside clipping point midway through the keyhole, then transition back down the hill in front of the spectators and connecting the first two corners in reverse orientation to finish halfway up the back straight near the starting line.

(Photos: Jason Scott)

QUALIFYING

Friday’s qualifying session brought some familiar faces to the top of the table. Nitto Tire driver Alex Heilbrunn would earn the fifth place position with an 89-point run, tying the same score as Matt Field but losing the tiebreaker for fourth place by virtue of having a lower secondary run score. Kristaps Bluss earned third qualifier with a score of 90 points, also tying 2013 Formula Drift champion Michael Essa with the same score, but losing in the tiebreaker due to scoring an Incomplete on his secondary qualifying run. Essa has consistently qualified well at Atlanta, in large part to his big entries with tons of steering angle that the crowd loves.

At the top of the charts, Nitto Tire driver Vaughn Gittin Jr. scored 94 points to take the top qualifier award for the second consecutive season at Road Atlanta. With only 28 drivers making a qualifying pass on Friday, the top four qualifiers would earn a bye in the Top 32 round and automatically hear their name called for the Top 16 opening ceremonies.

AIR FORCE TOP 32

Vaughn Gittin Jr. – Bye Run

GITTIN JR. LEAD – In an effort to speed up the show, Formula Drift has decided to forego bye runs in the Top 32 round. Gittin Jr. earns his second top qualifier award of the season, gaining valuable championship points in addition to the bye run. Gittin Jr.’s Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR has looked smooth all weekend long. We’re excited to see him battle in the Top 16.

Matt Coffman vs. Pat Goodin

COFFMAN LEAD – The rain came down right the start of Top 32 and these guys were forced to do battle with a track that was about 60 percent wet and 30 percent dry. Coffman has a strong lead run, with very few corrections given the conditions. Goodin in chase was somewhat conservative and sloppy, but the weather really played a factor.

GOODIN LEAD – Goodin has a much smoother lead run, but it’s hardly a clean run overall. Coffman has good proximity through the course and looks much more experienced in the mixed conditions on the track. All three judges vote for Coffman to move on.

Alec Hohnadell vs. Juha Rintanen

HOHNADELL LEAD – Hohnadell came out quickly on this wet track and made it very clear he had one of the fastest cars of the weekend even in the wet. Rintanen struggled to keep up with him going up the hill and did barely catch up on the keyhole. As he tries to catch up to Hohnadell, Rintanen slides off-course near the finish line.

RINTANEN LEAD – Rintanen is unable to initiate cleanly and is driving straight through most of the course. There are several points when Rintanen tries to initiate drift, but the car is fighting him the entire way. This is nearly impossible for Hohnadell to follow, although he attempts to make the run look respectable a few different times. All three judges vote for Hohnadell. This was an easy run to judge.

Justin Pawlak vs. Jeff Jones

PAWLAK LEAD – While the wet course conditions continue, the drivers are being given a recon lap to feel out the grip levels on course. Pawlak went out and tested the track but Jones parked it at the start line, declining his option to go run the track down. On his lead, Pawlak slides off course and into the kitty litter shortly after initiation, giving him an Incomplete. Jones was far behind and managed to stay on course and finishes out his lap. Was skipping the recon lap a mental advantage for Jones? At any rate, he will have a huge advantage heading into the second run.

JONES  LEAD – Jones, knowing he has a big advantage, looks to be on the conservative side on his lead run. The course has patches of wet and dry spots, which makes these runs even more difficult for the driver. As both drivers transition just before the finish line, Pawlak collides with Jones which further cements the decision. All three judges vote unanimously for Jones to move on to the Top 16.

Matt Field – Bye Run

FIELD LEAD – Field finished 2016 strong with back-to-back wins, but hasn’t looked the same this season through the first two events. This was his best qualifying effort of the season, and looks to be turning his results around. We will see how he does in his first tandem in the Top 16.

James Deane vs. Ken Gushi

DEANE LEAD – Since the last tandem battle, the track continues to dry out and we’re starting to see some tire smoke from the cars. Deane has as smooth of an initiation as you can expect given the conditions, Gushi isn’t far behind him. Gushi drops two tires after transitioning at the end of the hill, Deane extends a large lead up the hill but Gushi collapses on Deane through the keyhole. Both drivers look good exiting the keyhole, Gushi over-rotates just before the final turn and is unable to cross the finish line in drift. This will be a big advantage to Deane!

GUSHI LEAD – Gushi is flying down the hill and opens up a big gap on initiation, then continues to extend the gap heading up the hill. Deane cuts into the horseshoe to reduce the gap, but Gushi re-opens the gap exiting the keyhole and extends the gap around the final two corners. One judge votes for a “One More Time," likely feeling that Deane produced an inactive chase. The other two judges vote for Deane to move on, which means Deane has stamped his pass to the Top 16.

Alex Heilbrunn vs. Robbie Nishida

HEILBRUNN LEAD – Heilbrunn exits the start line in his Monster BMW, and we’re seeing tons of Nitto Tire smoke from initiation through the entirety of the course. We’re definitely seeing the track dry out quickly! Nishida struggles to keep his Nissan GTR sideways through the course, this is the first event for this GTR and Nishida seems to be still getting used to the car. Heilbrunn will carry a massive advantage into the second run.

NISHIDA LEAD – Nishida again has trouble initiating drift in the GTR, Heilbrunn takes a conservative approach and leaves plenty of room behind Nishida which is well-justified. Nishida slides wide through the keyhole and drops a tire off course before shutting it down. Heilbrunn passes Nishida and will take the pass into the Top 16. All three judges vote for Heilbrunn to move on.

Odi Bakchis vs. Chris Forsberg

BAKCHIS LEAD – Bakchis with a great lead run to start and did an amazing job actually getting to the outside zone in the keyhole that most drivers have been shying away from. Forsberg stays around three to four car lengths behind Bakchis through most of the course, mirroring the steering angle but a bit conservative on the proximity.

FORSBERG LEAD – Forsberg flicks his Nissan 370z hard into the first turn with Bakchis hot in pursuit behind him. Bakchis falls back as both drivers head up the hill towards the horseshoe, Bakchis briefly closes the gap around the keyhole while Forsberg opens up the gap again around the final two turns. This is a tough battle to judge as there wasn’t a lot of proximity in either run. One judge votes for Bakchis while the other two vote for a “One More Time." Majority rules; we’re going to see these two battle again!

One More Time

BAKCHIS LEAD – Bakchis has another smooth run, Forsberg increases his aggressiveness and proximity for this One More Time battle. Bakchis drops a tire into the dirt near the finish line but finishes the lap with a pretty great lead run. It will be interesting to see how the judges deduct for the dirt drop as Bakchis definitely had the better run until that mistake.

FORSBERG LEAD – Forsberg really pushes the pace in his lead run, forcing Bakchis to play catchup in his S14. Forsberg extends the gap to almost five car lengths heading up the hill, while Bakchis slides several tires off course near the finish line. Bakchis had better proximity than Forsberg but did straighten up going back up the hill while Forsberg extended the gap. While the judges do give a long look at this battle, all three select Forsberg as the winner.

We would later find out that Bakchis filed a protest after this battle, accusing Forsberg of crossing the red line on entry and impeding his path when he was the chase driver. Formula Drift did not agree with this protest and held the result of Forsberg as the winner of this battle will stand.

Michael Essa – Bye Run

ESSA LEAD – Essa has historically finished strongly at Road Atlanta, and he’s back in the same E46 chassis that he won the 2013 championship in. Essa looks very focused this weekend and should be tough to tandem against in his battles.

Dean Kearney vs. Dan Burkett

KEARNEY LEAD – Kearney came out of the gate flying around the course in his Dodge Viper. This car has to be one of the three fastest cars on grid over the weekend. Burkett struggled to keep up in his Supra, despite having a similar level of horsepower. This run just goes to show that horsepower isn’t everything as Kearney opened up a five-car gap shortly after initiation that he would keep through most of the course. This will be a big advantage for Kearney heading into the second run.

BURKETT LEAD – Burkett looks much stronger in his lead run with some good tire smoke coming from his Supra, but Kearney is ready to pounce. As both drivers round the keyhole, Kearney quickly reduces the gap from three car lengths down to around a single car length, and rides Burkett’s door around the second half of the course. One judge wants to see a “One More Time,” while the other two side with Kearney.

Chelsea DeNofa vs. Taylor Hull

DENOFA LEAD – DeNofa is set to battle against local driver and rookie Taylor Hull. DeNofa has a massive horsepower and grip advantage in his Ford Mustang RTR, and quickly opens up a big gap on Hull’s S14. Hull scrambles to try and catch up to DeNofa, but the struggle is real. DeNofa maintains a strong gap around the course and looks very comfortable in the car while Hull unfortunately looks like a rookie. Big advantage to DeNofa as we head to the second run.

HULL LEAD – Hull has a good initiation on his lead run, but DeNofa is very tight behind him. DeNofa looks to be taking a conservative approach, leaving a few car lengths of gap heading up the hill but closes the gap entering the horseshoe. Coming out of the keyhole, Hull shuts it down and DeNofa finishes the course solo. All three judges promote DeNofa to the Round of 16.

Ryan Tuerck vs. Dai Yoshihara

TUERCK LEAD – Tuerck has a great lead run, this is one of the better lead runs we’ve seen all day! Yoshihara initially is several car lengths behind Tuerck, but closes the gap down around the keyhole. Tuerck really powers out of the keyhole hard and opens up a gap heading down the hill. Looking at the replay, we can see that Yoshihara had a pretty big steering correction exiting the keyhole which is what allowed Tuerck to pull away. Tuerck will carry an advantage into the second run.

YOSHIHARA LEAD – Yoshihara looks much stronger in his lead run and pulls away from Tuerck heading up the hill, Tuerck briefly closes the gap down a bit, but Yoshihara pulls away again exiting the keyhole. This tandem battle was really back and forth, and it’s tough to call a win for either driver. One judge votes for Tuerck, while two other judges want to see them run again. We’re going “One More Time”!

