Off Seasons Two: Ryan Tuerck Drifts The Wild

There is a lot I like about this video and most of it is derived from it's chaotic simplicity. Formula DRIFT driver Ryan Tuerck rips his Nissan 240 through a narrow and windy area through the woods. You can hear that there are so many times where he is flat out on the throttle while the car is pitched sideways and hitting the edges of the road. 

Another thing I noticed was that there were no noticeable tire marks on the ground from test runs which leads me to believe this was shot in takes but all on the first run. 

It's a rare thing these days for an automotive video to not have any music. I actually liked the fact that I could hear nothing but the car, tires screaming and the echo of the car through the woods. 

Corey Hosford Teaches Matt Farah How To Drift...The Right Way

Formula DRIFT driver Corey Hosford gives Matt Farah some proper drifting lessons in this latest installment of Tuned. Corey also happens to be a driving instructor at Bondurant School of High Performance Driving located in Chandler, Arizona. 

An 800 horsepower Nissan 350Z drift car, an empty race track, Corey Hosford, Matt Farah and a few sets of Hankook tires all equal some serious fun...and a lot of tire smoke.  

2013 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship & 2013 Pirelli Formula 1 Tire Range

Although Brandi and I will be calling Italy home within a matter of weeks, my work load with the ID Agency will remain the same as it has been since the day I started...NON-STOP. A good problem to have so I hope that doesn't sound like a complaint.

Two of the accounts I'll proudly work on will be Formula DRIFT and Pirelli Tire North America. 

Most of everything I do for Formula DRIFT before and after the event is done behind the scenes. During the events,  I'll be assisting with media relations, website/social media updates and anything else the team needs help with. 

The 2013 Pro Championship Season also happen to be the 10th Anniversary of the series. Many years before I had the opportunity to join their team, I was a fan. The same fan that is currently buying VIP tickets, all of the merchandise, getting autographs, taking countless amounts of photos and of course dragging their girlfriend along, used to be me. I've been a big fan of the sport, the series, the cars, the drivers and the scene since day 1. Years later, I'm blessed to travel the country visiting tracks and cities with one of the best and hardest working motorsports companies I've ever encountered.

For those that've never been to a drifting event before, it's a must. I've brought friends and family (male and female) from various age groups and no matter what, they all have an amazing time. Honestly, you'd have to try really hard NOT to have a blast.

To kick off the 2013 season, Round 1: Streets of Long Beach will be happening April 12-13. CLICK HERE for more information and to purchase tickets.

With Pirelli being a global company involved in so many types of motorsports, departments are broken down by the type of racing. Fortunately for me, my main focus and involvement is in Formula 1.

During the course of a race weekend, I'll track and report every TV, print and/or online mention for Pirelli. Being the sole tire supplier for the series and providing different types of tires for each race, the amount of mentions is very high. Not to mention, I track each mention for the USA, Mexico and Canada. Pirelli spends millions of dollars to be involved with Formula 1 so our goal is to help show what type of ad value they're getting and how many people they're reaching with those mentions.

The new tire compounds for this season were debuted earlier this week. It's a wide range of rubber compounds denoted by different color logos on the sidewall. Depending on the track layout, amount of corners and ambient conditions, two compounds are selected for each race by Pirelli. This adds to the strategy that each driver and team will prepare prior to the race. It was an action packed season last year so I'm really looking forward to this season.

I'm also keeping my fingers crossed to actually attend a race this year since we'll be much closer to all of the European stops.

The start of another racing season is now upon us. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!

Until next time...

Larry Chen - One Trillion Pictures Later

I first met Larry Chen when we hired him as the staff photographer while I was working alongside Redline Time Attack. However, I had been familiar with his work long before that through Formula DRIFT images he would post. 

Almost every Monday morning I would check his site (driftfotos.com) to see what photos had been updated from the weekends previous automotive events. Fast forward about 4 years and I am still lucky enough to work alongside Larry as he was the staff photographer for Formula DRIFT in 2012 and is now one of the primary contributors of Speedhunters.com

Of the thousands of images Larry takes at any given event let alone an entire year, I never get sick of his work. It doesn't matter if it's a car, a place or a person, he knows what it takes to capture you as the viewer and does a damn fine job at it. It's great to see the success Larry has had because anyone will tell you, Larry is one of the, if not THE, hardest working photographer in the automotive industry. 

He recently posted his 2012 Year In Review on Speedhunters but here are just a few samples to get you all buttered up before you check out his entire post.

I'm definitely looking forward to working more with Larry in 2013 and really hope that he is able to make it out to Italy for a visit! I can only imagine the photos he would capture in a place like Florence.

