It's been a few years now since Formula Drift created its Pro2 series to bridge the world of professional drifting with the multitude of pro-am drivers vying to be a part of it. In the early days, it wasn't uncommon to find Pro2 drivers sticking to turbocharged S-chassis and odd European makes that have proven themselves so thoroughly throughout drifting’s rise, while many of the pro-am guys were still rocking the naturally aspirated 240SXs and Hachi Rokus that started the whole movement.
But the times are a changin’. Many of today's Pro2 builds boast professional-level power, craftsmanship and budget, and even hungry pro-am competitors are willing to pay to play. The most common recipe seems to be widened, angle-kitted, V8-powered S14s and Z33s, but there are exceptions, both crazier and more conservative. We saw a bit of everything this time around at the first 2018 competition round of Top Drift, SoCal's reigning pro-am feeder series to Formula D Pro2.
Without further ado, here are 10 of our favorites. For more shots of each car, visit our gallery at the end.
1. Aaron Parker's No. 300 FD3S Mazda RX-7
It has a big-turbo, Abel Ibarra-built Mazda 13B two rotor engine, dog-engagement gearbox, meticulous chassis tuning and authentic JDM aero, all wrapped up in a vinyl livery proper for one of Japan's most-loved mid-'90s sports cars.
Plus, Aaron's a great guy. Rain or shine, win or lose, he keeps a positive outlook and thinks critically about the next round.
He even gave up a lucrative gig as a high-school teacher to go drifting! He's down.
2. Daniel Kuo's No. 7 FD3S Mazda RX-7
We like Kuo's car for pretty much for the same reasons we like Parker's: big-turbo Mazda 13B engine, buff suspension and chassis tuning and awesome JDM aero and styling.
However, where Parker's can be cleaned up to near-showcar status, Kuo's is well past that point. Duct tape and trash bags hold the dash together, gauges are shoved into vents, its racing buckets look like they've seen a war or two and the rear bumper exhaust outlet is burnt to a crisp.
We're not sure what we love more, an immaculate FD that's as clean as the day it left the factory, or one that proudly shows scars collected over a lifetime of enjoyment.
3. Meliton Villamor's No. 912 S14 Nissan 240SX
Nissan's S-chassis might be the best car for drifting. It's front MacPherson suspension with generous amounts of caster allows drivers to freely and effortlessly toss the wheel into a drift.
Its engine bay can easily accommodate an endless variety of power plants while maintaining good weight balance, and its aftermarket support rivals that of the venerable Honda Civic.
Villamor's is as clean and competent as they come, with its aqua hues covering both the beautiful interior metal work and exterior aero, boasting great power and loads of torque from its single-turbo 2JZ power plant and set-up perfectly for drifting with its Feels suspension and angle kit.
4. Shaun Doom's No. 213 S13 Nissan 240SX
Doom has made a name for himself as one of the harder drivers to square up against in competition. Looking at his S13, it might seem obvious why: widened stance with plenty of rubber, steering angle kit, rear-mounted cooling componentry and probably another V8 under the hood, right? Wrong! Say what?
The "S13 of Doom" is powered by none other than the original KA24DE engine that the model shipped with to our showrooms. This one’s been turbocharged and tuned to the hilt, but it’s still no replacement for the flat, linear torque curve and immediate throttle response of a V8.
Its ability to hang door-to-door with those V8s? That’s all Shaun, and his years behind its wheel.
5. Pablo Cabrera's No. 24 S13 Nissan 240SX
Cabrera’s car is one of the most extensively modified S13s we’ve seen anywhere, let alone in a pro-am drift series. And yet, there’s not a grain of rice on it.
Its LS V8 engine with individual throttle bodies is tuned and performs solidly, its back-half cooling equipment is separated from the driver’s cabin by a proper firewall and the interior is fully functional and no-frills (even the flocked dash, which cuts glare on the windshield).
It’s a real competition machine, and the more seat time Cabrera logs in it, the more potent of a competitor he seems to become.
6. John Mason's No. 77 Ford Mustang GT
As impressive as extensive levels of fabrication are on any car, they’re even more so on cars that are practically brand new, and expensive to begin with.
John Mason’s Mustang was one such car before he put it under the knife (torch, welder, wrench), which brings us to the most impressive aspect of this build: He did everything on this car himself, or with the help of a few close friends.
It was easily a top contender for cleanest and most radically modified car of this first round of Top Drift, and while it still had some bugs to work out, Mason and the Mustang looked really solid in practice. Plus, a turbocharged Chevy V8 in a Ford? Sacrilege! Also, awesome.
7. Alex Grimm's No. 14 Chevrolet Camaro
If you’re familiar with Alex, it’s most likely due to his V8-swapped Datsun 240Z tire annihilator that podiumed in a handful of pro-am competitions and garnered tons of attention at various other drift days. Alas, all good pro-am things must come to an end when you start working your way up that professional ladder.
In 2018, Alex has chosen to build a more marketable car that will hopefully carry him through Pro2 competition and into the big leagues.
It still needs some refinement and tuning, as Alex put on an uncharacteristically grim showing this time around, but the car/driver recipe is there. It just needs to simmer a bit.
8. TJ Hunt's No. 28 Nissan 350Z
In the past it’s been entertaining to see celebrities try to get into drifting and meet some savage heckling by drift fans. Think of one retired professional wrestler’s son and his mid-’00s Viper effort in one now-defunct Florida-based drift series, and you’ll know what we mean.
YouTube celeb TJ Hunt, on the other hand, seems to be doing it right, teaming with SoCal drifting mainstays on his 2JZ-powered 350Z, keeping a low profile at events like this, and doing a surprisingly good job of learning the ropes.
His runs around this year’s bigger, faster, more aggressive Balcony layout in practice sessions were miles above most beginners, and with some more seat time, he and his Z33 could become a real competition threat.
9. Andrew Attalla's No. 114 E46 BMW M3
It’s been called the Nissan S-chassis of Europe, and the BMW 3-series has proven itself every bit the potent drift platform as the venerable Nissan, all with a more, “premium,” style, shall we say?
If you can afford to build one, an E30 to E46 3-series will give you a huge return on investment in terms of power, longevity, natural drifting ability and of course, plentiful aftermarket support.
Add some fat flares and rubber to match, drop in an infinitely tunable LS1 V8 engine, gut and cage the interior, add all the usual suspension bits, and you're on your way to building something like Attalla’s Top Drift whip.
10. Samuel Guzman's No. 4 S13 Nissan 240SX
While there’s a certain level of honor and respect that comes with campaigning an uncommon or underdog car, there’s something to be said for sticking with a recipe that has been proven to work well—namely, a V8-swapped Nissan S-chassis with a steering angle kit.
The less time you spend troubleshooting gremlins, fabricating parts not yet available for certain models or trying to fill out smaller engines’ peaky powerbands with mid-range torque and throttle response, the more time you can spend actually driving.
Guzman’s S13 coupe is a prime example of how to build an effective pro-am drift machine in the modern day.
Something for Everyone
Whether it’s a tried-and-true recipe for drift domination, an effective example of the road less traveled or a build with long-term marketability in mind, you never know what you might find in the pro-am drifting world, where anything can prove to be a winning recipe. There are even a couple of pickup trucks competing regularly, and one of them finished second overall this time! Crazy? Maybe. But that’s exactly why we love it.