One More Time

TUERCK LEAD – Tuerck starts off the lap at a blazing fast speed while Yoshihara is close behind him in pursuit. As the two drivers enter the keyhole, Yoshihara shuts down his car and doesn’t finish the lap. Tuerck has a full pull and will have a big advantage heading into the second run. It looks like Yoshihara had a mechanical issue with the car, this has been a frustrating season for Yoshihara and the team. Yoshihara calls his lone competition timeout of the weekend to try and fix the issue with his car.

YOSHIHARA LEAD – Yoshihara looks to have the car repaired, but we’ll have to see how he performs in this run. Yoshihara has a good initiation, Tuerck is very close behind him. Both drivers drop a tire as they transition to head up the hill, Tuerck continues to have an aggressive chase. Yoshihara has a good run around the keyhole and is able to finish the run, but his shutdown on his chase can’t be avenged. All three judges vote for Tuerck to move on to the Top 16.

Kristaps Bluss – Bye Run

BLUSS LEAD – Bluss’ BMW is one of the fastest cars on grid despite having slightly less horsepower than some of the other competitors. This weekend is no exception, and Bluss has thrived on his aggressive chase runs in tandem. Bluss often lets his temper get the best of him, and if he can avoid contact with the drivers he competes against, he could be a threat to the podium.

Jhonnattan Castro vs. Nate Hamilton

CASTRO LEAD – Castro is coming off a fantastic performance against James Deane at Orlando and is looking to build on that reputation this weekend. Castro has a good initiation, but Hamilton is very tight behind him. Castro briefly opens up the gap, but Hamilton stays close around the keyhole and applies the pressure. No major mistakes from either driver, but this is only the first run.

HAMILTON LEAD – Hamilton looks much more comfortable on his lead run, opening up the gap on Castro heading up the hill. Castro cuts the line heading into the horseshoe, but has to check up when Hamilton dumps a ton of steering angle near the inside clip midway through the keyhole. Hamilton extends the gap to several car lengths exiting the keyhole, and Castro isn’t able to make up for his mistake in the chase. All three judges side with Hamilton, who will be making his second consecutive Top 16 appearance.

Fredric Aasbo vs. Kyle Mohan

AASBO LEAD – Aasbo opens up a huge gap from the start line, leaving Mohan in the dust. Aasbo’s Corolla iM has a massive lead on Mohan’s Mazda MX-5 through the first two turns, then continues to extend the gap up the hill. Mohan doesn’t make any mistakes in his chase, he just isn’t able to close the gap down much. Exiting the keyhole, it appears that Aasbo has a mis-shift and his Corolla loses drift. Mohan adjusts nicely and maintains drift behind Aasbo, this is a huge mistake for the current championship leader!

MOHAN LEAD – Mohan has a very shaky initiation which doesn’t get much prettier as the run proceeds. Aasbo keeps the proximity close, and even dives in aggressively on Mohan’s door midway around the keyhole. Aasbo gets too aggressive and hits Mohan’s door. Looking at the replay, it’s unclear if Mohan was purposely slowing down or if Aasbo was too aggressive, but at any rate, Aasbo’s mistake on the first run will likely seal the deal. One judge votes for a “One More Time,” while the other two vote for Mohan. We will have a new points leader after this round as Aasbo has exited the show early!

Piotr Wiecek vs. Cameron Moore

WIECEK LEAD – Wiecek runs his lead run with precision, leaving Moore behind from the initial start and only extending his lead through the course. Moore isn’t able to make up much proximity, but doesn’t make any major mistakes around the course. Looking at the replay, Wiecek had shallow steering angle in several areas on the track, but the lack of proximity from Moore will likely put him at a disadvantage.

MOORE LEAD – Moore initiates with tons of speed, but it might be too much as he slides past the first clipping point and drops a tire on the far side of the track. Moore keeps it together and continues on the course, Wiecek is a conservative three car lengths behind Moore. We see a small bobble from Wiecek midway up the hill, but he maintains good proximity and steering angle around the keyhole. Moore’s big lack of proximity in his chase run will be his downfall as all three judges vote for Wiecek to move into the Top 16.

FORD TOP 16

Before we sing the National Anthem, eight young men and a young woman take the oath of service for the Air Force in front of the judges stand. Two Air Force cadets sang the national anthem, and all 16 drivers are introduced to the rowdy Atlanta crowd. During introductions, Vaughn Gittin Jr. is presented the “bag o’ cash” from Black Magic as the top qualifier.

The drivers exit the keyhole area with rolling burnouts, which please the fans. The Atlanta crowd is known for being some of the most enthusiastic on the series schedule, with some of the most dedicated fans camping out overnight at the front gate to ensure they got a prime spot on the grassy hill that lines the east side of the amphitheater.

Gittin Jr. vs. Coffman

GITTIN JR. LEAD – Coffman jumps the start, which he’s allowed to do, in an attempt to makeup the horsepower difference between the two cars. Gittin Jr. passes him midway down the hill and initiates around four car lengths ahead of Coffman. Gittin Jr. has a good line with tons of tire smoke, increasing the gap slightly by the entry to the keyhole. Coffman cuts the line through the keyhole and successfully closes the gap to around two car lengths, but Gittin Jr. extends it back to four car lengths by the exit of the keyhole due to the amount of grip in his Nitto Tire Ford Mustang RTR. Gittin Jr. finishes the run around five car lengths ahead of Coffman, and likely has an advantage entering the second run.

COFFMAN LEAD – Coffman enters around two car lengths ahead of Gittin Jr. and hit the inner clip at the bottom of the hill spot on. Coffman’s line coming up the hill and entering the keyhole is much improved on this line, but Gittin Jr. is never more than two car lengths behind Coffman. Overall, the lead run from Coffman is much improved, but the chase run from Gittin Jr. was far superior both in line and proximity. All three judges vote for Gittin Jr. to move into the Great 8!

Hohnadell vs. Jones

HOHNADELL LEAD – Both of these drivers are running similar supercharged V8 setups in their Nissan S14 chassis, but they have very different driving styles. Hohnadell has an aggressive entry, but his line is a little off after the transition and has a pretty noticeable steering correction just before he heads up the hill towards the keyhole. Jones is around five car lengths behind Hohnadell heading up the hill, and has a similar steering correction midway up the hill. Hohnadell nudges one of the cones in the outside clipping point at the entry to the keyhole, but is off the inside clip in the middle of the keyhole. Jones has closed the gap down to around two car lengths exiting the keyhole but has another steering adjustment exiting the keyhole that may have been from a mis-shift. It’s not a pretty run from either driver, but Hohnadell seemed to have fewer mistakes.

Hohnadell calls his lone competition timeout of the weekend. As Hohnadell was about to approach the start line, Jones calls his competition timeout as well due to overheating, so we’ll move on to another matchup briefly.

JONES LEAD – Jones looks very slow on entry, there might be some transmission damage from the previous mis-shift that’s limiting his speed. Hohnadell adjusts nicely and mirrors Jones awkward line well, then closes the gap again on Jones at the top of the hill entering the keyhole to remind Jones that he’s there. Jones looks much better around the second half of the course, but it’s quite apparent that Jones’ car wasn’t running at 100%. Judges vote for Hohnadell to move into the Great 8.

Field vs. Deane

FIELD LEAD – Both drivers initiate almost simultaneously, Deane’s anticipation of Field’s entry is incredible! Deane holds his car less than a car length away from Field through the initiation and the first transition, Field dumps a ton of tire smoke heading up the hill and Deane briefly backs off before re-establishing proximity by the entry of the keyhole. Field looks to over-rotate near the middle of the keyhole, Deane has to slow substantially to avoid hitting Field. Field pulls away by around four car lengths across the exit of the keyhole and back up the hill. Looking at the replay, there was definitely contact, and the judges determine that the fault is on Field for over-rotating. Deane’s team will be given a chance to look over the car since Field is at fault, but Field would have to use his competition timeout to inspect his car. While the cars are inspected, we briefly move on to some other battles.

DEANE LEAD – Deane has a nice manji entry along the rumble strips on the outer edge of the track, while Field initiates and immediately moves towards the middle of the track to cutoff the line and stay close to Deane. The line Field takes pushes him off the line and drops at least a tire before transitioning up the hill. Deane takes the opportunity and extends the proximity to around three car lengths. Field cuts the line through the keyhole and briefly closes the gap, but misshifts and loses proximity again at the exit of the keyhole. All three judges vote for Deane to move on.

Heilbrunn vs. Forsberg

HEILBRUNN LEAD – Heilbrunn initiates along the rumble strips, Forsberg initiates a short car length behind him but dumps a ton of angle at the bottom of the hill to avoid hitting Heilbrunn. Heilbrunn pulls a three car length lead through the transition at the bottom of the hill while Forsberg takes a shallower line in an attempt to catch up. The adjustment works as Forsberg enters the keyhole just a single car length behind Heilbrunn. Heilbrunn has good angle and line exiting the keyhole and heading back up the hill. It looks like Heilbrunn will have a slight advantage entering the second run.

FORSBERG LEAD – Forsberg had a bit of a conservative initiation, Heilbrunn has a ton of angle behind Forsberg but keeps the proximity much closer through the first corner than Forsberg did in chase. Forsberg opens up a small two car gap up the hill, Heilbrunn takes the inside line heading into the keyhole to catch up but is too fast and has to over-rotate to avoid hitting Forsberg at the inner clip in the middle of the keyhole. The error will fall entirely on Heilbrunn; all three judges vote for Forsberg to move on.

Essa vs. Kearney

ESSA LEAD – Essa has a good initiation, Kearney’s initiation is noticeably snappier to get to full angle. Kearney has good proximity through the first two turns, Essa opens up the proximity to around three car lengths heading up the hill but Kearney closes in and keeps the gap to a single car length around the keyhole. Kearney anticipates the transition exiting the keyhole, cutting through Essa’s tire smoke and holding a single car length of proximity to Essa around the final two turns. It’s clear that Kearney was working off of muscle memory at points behind Essa as there was no way he could actually see the space he was driving into.

KEARNEY LEAD – Kearney had a strong initiation, this time Essa is the one who looks quicker to get to full steering lock in the chase position. Kearney opens up the proximity to around three car lengths heading up the hill, Essa cuts the line through the keyhole to close down the proximity but looks like he got lost and falls way behind Kearney exiting the keyhole and around the final two turns. Two judges vote for Kearney, one wants to see a “One More Time” battle, but majority rules. Kearney is moving on to the Great 8. 

DeNofa vs. Tuerck

DENOFA LEAD – DeNofa initiates much earlier than Tuerck, but Tuerck closes the gap down very quickly to a single car length before the first turn. Tuerck is slow to transition between the first two corners, which allows DeNofa to extend the lead to around five car lengths. DeNofa has a great line around the keyhole, Tuerck uses a shallow line with shallow steering angle to close down the gap. DeNofa and Tuerck exit the keyhole just a single car length apart, both drivers finish the final two turns cleanly with good proximity. This feels like a slight advantage to Denofa.

TUERCK LEAD – Both cars are a bit slow to initiate, Tuerck is on a better line but both cars are at full lock at the bottom of the hill. DeNofa closes the gap down from three car lengths down to a single car length as they work up the hill and head into the horseshoe. Both drivers maintain a single car length of proximity around the keyhole, but Tuerck extends the gap to around three car lengths exiting the keyhole and through the final two corners. One judge votes for DeNofa, while the other two vote for a “One More Time." We’re going to see these two again!

One More Time

DENOFA LEAD – DeNofa with a much smoother initiation, Tuerck is just two lengths behind him through the first turn. Tuerck transitions early and dives in to close the gap down to a single car length, but DeNofa extends it again to around two car lengths by the top of the hill. Tuerck sucks in tight to DeNofa around the keyhole, matching DeNofa’s adjustments nicely. DeNofa has substantially more steering angle exiting the keyhole and through the final two corners, this run could easily be judged in slight favor for either driver!

TUERCK LEAD – Tuerck again has a snappy initiation while DeNofa is a bit slower to get his Ford Mustang to full steering lock, but maintains good proximity. DeNofa closes what little gap there is between the cars quickly and maintains less than a single car length of proximity up the hill and around most of the keyhole. Tuerck pulls away exiting the keyhole and keeps a four car gap around the final two turns, DeNofa slides wide and drops at least one tire and possibly two tires off course near the finish line. Two judges vote for Tuerck; one judge wanted to see a “One More Time” battle but gets outvoted. We will see Tuerck in the Great 8!

Bluss vs. Hamilton

BLUSS LEAD – Bluss has a good initiation, Hamilton is slow to get to angle and several car lengths behind Bluss. Bluss extends the proximity from around three car lengths after initiation to around five car lengths entering the horseshoe. Hamilton cuts the line to try and get close to Bluss, which briefly works as they round the keyhole just two car lengths apart, but Bluss extends the lead back to five car lengths exiting the keyhole and heading back towards the start line. Looking at the replay, Hamilton actually missed the turn exiting the keyhole and put all four tires off course, that will be an Incomplete for Hamilton.

HAMILTON LEAD – Hamilton has a much better initiation on his lead run, Bluss looks a bit awkward on his initiation. Hamilton has very shallow steering angle heading up the hill, Bluss maintains around two car lengths of proximity behind Hamilton but with much better steering angle. Bluss maintains similar proximity through the keyhole and through the final two turns, this run was much more consistent for both drivers but likely a slight advantage to Bluss. All three judges vote for Bluss to move into the Great 8.

Wiecek vs. Mohan

WIECEK LEAD – Wiecek initiates around five car lengths ahead of Mohan, there’s a clear difference in horsepower and mechanical grip between these two cars. Mohan tries cutting the line heading up the hill and around the keyhole, but Wiecek only lengthens his lead to around eight or nine car lengths by the end of the run. This will be a huge advantage for Wiecek entering the second run.

MOHAN LEAD – We have a false start due to Mohan knocking over a few cones, looks like he’s trying to make up for the horsepower disadvantage. The second start works out well for Mohan and we have a battle! Mohan initiates around five car lengths ahead of Wiecek, but Wiecek starts closing the gap shortly after the first turn. By the time both drivers enter the horseshoe, Wiecek is only a car length or two behind Mohan and starting to apply the pressure. Wiecek likely learned from the Aasbo battle and kept a safe distance behind Mohan in case there are any shenanigans from Mohan, but both drivers finish the run cleanly. All three judges vote for Wiecek; our Great 8 is now set!

Interestingly enough, four of our remaining drivers are American while the other four are from Europe. At this point, we will definitely have a change in the championship points lead as Aasbo was knocked out early and several of the remaining drivers could jump ahead of him depending on how they finish.

NOS ENERGY DRINK GREAT 8

Gittin Jr. vs. Hohnadell

GITTIN JR. LEAD – Both drivers have a clean initiation around two car lengths away from each other. Hohnadell drops back another car length heading up the hill, but has good steering angle and tire smoke. Hohnadell cuts the horseshoe entry a little tight to suck in close to Gittin Jr. around the keyhole, then drops a car length behind Gittin Jr. exiting the keyhole before finishing the last corner strong. There were a few tiny moments where Hohnadell lost a bit of proximity or had slightly shallower steering angle, but overall a solid lead run from Gittin Jr. and a solid chase run from Hohnadell!

HOHNADELL LEAD – Very similar initiation from both drivers, Gittin Jr. closes the gap down near the apex of the first corner but Hohnadell extends the gap heading up the hill. Gittin Jr. takes a similar line in the chase position as Hohnadell did, entering the horseshoe a little earlier to close down the gap. Hohnadell stays on his line and rounds the keyhole nicely, then pulls away exiting the keyhole. Overall, both of these runs seem very similar, but the judges have seen enough. All three judges vote for Hohnadell to move on to the Final 4; our top qualifier has been eliminated!

Deane vs. Forsberg

DEANE LEAD – Deane uses a feint entry while Forsberg uses an e-brake entry, but both get to the first corner just a single car length away from each other. Deane extends a huge four car lead heading up the hill, Forsberg cuts the line entering the horseshoe to reduce the gap to two car lengths as they round the keyhole. Deane has good fluidity and steering angle through the course, Forsberg does a good job of staying close to Deane through all the speed changes in the course.

FORSBERG LEAD – Another great entry from both drives, Deane is less than a car length away after initiation and maintains an almost perfect distance from Forsberg before backing off just in time for Forsberg to transition. As Forsberg heads up the hill, he is unable to open up a gap from Deane and Deane maintains very consistent proximity around the keyhole. Both lead runs were nearly identical, but Deane’s chase run was masterful! All three judges vote for Deane to move on.

Tuerck vs. Kearney

TUERCK LEAD – Tuerck’s wastegate is spitting fireballs through the hood as he bangs through the gears, both drivers initiate and Kearney has a massive amount of steering angle behind Tuerck while maintain great proximity! The steering angle slows Kearney down between the first two corners, which allows Tuerck to open up a large four car lead heading up the hill. Kearney cuts the entry into the horseshoe as we’ve seen from several drivers and closes the gap down to around two car lengths, then mirrors Tuerck’s line and closes the gap down to a single car length before the final corner of the track. This chase run from Kearney looks very calculated and masterful from Kearney!

KEARNEY LEAD – Kearney initiates around 100 feet earlier than Tuerck, not sure whether this was planned from Tuerck or just a miscalculation. Kearney has a four car length lead after the first turn, but Tuerck cuts the line to reduce it to two car lengths heading up the hill. Kearney extends the lead heading up the hill, Tuerck closes the gap around the keyhole, but Kearney extends it again exiting the keyhole. Kearney had substantially more steering angle at nearly every point in this run. All three judges vote for Kearney to head to the Final 4.

Bluss vs. Wiecek

BLUSS LEAD – Bluss has a very straight-forward entry, while Wiecek has to make a few e-brake adjustments after his initial initiation. Wiecek is only a car length away from Bluss at the first inside clip, Bluss opens up an additional two car gap heading up the hill while Wiecek closes the gap briefly entering the horseshoe. Bluss opens the gap back up from one car length to around three car lengths exiting the keyhole, then adds another two car lengths ahead of Wiecek around the final two turns. Great run from Bluss, no major mistakes from Wiecek but some inconsistency in proximity that may work against him in the judges eyes.

WIECEK LEAD – Wiecek goes back to the manji entry after using the e-brake entry on his chase run, Bluss has some similar adjustments after the initial initiation similar to Wiecek’s chase. Bluss stays close to Wiecek heading up the hill, then holds a half car length of proximity around the keyhole and around the final two turns before dropping two tires near the finish line. Upon looking at the replay, it does look like Bluss dropped at least two tires off course before the finish line, this will likely be a massive deduction on Bluss. All three judges vote for a “One More Time.” We’ll see this battle again!

One More Time

BLUSS LEAD – Much cleaner initiation from both drivers, Wiecek is just a car length back through the first turn. Bluss drops at least one tire and possibly two tires after the transition at the bottom of the hill, Bluss briefly opens up the gap heading up the hill but Wiecek brakes late to close it back down to a single car length. Wiecek mimics Bluss’s angle while maintaining good proximity around the keyhole, and the final two corners make both drivers look like synchronized swimmers before crossing the finish line.

WIECEK LEAD – Another smooth initiation from both drivers, Wiecek maintains around a two car length lead ahead of Bluss through the first two corners and briefly opens up the gap heading up the hill before Bluss closes it down as they enter the horseshoe. Bluss stays very tight on Wiecek around the keyhole, Wiecek extends the lead briefly exiting the keyhole but with substantially more steering angle. This could be enough to give Wiecek the win, but the judges might have seen a mistake that gives the win to one of the drivers. All three judges vote for Bluss to move into the Final 4.

BLACKVUE FINAL 4

Deane vs. Hohnadell

DEANE LEAD – Both drivers have a good initiation, Hohnadell starts with a three car gap while Deane has much more steering angle. Hohnadell opens up the gap to around four car lengths by the top of the hill, Deane closes it down to around two car lengths through the keyhole. Oh no! Hohnadell loses drift exiting the keyhole and is completely straight! Deane is able to maintain drift behind him, Hohnadell gets the car sideways again and finishes the final two corners. Hohnadell likely had a major advantage until he lost drift, but this will probably be an Incomplete for Hohnadell.

HOHNADELL LEAD – Deane has a good initiation, Hohnadell enters around three car lengths behind him. Deane has much more steering angle heading up the hill, Hohnadell closes the gap down through the keyhole and stays aggressive on Deane’s door exiting the keyhole, this is what we needed to see from Hohnadell. Deane has tons of steering angle around the final two corners with Hohnadell close behind him. All three judges vote for Deane to move on to the Finals! This will be Deane’s second final round appearance in three events this season, he will have a massive points lead after this event.

Bluss vs. Kearney

BLUSS LEAD – Another great initiation from both drivers, Kearney is just a short car length behind Bluss at the first corner. Bluss opens up the gap again to nearly three car lengths heading up the hill, but Kearney keeps it tight around the keyhole. Bluss takes out the inner clipping point in the middle of the keyhole, Kearney maintains good proximity exiting the keyhole. Bluss is very shallow on steering angle after exiting the keyhole, but dumps some big steering angle around the final two turns. Deane over-rotates near the finish line and drops at least two tires, this mistake is almost identical to Bluss’s mistake when following Wiecek.

KEARNEY LEAD – Kearney has a very snappy initiation, Bluss’s car is much slower to rotate to angle. Kearney maintains good steering angle through the first two corners and carries a three car length gap up the hill, Bluss cuts the line through the horseshoe to close the gap to Kearney while Kearney maintains big angle around the keyhole. Kearney again extends the gap around the final two turns with big steering angle, this run would likely be an advantage to Kearney but we’ll have to wait to see what the judges decide about his off-course excursion in the first run. One judge votes for Bluss, but two judges want to see this run again. We’re going “One More Time"!

One More Time

BLUSS LEAD – Bluss again has shallow angle on initiation, Kearney has big angle behind him but ends up colliding with Bluss before the first corner. Looking at the replay, we briefly see brake lights from Bluss as part of the initiation, but it doesn’t look like any obvious gamesmanship. Fault is given to Kearney for the contact, which means Bluss will be allowed to look over his vehicle but Kearney would have to use his competition timeout to inspect and possibly repair the car.

KEARNEY LEAD – Kearney has a good initiation around three car lengths ahead of Bluss, Bluss takes out the inside clip at the bottom of the hill. Bluss closes the gap down to a single car length heading up the hill, both drivers are just inches away from each other and now we have contact midway through the keyhole! Bluss is stuck on track with damage to the front right suspension, looks like a broken tie rod at the very least. Looking at the replay, there aren’t any brake lights from Kearney around the keyhole, it looks like Bluss cut the line a bit too early in anticipation of Kearney’s line. All three judges vote for another “One More Time” run. Bluss has to be towed off course, so we’ll have to see if Bluss can repair his car in time.

One More Time x2

BLUSS LEAD –  Unfortunately, Bluss was unable to finish his car within the five minute window. The car was nearly repaired with 10 seconds left; Bluss drove off the jackstands to show he was able to drive his car, but the competition director said that the car was unsafe to run in the current condition. Kearney makes a bye run to show his car is capable and will move on to the Final Battle! Kearney will face his fellow Irish driver James Deane in an all-Irish final. Bluss will earn third place due to being a higher qualifier than Hohnadell. It will be an all-Euro podium.

BLACK MAGIC FINAL BATTLE

Deane vs. Kearney

DEANE LEAD – Deane uses a manji entry while Kearney uses a more straight line approach. Kearney is only a car length away from Deane after the initiation but closes it down even tighter after the first two turns! Deane briefly opens up the gap midway up the hill but Kearney closes it down again before they enter the horseshoe. Deane has much more steering angle around the keyhole, and briefly opens up a gap exiting the keyhole but Kearney closes it down again around the final two turns.

KEARNEY LEAD – Kearney briefly drops a tire off-course on his initiation, Deane is tight to him through the first corner. Deane keeps a single car length of proximity between the two of them heading up the hill, Kearney is unable to open up much of a gap like he has all night on almost every other driver. Deane closes the gap even more midway through the keyhole and is just inches from Kearney through the keyhole in front of the judges stand. Wow, this is an intense battle! Kearney briefly extends the gap by a car length exiting the keyhole, then adds another car length of gap around the final turn. Looking at the replay, there may have been contact between the two cars midway through the keyhole, but neither driver was affected.

ROUND 3 FINAL STANDINGS

We have a winner! Both drivers are brought in front of the crowd alongside Bluss where the winner will be announced. Bluss is announced as the third place winner. In a split decision, one judge votes for a “One More Time,” while the other two judges side with James Deane. Deane wins his second event of the season and now has a 59-point lead over Dean Kearney after three events. Fredric Aasbo slides from the championship lead to third place, 67 points behind Deane, with Ryan Tuerck 72 points behind in fourth place and Vaughn Gittin Jr. 85 points behind in fifth place.

Full standings can be found at FormulaD.com.

You can expect few things to happen when "Super Street" sends out a call for a car meet. Traffic: obvious (it’s Los Angeles). Sweet venue: duh (the Petersen Automotive Museum). Some of the best Japanese builds from Southern California: (c)heck yeah. Piss off the locals: double, triple, quadruple check. But would you expect anything less? Of course not.

Taking over multiple levels of the museum’s parking structure was the 2017 edition of the Super Street Cruise-In & Tech Day presented by Turn 14 Distribution. Though the event was originally centered around bringing car enthusiasts together while tech inspections for Formula Drift competition cars were going on, it’s since evolved to the point where a) more space was needed, and b) people just want to get together no matter what’s going on as long as cool cars are involved. And so, the name stuck.

As you can imagine, getting to the museum itself was a bit of a nightmare. Sundays in LA are no walk in the park, and with street closures surrounding the museum, even my knowledge of dipping through side streets didn’t help. But we all managed to get in eventually for an awesome morning that rivals some of the best Cars & Coffee events, especially if you’re into modern and classic modified Japanese cars.

Most models from the Japanese automotive spectrum were there and from a variety of generations, for example:

Love Skylines? So do we — from the original Hakosuka coupe to the world renowned R34 and up to the R35 were there. Honda fan like me? If you looked carefully, there were some ‘90s-styled DA Integras up top along with some JDM-inspired builds with rare Mugen or Spoon bolt-ons. Sprinkled throughout were even more obscurities, like a SW20-generation MR2, the actual movie car S2000 from “2 Fast 2 Furious” and several others that had been restored to their original factory condition (or as close to it as possible).

The crowd mellowed out about three quarters of the way through the meet, so if you were waiting a long time to get in, our word of advice for future events: Let a couple of hours go by first instead of waiting those hours to get in. But that madness is what makes these kind of gigs so much fun and exciting, kind of like trying to get into your favorite nightclub. If it were that easy to get in, you probably wouldn’t do it in the first place. And with "Super Street" involved, everyone wants to be part of the cool kid crowd.

See more photos from the Super Street Japanese Cruise-In & Tech Day event in the gallery below.

For as long as I can remember, the annual All Toyotafest has been held at the Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach, California. This year, Toyota fanatics found themselves on the other side of the boat, at the Marina Green Park. The new venue allowed for more cars — over 400 Toyotas, Lexus and Scions all gathered for the ultimate representation of Toyota heritage.

The grass is greener on this side, and the Aquarium of the Pacific is closer, but there were familiar signs that reminded you that this was still the same Toyotafest we all know and love.

You know you're at Toyotafest when...

Red T.O.R.C. flags flap in the wind.

Probably the most obvious, but definitely the most recognizable. Toyota Owners and Restoration Club, or T.O.R.C., has been around for 22 years now, so it's clear that they know a thing or two about car show organization. Whether you're a spectator, volunteer, participant or judge — all you need to do is look up to locate which section of Toyota's heritage you are in.

They open the Toyota vault.

What's Toyotafest without Toyota making an appearance? Their booth may be small, but their line is always long, filled with people either waiting for the cool Toyota swag or to see what vintage, pristine vehicle they pull out of the vault.

This year's theme was the classic Toyota Land Cruiser.

Sponsors represent.

T.O.R.C. and Toyota have built a reputation for them year in and year out with this show, and it wouldn't be without the help of various sponsors sharing what they have to offer for fellow Toyota enthusiasts, or even to show off their own Toyota demo vehicles.

Right in front of long-time sponsor, Cabe Toyota, was the Swagger Wagon, the coolest Toyota Sienna around.

Representing Toyota, Scion and Lexus was OEM Audio+ giving out demos for all ears ready to listen.

Stock is in style.

Style points at Toyotafest aren't always measured by the longest modification sheet. When people bring out Toyotas from the '70s or even '60s, the most impressive thing about them is their original parts, and the documents to prove them, just like the original tire stickers on this '72 Sprinter Trueno!

From owner's manuals...

...to sticker prices. Original documents were on display like badges of honor.

Toyota pride is everywhere.

Everywhere you look, no one is shy about sharing their love for Toyota.

There are no generation gaps.

Back in the day, people would have to wait years, even decades, until Toyota unveiled a new generation of a favorite model. Toyotafest is like a time capsule where you can see history all in once place. The only gap between generations here is a patch of grass.

You get the '80s and '90s greatest hits all in once place, like the Supra MK3 and the Supra MK4.

AE88, Trueno, Levin: all different names to talk about the old-school Corolla.

People talk in "code."

"AE86" and "TE27" are Corollas. "4AG" and "2JZ" are engines. If you didn't know, now you do.

You say, "That's a Toyota?"

Toyota's heritage is so deep and rich that there are many vehicles that even the biggest enthusiasts may not recognize. Don't let the Chevy emblem fool you; this truck might be powered by a Chevy engine, but it's still a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser.

Scions get wild.

Gone, but not forgotten: The era of the Scion brand may have come to an end last year, but the Scion lifestyle is still alive, kicking and as wild as ever.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the new location, so expect this to be Toyotafest's new home for years to come!

There were a lot more sights to be seen at the show! Check out the gallery below for more.

While all eyes were on Fredric Aasbo and Nitto Tire's Vaughn Gittin Jr. going into Round 3 of the Series, the Formula Drift gods had other plans for the Road Atlanta podium. Much to everyone's surprise, Orlando winner Aasbo didn't make it past the Top 32 tandems, and former Atlanta winner and No. 1 qualifier Gittin Jr. was unable to reproduce last year's results. This time, it was James Deane who ended up on top — yet again— tucking away his second event win this season after just three rounds, with fellow European drivers Dean Kearney and Kristaps Bluss on either side of him on the podium. Gittin Jr. landed in a respectable fifth place, also ranking fifth in the overall Series standings — still within reach of the championship.

For more action from Road Atlanta, check out the photo gallery at the top!

(Photos: Jason Scott)

FD Atlanta, Round 3 Results:

1. James Deane
2. Dean Kearney
3. Kristaps Bluss
4. Alec Hohnadell
5. Vaughn Gittin Jr.
6. Ryan Tuerck
7. Piotr Wiecek
8. Chris Forsberg
9. Michael Essa
10. Matt Field
11. Alex Heilbrunn
12. Chelsea DeNofa
13. Matt Coffman
14. Nate Hamilton
15. Jeff Jones
16. Kyle Mohan

Get a more complete look at what went down at FD Atlanta in our Top 32 Play-by-Play.

As you saw during our event coverage of the Petersen Automotive Museum's Japanese Cruise-In, co-hosted with "Super Street Magazine," the turnout of both cars and spectators this year was incredible, with vehicles packing three different levels of the museum's parking garage and additional cars spread across the streets below.

With such a large and colorful mix of cars, picking favorites was never going to be easy. But at the end of the day I managed to find five different vehicles which stood out in different ways. These might not be the fastest, most expensive or rarest cars that came out, but there's no shortage of character here.

1. SR20DET Datsun 510 Wagon

While the event included Japanese vehicles of all eras, lots of attention was given to the classic machines, and in that group this Datsun 510 station wagon was a car that quickly caught my eye.

This one has been set up nicely with some subtle exterior modifications, a coat of perfectly 1970s pale yellow paint and a set of RS Watanabe eight-spoke wheels filling the fenders perfectly. No flares needed here.

While the exterior is largely original, the engine is not. There's no better way to add power to a classic 510 than with an SR20DET from a newer Nissan Silvia, and this particular swap was done very cleanly with an upgraded turbo and other go-fast parts.

The wagon variant of the 510 doesn't get as much love as the sedan and coupe versions, but they have no less potential when it comes to fun. This car certainly makes a strong case for choosing the longroof version.

2. Second-Gen Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo

While the majority of the crowd was gathered around the several Skyline GT-Rs that came out, the Petersen's garage also included plenty of more obscure JDM machinery — like this second generation Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo imported from Japan.

Years before the AWD Lancer Evolution became known as a rally legend, these rear-drive Lancers helped fly the performance flag at Mitsubishi. This one's got modified 4G63 power under the hood along with plenty of period correct upgrades.

The three-spoke wheels in particular do a great job of conveying that early 1980s rally spirit, and they call back to an era when 14-inches were perfectly adequate on a new performance car. Oh, how times have changed.

While it might not have been the same global sensation as the later Lancer Evos, this rare piece of Mitsubishi history was easily one of the most interesting cars that cruised over to the meet at the Petersen.

3. 2JZ-Swapped Toyota Crown

The Toyota Crown sedan is an icon in its homeland in Japan, but here in the United States the car had a short-lived history with sales stopping in the early 1970s. Today seeing any Crown in the U.S. is a rare sight, especially one as nice as Janet Fujimoto's 1970 model.

Janet's Crown is sporting a number of modern upgrades, chief of which is the naturally aspirated 2JZ straight six under the hood. It might not have tire shredding horsepower, but the NA 2JZ makes plenty of power for cruising the LA freeways in comfort.

Other modifications include a set of Enkei Tenjin wheels that provide more than enough clearance for the large Brembo brakes, and the car sits with a mildly lowered stance that looks just right.

Finishing it all off is an interior that keeps all of the Crown's old school charm with a few subtle upgrades for style and function. All in all it's a proper take on a very rare Toyota.

4. Subaru Brat

While the majority of the cars that came out were modified, this all-original Subaru BRAT caught my eye with its all-factory looks. Long before the WRX and Outback, Subaru established itself in the American market with vehicles like this unusual four-wheel-drive pickup.

While this particular example was unrestored, that didn't make it any less cool to look at. In fact, the slight patina on the body just made things that much better.

While its EA-series flat four isn't going to win many drag races, it's hard to worry about power when a car has this much character. When was the last time you saw a car with its spare tire mounted inside the engine bay?

And who can forget about another once-popular feature that defined many cars from the '70s and '80s... T-tops! You gotta love a car that takes you back in time like this one.

5. JDM-Inspired Fox Body Mustang

Finally, we have a Ford Mustang. Wait. Isn't this an event for Japanese cars? Well yes, but the crowd also included other modified cars, many of them inspired by Japanese styles. This notchback Fox Body Mustang parked outside was one of them.

With bolt-on over fenders covering a set of wide Forgiato wheels, the boxy Mustang was clearly inspired by the Japanese kyusha of the 1970s and '80s — and we dig the crossover style.

The interior was equally unique with Alcantara upholstery, red accents, a pair of Cobra bucket seats and a really cool center console delete with the shifter coming straight up from the carpet.

Other homages to the Japanese street racer style include the fender-mounted mirrors, external oil cooler up front and a duckbill spoiler on the trunk. I might be biased because my own Dodge Dart is built with similar influences, but this 'Stang was easily one of the most memorable vehicles at this event.

Want more? Check out our Cruise-In event photo gallery.

While our attention has been focused on the premier Formula Drift Championship Series, we haven’t forgotten about where it all began: grassroots drifting. Enthusiasts from every experience level gathered for Mi Drift’s opening season event at the Auto City Event Center in Clio, Michigan. This test and tune day is the perfect opportunity for Midwest drift car drivers to go full-throttle after a long winter. Several new driving enthusiasts were welcomed in to get their feet wet.

The Michigan-based grassroots drift series kicked off their very first full season at the end of April this year. Mi Drift began as a group of friends who craved a grassroots community atmosphere. They hosted two events in 2016, which quickly escalated to a full season for 2017. Their recent event at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven featured pro driver Andrew Lewis.

Mi Drift has been working diligently to bring grassroots events to Midwest enthusiasts. All approved drivers from any experience level drive with equal opportunity on practice day. Opening day is a great way to ignite passion within new drivers, and with the hobby’s best interest in mind, the Mi Drift crew welcomes new enthusiasts with open arms.

Wandering through the paddock revealed a familiar scene: spare wheels and tires galore, and some last minute repairs. These guys and gals don’t mind roughing it on the pavement and gravel if that means keeping their cars on the track. After a long winter, a driver’s goal is to get the most out of their seat time.

After Harrison Mejia knocked the bumper from his Nissan 240, his laps around the track continued without pause, which made for humorous footage.

After several smoky rounds in his Ford Fox Body Mustang, Nick Smith had a unique complication, which was quickly resolved by hitting the gas with enough force to close the rear hatch.

Driving his eye-catching BMW E36 was Justin Windbigler.

“When in doubt and spinning out, keep your foot in it,” he joked. At the very least, you’ll achieve some nice, smoky images.

Darby Jean finished the dual caliper brake setup on her little monster Miata just in time for her first ever drift session.

“My favorite part of the event was how supportive and welcoming everyone was,” she said. “It is a big family of car lovers. I’m totally hooked on drifting!”

There’s something special about grassroots events, especially when you have the privilege to witness all the new enthusiasts in their first hours of seat time. While watching new drivers learn and hone their skills, you can’t help but cheer them on as they catch longer and longer drifts. You never know who may end up in a Championship series.

See more from Mi Drift's event at Gingerman Raceway in the photo gallery below.

The annual AF Imp Super Carnival event in Odaiba, Japan, showcased the nation's hottest Euros. "AF Imp" is short for "Auto Fashion Import," and it's the leading European car tuning magazine in Japan. European cars aren't usually what comes to mind first when thinking about the Japanese car show scene, but we're sure you will be pleasantly surprised to see some familiar styling trends on some different vehicles.

The cars on display covered the entire spectrum of European autos ranging from VW to Bugatti. All offering a bit of variety in styling tastes; some pretty far out to some all about performance. Definitely not the biggest event as Euros come at a bit of premium, but they definitely held their own so, let's take a look at some of the best from their Super Carnival.

Garage Ill Audi A8 Gekko

Many might be familiar with Garage Ill's Gekko as it is a regular at most car shows in Japan. The full custom wide body and wing is always amazing to see in person. This time the rear has been changed up to show off the full custom exhaust, which seems to be the latest trend to hit Japan. 

Prodrive Mercedes-AMG GT

What could make an already impressive Mercedes-AMG GT even better? How about letting the tuning experts at Prodrive have go at it? Include that with aero enhancements from Piecha, and you'll be turning heads at break-neck speed. 

AP Garage Slant Nose 996

Debuting at this year's Osaka Auto Messe, AP Garage brought their Old & New 996 Slant Nose. For those that can't afford a real Slant Nose, the Old & New kit might just be a suitable replacement. 

Squalo Mercedes S550

This Mercedes S550 was transformed via a Squalo wide body kit, front and rear bumpers and rear spoiler. The lines continuing from the front fenders to the rear enhancing its kinetic design. 

Fessel VW Golf GTI

A very clean Golf MKV GTI with great execution. The custom overfenders flow seamlessly allowing the car to sit low on a set of Work Seeker NXs wrapped in Nitto Tires. 

Check out more from this year's AF Imp Super Carnival in Odaiba in the gallery below.

What started off in 2004 as a small meet with about 50 cars in the Eibach Springs parking lot has grown into a much larger event. Eibach has become one of the most highly anticipated events for Honda fans, bringing out some of the finest Hondas from Southern California and beyond.

Now, 13 years later, over a thousand Hondas came together for this year’s West Coast Eibach Meet. From JDM, '90s era period correct, race, VIP or a mix of all of the above, here are five types of builds you'll find at Eibach.

1. Back to the '90s

These builds take it back to the early days of tuners. Before the days of wild body kits, replica wheels and shaved engine bays. Back when you were considered a baller if you rolled on lowering springs, Mugen wheels and were able to get your hands on some basic JDM parts like one-piece headlights or a SiR front lip.

This Civic coupe sports a colorful livery inspired by the JACCS Accord which raced in the Japanese Touring Car Championship during the '90s.

This Accord is a perfect example of what you would see roaming the streets of SoCal in the late '90s. Slightly lowered with a GReddy front lip, JDM headlights, clear rear taillights and a set of Volk III's — this wouldn't get a second glance by today's standards, but it would've broken necks back then.

2. Antique Roadshow: Honda Edition

As years go by, JDM, Mugen and Spoon parts continue to get rarer and more expensive, but there was no shortage of them at Eibach.

Parts like this Mugen B-series valve cover currently go for around $800.

A rare set of NSX-spec Mugen M7 wheels were recently seen for an asking price of $10,500!

3. Track Ready

A popular choice for racers due to their lightweight, high revving motors and abundance of aftermarket support, Hondas continue to be a top choice for competitors in drag and road racing.

Stuffing a bigger motor in a lighter chassis has long been a solution to the issue of "there's no replacement for displacement." This EG chassis Civic more than doubled its stock horsepower by shoehorning a 3.2-liter V6 from the Acura TL.

4. HellaFlush

Like it or not, these are some of the most creative builds you’ll find. Though some may argue their execution is questionable, you have to give these owners credit for working with what they have.

While some might think the car is broken, it is actually the owner pushing their car to the extremes of negative camber and "moar low."

5. New School Cool

Newer Hondas may not have the aftermarket support of older generations, but that doesn't stop some. This Civic owner was quick to throw on some TE37s and Recaro seats. 

Here we see a row of well built TSXs. Look past the Mugen bumper on the TSX wagon, and you can spot a CT Engineering supercharger peeking through the engine bay.

Honda also teased us with a preview of the upcoming 2018 Civic Type R. Can't wait to see what people do with these once they come stateside.

Bonus

There was one build at Eibach that was hard to classify. The "Heavy in the Streets EG" built by the guys at Downstar was definitely a show stopper and featured a little something from all the types of builds you would find at Eibach, starting with period correct parts like Work RS-Beta wheels...

Lift the Lambo doors, and you'll find a race-inspired stripped and caged interior.

In the middle of the shaved and painted engine bay was a K-series swap. 

Were there any types of builds not featured in this article? Let us know in the comments below and see more of Eibach’s finest in the photo gallery below.

Ah, springtime! There’s no better way to enjoy the warm weather than cruising with the top down, sun on your face and wind in your hair.

Jeep Wrangler owners around the world celebrate the return of spring with Worldwide Go Topless Day. The 10th Annual Go Topless Day is May 20, 2017, and you can join in the festivities by finding an official event near you at All Things Jeep. 

I’m willing to bet that more people buy a Wrangler because it has a removable top than buy one for the off-road prowess, especially in places like California and Florida where we can go topless almost year round. Riding in a topless Jeep is so much fun that you can't help but smile. It can even make a trip to the dentist for a root canal somewhat bearable. It's impossible not to be happy in a topless Jeep. 

The Jeep Wrangler has been the only trail-worthy SUV sold with a removable top for more than two decades. Besides the fun factor, going topless on the trail has some practical advantages too. It makes it easier to see obstacles and check your tire placement.

Going Old School

But Jeeps aren’t for everyone. If you want a capable trail rig with a removable top but you don’t want a Wrangler, you’ll have to find and restore a classic, like this vintage Jeepster Commando.

The Ford Bronco has always been a favorite in the off-roading crowd.

The Toyota FJ-40 is another popular project vehicle.

Or if you have the budget for it, you could always remove the fiberglass shell from a vintage 4Runner and enjoy the open air feeling, minus the sun in your face and wind in your hair. We made a case for the Droptop 4Runner in an earlier article, read it here.

Restoring and maintaining a 30-plus-year-old vehicle isn’t for everyone, and we're seeing signs that SUVs with removable tops are trying to make a cautious return to the market after a long absence.

Recent Releases

Although I've had a hard time thinking of a soccer-mom crossover as an SUV — especially when limited storage space makes some of them anything but “utility” — but they are marketed as Sport Utility Vehicles. Most of today's SUVs remind me more of my mom's station wagon, and the rest have hardly enough room to be practical for much of anything. Nissan tried and failed to do a drop-top SUV with the Murano CrossCabriolet ('11-'16).

Photo courtesy of Nissan.

Now Land Rover is trying with the Range Rover Evoque. Still, despite the legendary Range Rover reputation in the overland community, the Evoque doesn’t seem like something anyone would seriously consider taking on the trails, and there's barely enough room for a cooler and tool bag.

Photo courtesy of Land Rover.

The biggest excitement may be coming from Ford. Now that a 2020 Bronco has been confirmed, everyone is hoping that it will be available with a removable top like the original. If so, it would be the only true competitor to the Jeep Wrangler.

Until then, one of the reasons we Wrangler owners have that big grin on our faces is because we know that everyone else is...

Enjoy Go Topless Day whatever you're driving! Check out more of Driving Line's most recent off-road articles here.

If you head to a cruise night, classic car show, drag strip or other automotive gathering across the U.S.A., there's a few models you're virtually guaranteed to see – the late-model Mustang, Camaro, Nova and Corvette. In fact, you probably won't just see one – you'll likely see a few, if not a dozen or more. While these cars are icons and popular for a reason, there are times I'd like to see more variety in the vintage American cars that people are building for show, street and track use.

To remedy this, let's look at five American project car candidates, from the mid-'70s to early-'80s, that would make for cool and unique street machines when put into the right hands.

Admittedly, these cars come from an era generally known for its poor performance. Due to the increasingly stringent emissions regulations, these Malaise Era cars didn't have the no-rules attitude and sex appeal of the original muscle cars, nor did they have the improved performance technology that became prominent in the later on. But that's exactly what makes them such great underdogs.

Don't let their low output powertrains scare you away. Their smog-choked horsepower figures might be laughable by today's standards, but you'll be replacing most of their running gear anyway.

What does matter is the fact they can be bought cheap, have heaps of potential and will absolutely stand out from the crowd when modified. So without further ado here are five cool American machines from the mid-'70s through early-'80s that would make awesome build candidates.

Project Car Underdog #1: 1973-1977 Pontiac A-Bodies

You've no doubt heard of the Pontiac Trans Am, but what about the Pontiac Can Am? This rare machine was based on the '77 Pontiac Le Mans and featured a more aggressive exterior complete with louvers, stripes and a shaker hood scoop borrowed from the Trans Am. Although quite hard to find, the Can Am is a uniquely '70s machine that shows the potential of the Pontiac A-body platform.

Although not nearly as popular or well known as the GTOs and Tempests that came before it, the 1973-77 Pontiac A-Bodies are pretty cool looking cars in their own right. And when was the last time you saw one on the street? I'd say they look pretty cool – even in four-door sedan form if someone wants to recreate a little Smokey & The Bandit police car action.

Whether you want to stay true to the Pontiac brand with a freshly built 400 or 455 or go high-tech and compact with a modern LS swap, these cars offer plenty of room in the engine bay and have a sizable aftermarket shared by other GM vehicles of the same era.

Project Car Underdog #2: 1973-1977 Chevy Monte Carlo

Also coming from the General Motors A-body family is the 1973-1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Sold between the first generation Monte Carlo and the well-known G-Body cars, the '73-'77 Monte Carlo might be the most recognizable vehicle on this list.

While the body style certainly has its fans, you'll most commonly see these things built into slow-cruising lowriders rather than a performance car, but there's no reason you couldn't build a fast, corner-carving Monte Carlo.

If I were building it, I'd probably go with a NASCAR-inspired look with big fat tires on each corner and a high-powered LS swap under the hood. It would certainly stand out among the sea of Novas and Chevelles down at the local cruise night.

Project Car Underdog #3: 1978-1983 Ford/Mercury Fox Platform

This list surely wouldn't be complete without a representative from the Blue Oval and that's where the '78-'83 Fords and Mercurys come in. If you've ever thought it would be cool to have a Fox Body Mustang with more than two doors, this is the car to get.

Built off the same platform as the beloved '79-'93 Mustang, cars like the Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr could be had as coupes, sedans and even station wagons. And nearly any chassis or suspension part made for a Fox Body Mustang should go right on to one of these cars.

A few builders have already discovered the potential these cars have, building them into Mustang 5.0 sedans and wagons that never existed, but there's certainly room for more. Given the rising prices of a decent Fox Body Mustang, these alternatives are sounding better all the time.

Project Car Underdog #4: 1976-1980 Dodge Aspen & Plymouth Volare

Speaking of rising prices, have you seen what Mopar project cars are going for these days? Gone is the time when you could pick up a clean Dodge Dart or Plymouth Duster for next to nothing and turn it into a cool street or race car. Fortunately, there is an alternative.

That would be the Chrysler F-body, better known as the Plymouth Volare and Dodge Aspen. These cars replaced the popular A-body platform in 1976 and have many of the same benefits. The most popular of the F-bodies would be the Super Coupe cars, but you could also get the Aspen and Volare as sedans and wagons as well.

Just like their earlier siblings, the Aspen and Volare have no shortage of potential. Like the other cars on this list, their factory performance left a lot to be desired, but that's nothing you couldn't fix with a fresh 360 small block or even a Gen III HEMI swap if you wanted to go the modern route.

Project Car Underdog #5: 1979-1983 AMC Spirit/Concord/Eagle

Hear the words "AMC AMX" and the first thing that comes to mind will be the sleek coupe sold in the late '60s. Not the AMC Spirit-based AMX hatchback that came a decade later. That's what makes the late '70s and early '80s AMCs such a unique choice.

The Spirit and Concord were American Motors' attempt at fighting off the imports of the day and it might be most recognizable in the form of the AMC Eagle, a 4WD machine that many people consider the first real crossover SUV. How cool would it be to build one of these cars into something special?

Since AMC no longer exists, there isn't really a modern engine swap choice to stay brand loyal. Instead, you could likely go the LS route or maybe be real different and go with some sort of turbocharged four cylinder. Imagine a rally style AMC Eagle with the classic woodgrain styling and a bunch of modern performance bits underneath. Yes please.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to building any of these cars is finding a good base to start with. Not because of high demand or high prices, but because these '70s and '80s models usually weren't preserved in the same manner their earlier counterparts were. Sadly, many were sent to the scrapper before they were even given another chance at life. But, we can turn the tide.

These slightly oddball choices might not fit everyone's tastes, but the next time you are considering your next project car, don't overlook these forgotten machines from American automotive history. Who's with me?

Speaking of underdog, have you seen the Project Underdog Maverick?

Every time we visit Johnson Valley, either for King of The Hammers or to go rock crawling with friends, we’ve always wondered what lies beyond the mountains surrounding the open-riding OHV area. Surrounding Lucerne Valley just east of the open-riding OHV area are the Newberry Mountains Wilderness, the Ord Mountains, Rodman Mountains Wilderness, the Granite Mountains and more — all with an established network of trails and plenty of opportunities for exploring.

We set out to find Surprise Tank, one of the largest petroglyph sites in California, in the Rodman Mountains Wilderness. The 34,264-acre wilderness area has a large lava flow through the middle of it, and the lava created several natural tanks. The tanks collect and hold water during desert storms, a vital resource in the desert. The Rodmans are also known as a raptor breeding ground, and we were hoping to spot some golden eagles.

Getting There

We started on Camp Rock Road, best known as the back entrance to Johnson Valley and the Cougar Buttes area. There was a lot of traffic on the graded road that travels through the valley between the Newberry and Ord Mountains. We followed the road for 14 miles past the entrance to Johnson Valley and turned at a small sign for the Cinder Mine. At one time this was marked OJ228 — Pipkin Cinder Cone Road, but now there is nothing but a small sign for the mine. Further along the trail, the route is marked Canyon Route.

As Canyon Route climbed in elevation, we got some spectacular views of the valley below and snow-capped mountains in the distance.

At one time a portion of this road had been paved, and as you wind your way around the switchbacks you'll spot some patches of the old road.

Absent of proper trail numbers, just follow the signs for Canyon Route. After 6.5 miles, when the cinder mine comes into sight, there will be a spur trail off to the right. This used to be OJ233, but apparently is no longer.

This section of trail is rougher, and high clearance is required.

You will soon see a basalt ravine on the left side of the trail. There are some petroglyphs here, but the site has been heavily vandalized. I’ll never understand why people think this is okay. These sites are sacred to Native Americans, so please show them the proper respect they deserve.

There is a kiosk with interpretive information and a map of the wilderness area (but no mention of Surprise Tank).  Because this is a designated Wilderness, motorized vehicle travel is strictly controlled. You may only travel on the designated open routes.

Surprise Tank

At 1.8 miles there is a spur trail to the left. According to people who have recently traveled here, the trail is sometimes closed. It was open when we visited, and we took it a short distance to a parking area.

We followed the well-worn foot path to Surprise Tank, a basalt ravine or arroyo. I think it is named Surprise Tank because you would never know it is there until you are right on top of it.

The natural tank is 100 yards long, the length of a football field minus the end zones. There are over 900 petroglyphs at Surprise Tank, and the oldest dated is thought to be 10,000 years old.

There is also a cave known as the Rattlesnake Shaman’s Cave because of the wiggly line petroglyphs surrounding it.  These petroglyphs are thought to represent rattlesnakes.

There is some vandalism at Surprise Tank, but not nearly as bad as it is at the first ravine and the site is definitely worth visiting. We spent several hours exploring the entire site.

I read in several sources that not far from here there had been a fenced area containing two geoglyphs.  I only had a general idea of the location, but the fence was supposed to be easily spotted.

After we finished at Surprise Tank, we retraced our steps hoping to find the fencing that we had missed on our way in. No such luck. Either I’m going blind or the fencing has been removed. Given the amount of vandalism in the area, it wouldn’t surprise me if the BLM decided that the fence was drawing too much attention, and that the geoglyphs would be better protected if they were harder to find.

Speaking of vandalism, many of the side trails have been closed in the Wilderness area. We noticed that a few off-roaders recently went around one of the trail closures and made camp behind a rock formation. You can’t see it well in this photo (below), but there are several sets of large tire tracks going around the barrier. We get just as upset about trail closures as anyone, but this is not cool. Given the amount of vandalism in this sensitive wilderness area, I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire Wilderness Area was closed permanently to motor vehicle traffic, and we’d have no one to blame but ourselves for the loss of it. Tread Lightly and help preserve access for everyone.

We did this trip as an out-and-back, and it was just about 20 miles off pavement in each direction. It could make a great side trip if you’re out wheeling the Hammers trails in Johnson Valley and looking for a change of pace from hard core rock crawling.

Golden Week in Japan is a time when families leave behind their daily lives and take a vacation. That means most businesses are closed and everyone piles onto the Shinkansen (bullet train) or the freeways.

Golden for Enthusiasts

For car enthusiasts, it means touring around to different events like we did. Those events included the AF IMP Super Carnival, SR All Star Meeting, Wekfest Japan and a brief stop at Hitomi Go at Meihan Sportsland.

Finishing off this marathon of events was something pretty amazing: Drift x Dressup. Unfortunately or fortunately, not having a car meant taking the Shinkansen and then transferring a couple times to the local train lines. That landed us pretty much in the middle of a forest thanks to our map application.

Lost in the Forest

Equally as disoriented as us, we met a father and son from New Zealand (No, it wasn't Mad Mike and Lincoln Whiddett) who were here to check out the same event we were trying to find. As we made our way out of the forest, there waiting for us was the Suzuka Twin Circuit. By the sound of it, the drifting was already in full swing! Instantly everyone's jaw dropped as we saw the best looking cars drifting together.

Doridore + On Fleek

Drift x Dressup (doridore) could be considered a drifting all star meet with the variety of styles on hand including pro, shakotan and the very interesting itasha (more on those later). Simultaneously there was a car show called On Fleek that was just as diverse. Many on display were also at in attendance at Wekfest Japan.

Some would say that there were around 90 or so drift cars; we couldn't confirm or deny this. All we know is that there were a lot, and each of them would fit right in at a car show — although, it is much more entertaining watching them drift.

The event is organized in part by THe☆BReaST and headed up by Takashi Mine. Each car had to pass approval for appearance and style, while each driver's skill level had to be intermediate level or above.

Style Points

We saw several familiar faces from Final Bout Special Stage Japan, and we met a lot of new drivers that we were familiar with via other car shows and the internet.

Some of the most interesting cars were the itasha cars. Itasha means "painful car," which may seem like a derogatory term, but the itasha crowd embraces it. Their cars are wrapped in elaborate themes with their favorite manga or anime characters.

Stance, shakotan or whatever you prefer to call it were also participating. The baby blue S15 of Presto Auro was very low and very loud. That loudness was thanks to a combination of a SR20DE and motorcycle exhaust piping. The camber didn't offer much grip, but it was really interesting watching this style drift in person.

Climax

Drift x Dressup finished in spectacular fashion pitting two of the top teams against each other for title of best team: Mind Control Racing (MCR) in their signature purple drift machine against none other than THe☆BReaST. MCR had the numbers on their side by running eight cars, while THe☆BReaST only had six which then went down to five.

In the end, MCR was the clear winner with consistent drift trains that were something you had to see in person to believe. If you go online and search for #doridore, #driftdressup or #ドリドレ, you can find some video footage of the event.

For now, check out all the action from both Drift x Dressup and the On Fleek meet in the photo gallery below.

When it comes to high-profile car guys, Jay Leno easily sits near the top of the list. His tastes are wide-reaching, his incredible car collection is known around the planet, and I would not hesitate to call him America's most prolific automobile enthusiast.

Even when he was still working at his day job as host of NBC's "The Tonight Show," Jay seemingly spent every moment of his free time doing something related to cars and motorcycles. When not on set he could be found mingling with the public at car shows, wrenching at his warehouse in Burbank or being sighted on the streets of LA driving everything from supercars to steam cars.

Now that he's retired from his gig at NBC, Jay has had even more time to dedicate to the automotive hobby. He's been a busy man lately, whether its his popular "Jay Leno's Garage" YouTube show or the cable television show of the same name; now he's debuting his own line of car care products called Jay Leno's Garage Advanced Vehicle Care.

If there's someone who could provide the right feedback on what works and doesn't work when it comes to car care, Jay is definitely the guy. I can't even imagine how many gallons of wax, polish and detailer get used during the average year at his place, and it makes total sense that he'd team up with a group chemists to develop of a line of products worthy of his priceless vehicle collection.

To help spread the word about the new products, a group of automotive media members were invited out to Jay Leno's Garage last week to get a look at the new line as well as get a guided tour of the place from the man himself. This was my first time seeing Jay's legendary collection in person, and I couldn't have been more excited for the opportunity.

Jay's collection has been covered top to bottom in both video and photographic form, but there's still something amazing about seeing it all in person. And there were still plenty of things I wasn't prepared for. Here are seven quick takeaways from my visit.

1. The Size

The collection is gigantic. While Jay says he has about 160 cars in his collection at the moment along with and equally large number of motorcycles, that wasn't the most impressive part. For me it was how vast the place was. Rather than having the cars packed into storage like sardines, Jay has them neatly organized and presented with plenty of breathing room and excellent lighting. It could easily pass for one of the world's great car museums.

2. The Diversity

If you are trying to label Jay Leno as a particular kind of enthusiast, don't waste your time. His tastes in motorized transportation are diverse as you'll ever find. Whether its motorcycles or cars, the collection spans all regions of the world, all eras with some vehicles that are painstakingly original and others that are extensively modified. Whether its his ungodly fast McLaren P1, the jet-powered motorcycle that scares the crap out of him every time he hops on or his antique automobiles that can hardly keep up with traffic — he digs them all.

3. They All Run

Unlike some car collections or museums where the vehicles simply sit on display quietly, every one of Jay's cars is a running, road-worthy machine that's registered and insured right here in the state of California — and he drives them all. If you look at the photos you might notice that each car is hooked up to a battery charger so that they can be fired up at a moment's notice.

4. The Workshop

To keep all the vehicles running, the facility includes a massive shop in an adjacent building that puts even the best auto restoration shops to shame. Whether it's basic maintenance and repairs, complete restorations or elaborate custom projects, there's nothing that can't be done here.

5. The Automobilia

While much attention has been given to Leno's incredible collection of cars and motorcycles, the amount of accompanying memorabilia and other artifacts is equally impressive. There are the model cars and vintage ads, the automotive signage he's sourced from all over, along with beautiful hand-painted art that hangs on the walls. Even without the vehicles themselves the art, memorabilia and collectibles make the place a heaven for anyone who loves cars.

6. Word of Mouth

Given his obsession for all things automotive and his ever-growing collection, you might think Jay Leno is one of those guys constantly searching online or attending high profile auctions to find his next car. But that's usually not the case. He says he actually finds most of his cars by word of mouth, often from "fellow old guys" who no longer have the means to take care of their car. And rather than put it on the market, they offer the car to Jay knowing that he'll give it the care and appreciation it needs and also that he won't flip it for profit. In fact, Jay Leno doesn't sell any of his cars, despite the fact that most of them are now worth much, much more than when he first acquired them.

7. A Genuine Car Guy

Perhaps the biggest thing that struck me about Mr. Leno is just how genuine he is. The guy truly loves cars, and he's happy to talk about them with anyone. His knowledge of automobiles and motorcycles is simply incredible, and when you talk to him it doesn't feel any different from talking to any other down to earth car enthusiast at a meet or car show. And of course given his career in comedy, you can always expect plenty of jokes along the way.

If you are looking for more information on the Jay Leno's Garage Advanced Vehicle Care products, please check out LenosGarage.com.

We'll be back soon with more from our tour of Jay's place, including a post featuring some of our favorite vehicles from the visit. In the meantime, be sure to enjoy the gallery of photos below.

After taking the 6.4L Power Stroke platform to new heights just 7-8 years ago, Aaron (Rudy) Rudolf quickly became a household name in diesel drag racing. In addition to presiding over a growing business, Rudy’s Diesel Performance, Rudy hosted his first event in 2011. Since then, the Rudy’s Diesel gatherings have morphed into some of the largest drag race and sled pulls in the industry. Not only that, two events are held each year. One kicks things off in the spring and the other to wraps up the racing season in the fall.

For the 2017 Rudy’s Diesel Season Opener there would be no shortage of action, as the event served as the first stop on the Outlaw Diesel Super Series (ODSS) points circuit. As expected, the nation’s top drag racers turned out at Piedmont Dragway’s eighth-mile track in Julian, North Carolina. By the conclusion of the two-day event, spectators had been treated to a 4-second blast courtesy of the Scheid Diesel rail, ultra-tight Index racing in 6.70 and 7.70 classes and a captivating Pro Street final that saw two 4,500-pound trucks make side-by-side, low-5-second passes.

Read on for the drag race recap, and stay tuned for all the details from the truck pull in Part 2.

Low 5’s

Less than a week after winning his second Ultimate Callout Challenge, Lavon Miller and the Firepunk Diesel crew hauled its battle-tested, triple-turbo’d ’06 Dodge out to North Carolina to do battle in the Pro Street class. After running consistent 5.30’s (and one 5.41) in the 140 mph range all day, Lavon found himself in the final. There he would click off the truck’s fastest pass to date — a 5.32 at 140 mph.

Another Race, Another Record

Showing up once again was Dustin Jackson’s Pro Street, Cummins-powered ’94 Ford Lightning. After making it to the final round (against the aforementioned Lavon Miller), he would narrowly pull out the win — and set a new ODSS Pro Street record in the process. His 5.18 at 137 mph equates to an 8.1 at more than 170 mph in the quarter-mile.

6.70 Index Class Runner-Up

Bruce Wilson would take the Runner-Up position in the 6.70 Index class (10.50 quarter-mile) behind the wheel of his standard cab ’12 Ram. Just one week after the Rudy’s event, he would lay claim to a 10.27 at 131 mph on his local quarter-mile track.

6.70 Index Class Winner

Veteran drag racer Banean Woosley put his extensive experience to good use at the Rudy’s Diesel opener, pulling off the win in the 6.70 Index class. He and his ’05 Dodge Ram 2500, nicknamed the “Great White Buffalo,” are regulars on the ODSS scene and are always in the hunt for a win.

Parts, Swag and Expert Advice

In just seven years' time, “Rudy’s” (as the events hosted by Rudy’s Diesel are known) has continued to attract the biggest companies in the diesel industry to its vendor/manufacturer row. Names like FASS, BD, Bully Dog, ATS Diesel, Sun Coast, S&B Filters, Fleece Performance Engineering and PPEI were all on hand for the 2017 season opener.

First Steps

It was the first time out for the latest go-fast creation from Rudy’s Diesel: a sub-3,500-pound ’08-’10 body style Super Duty. The featherweight drag truck features a host of fiberglass and carbon fiber components in order to weigh-in this light — and a triple-turbo 6.4L Power Stroke under the hood should be good for somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 hp on nitrous. We’re told Rudy’s goal is to get the truck into the 7’s in the quarter-mile.

Deep in the 4’s

Even though the Scheid Diesel rail was the sole entry in the Top Dragster class, it didn’t keep them from leaning on the 2,500 hp car. Driver Jared Jones would pilot the Spitzer chassis, Cummins-powered dragster to a 4.32-second blast at 172+ mph before the day was through.

Dyno-Verified, Track-Proven

Tyler Brancifort has been pushing the envelope of the 6.7L Power Stroke for several years now with his ’11 F-350 and all of his hardwork was on full display at Rudy’s. After applying 1,422 hp to the mobile chassis dyno on hand at the event, Tyler’s big Ford made a 7.05-second pass through the 660 at a blazing 104 mph. Checking in at 8,300 pounds, this trap speed backs up the numbers Tyler’s truck laid down on the rollers. Even more impressive is that he did this running Nitto Terra Grappler G2 tires, not race slicks!

Making 6.40’s Look Easy

Last season, this ’01 Dodge was knocking down 5.60’s in the eighth-mile while under the ownership of Chase Lunsford of KingSpeed Race & Repair. Now, it’s owned by Seth Higgins and the Rudy’s season opener was its first time down the track with a different engine under the hood — and one that’s geared toward running consistent 6.70’s. The single turbo’d, 5.9L common-rail Cummins went 6.74 and 6.78 during its initial test hits and also turned in a best E.T. of 6.48.

7-Second 6.0L

Don’t ask Rob Yianakopolos where his mirrors went... but his nasty, 6.0L-powered Super Duty gets with the program. In test-and-tune, Rob was clearing 7.40’s with fairly conservative four-wheel drive launches. Out in the real world, you can bet this 6.0L hurts a lot of feelings.

Too Fast

The biggest problem Adrian Forkum and his Dodge faced in the 7.70 Index class was trying to slow down. After making a 7.53-second pass, Adrian launched the truck noticeably softer on a subsequent pass but still ran a 7.65. This type of struggle speaks volumes as to how well you have to know your machine in Index racing. But this type of hardship (going too fast as opposed to going too slow) is the best kind to have, as simply changing tunes may yield 7.70’s on the dot.

New Personal Best

While David Petrick spent time running the 7.70 Index class, seeing just how fast his Dodge could rip through the eighth-mile was fun to watch. His hood-stacked Cummins on Nitto 420S tires would put up a very respectable 6.87 at 103 mph on its best pass to date. David’s goal is to click off a 6.70 on fuel before the 2017 racing season is through.

(Photos courtesy of Amy Gilbert at Stainless Diesel)

The 2017 Overland Expo West attracted thousands of adventurers from around the globe, and with them came some of the biggest and baddest 4x4 motorhomes around. These are not your typical motorhomes, though; these are off-road capable, and you won't find them in your local campgrounds. We walked the entire show from the parking lots to the vendor rows to find 10 of the most unique, over-the-top builds that you'd want to explore the world in.

1. '17 Ram 3500 AEV Prospector

AeroContinental brought out their 2017 Ram 3500 with the AEV Prospector package. The aluminum camper is hand-built with remarkable craftsmanship. The modular interior makes this camper easy to outfit for your specific needs.

2. Mercedes Unimog Bliss Mobil Camper

This Mercedes Unimog came to the show after going through off-road testing in sand dunes to make sure it was ready for anything off-road. The Unimog is prepared by Couch Engineering and has a Bliss Mobil camper.

3. Global Expedition Ford Super Duty

We found this Global Expedition Vehicles Ford Super Duty in the parking area looking right at home in the pine trees surrounding the venue. The Turtle model is the entry-level offering from Global Expedition Vehicles.

4. LMTV Camper

We are seeing more and more former military Light Medium Tactical Vehicles (LMTV) being turned into civilian campers. This was just one example at the show with a camper box out back.

5. Ram 3500 Kodiak Camper

This brand new single cab Ram 3500 is equipped with a Kodiak camper. Although it's smaller than your first college dorm room, this home on wheels is still small enough to fit where others can’t.

6. Tatra 8x8

Tatra is a company in the Czech Republic that builds giant trucks and is one of the oldest vehicle manufacturers in Europe. This 8x8 with a living container chained in the bed is a little rough around the edges, but think of it as a rustic cabin on wheels.

7. Mitsubishi Fuso

This Mitsubishi Fuso comes equipped with a garage to keep your motorcycle. Check out the Fuso’s journey at The Continuing Adventures of Robinson Fuso.

8. Mercedes Unimog With Ambulance Box

A Mercedes Unimog with an ambulance box out back provides the living quarters to take this truck out for short-term exploring. The flexibility of the chassis is on display here which lets this rig keep all four tires on the ground over rough terrain. Don’t sell your house quite yet; start small and sell your shed to make room for your ‘Mog between adventures.

9. Earthroamer Ford F-550 4x4 Camper

A Ford F-550 4x4 is the base for the Earthroamer XV-LTS molded composite camper body. It has it all from a luxury interior to onboard solar and battery power. This big yet nimble truck may put new meaning to "never leaving the house again."

10. International Workstar 4x4 UXV-Max Camper

The four-door International Workstar 4x4 truck chassis holds a Global Expedition Vehicle UXV-Max camper. The fuel and fresh water capacity enables you to be gone for extended periods of time. With a seating area and kitchen between the beds on each end of the camper, a microwave, fridge and flat screen TV are just a few of the items in this fully-loaded overlander.

What characteristics would you want in your dream overlanding camper? Check out another perfect motorhome: the EarthCruiser EXP.