CLICK HERE to see Larry's entire post featured on Speedhunters.

2012 | Year in Review

If you would've asked me 1, 5 or even 10 years ago if I'd be where I am today, I would have laughed at you...pretty hard actually. I'm not talking about where I am as in where I stand, but where I am with myself. Where I am with my marriage. Where I am with my career. Where I am with my mind. Where I am with my emotions. Where I am with me. 

Here is a small glimpse of what I was fortunate to live out in 2012.

Venice Beach (Venice Beach, CA) | January 2012

Skyping with Brandi While She was in Florence, Italy on a Business Trip | January 2012

Pirelli Supercross Event at Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, CA) | January 2012

Brandi and I made the Switch from Droid to iPhone (Woodland Hills, CA) | February 2012

29th Birthday Dinner with Brandi (Studio City, CA) | March 2012

Snowboarding in Big Bear (Big Bear, CA) | March 2012

Sanctiond Launch Event (Los Angeles, CA) | March 2012

Formula DRIFT - Round 1: Streets of Long Beach (Long Beach, CA) | April 2012

Brandi's 29th Birthday Dinner (Thousand Oaks, CA) - April 2012

Long Beach Grand Prix - Formula DRIFT (Long Beach, CA) | April 2012

Stagecoach (Coachella Valley, CA) | April 2012

Formula DRIFT - Round 2: Road to the Championship (Atlanta, GA) | May 2012

Calamigos Ranch Lunch Date (Malibu, CA) | May 2012

9 Year Anniversary Dinner with Brandi (Tarzana, CA) | May 2012

Sunday Funday (West Hills, CA) | May 2012

Memorial Day Weekend (Oxnard, CA) | May 2012

Formula DRIFT - Round 3: Invasion (West Palm Beach, FL) - June 2012

Forza Horizon Launch at E3 (Los Angeles, CA) | June 2012

Formula DRIFT - Round 4: The Gauntlet (Wall, NJ) | June 2012

Justin and Samantha Welcome Their New Baby (Los Angeles, CA) | June 2012

Brothers of the Sun Concert (Anaheim, CA) | July 2012

Formula DRIFT - Round 5: Throwdown (Seattle, WA) | July 2012

Touring Seattle with Brandi (Seattle, WA) | July 2012

Tourists In Our Own City (Los Angeles, CA) | August 2012

Forza Horizon Q&A (Los Angeles, CA) | August 2012

Formula DRIFT - Round 6: After Dark (Las Vegas, NV) | August 2012

 1 Year Wedding Anniversary (Malibu, CA) | September 2012

Formula DRIFT Demo at the MavTV Indcar 500 (Fontana, CA) | September 2012

Rascal Flatts Concert (Irvine, CA) | September 2012

Pirelli Miles and Meals Cookbook Launch (Los Angeles, CA) | September 2012

Steve and Jenny Choi's Wedding (Malibu, CA) | September 2012

Formula DRIFT - Round 7: Title Fight (Irwindale, CA) | October 2012

Off to Italy with Brandi (Los Angeles, CA) | October 2012

World Travelers (Lugano, Switzerland) | October 2012

Our Final Dinner in Italy (Florence, Italy) | October 2012

House Hunting in Italy (Florence, Italy) | October 2012

2012 AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk (Culver City, CA) | October 2012

2012 SEMA Show (Las Vegas, NV) | November 2012

2012 SEMA Show - Last Work Trip of the Year (Las Vegas, NV) | November 2012

LA Unbound's 'Best of Unbound' Show (North Hollywood, CA) | November 2012

Friendsgiving at Brett's (Sherman Oaks, CA) | November 2012

RECARO LA Auto Show Event (Los Angeles, CA) | November 2012

2012 Motor4Toys Event (Woodland Hills, CA) | December 2012

Formula DRIFT - Hurricane Sandy Relief Fundraiser (Irwindale, CA) | December 2012

My Beautiful Nieces Nika & Giada (San Jose, CA) | December 2012

 My Brother's 40th Birthday (San Francisco, CA) | December 2012

Stone Family Vacation - Christmas (Palm Springs, CA) | December 2012

With everything I've done this year whether it be personal or work related, I've never felt as proud or as motivated as I am right now. However, I could have never done it alone now would I want to. There is one person who, on a daily basis, pushes me beyond my limits and way beyond what I feel is my potential. She shows me a new light, a new perspective and a fresh way of approaching what life throws at me. She makes me feel unstoppable. Without her, I can honestly tell you that I have no clue or inkling of where I'd be or what I'd be doing. But I know one thing, it wouldn't be this. I've never felt so rich - not financially, but physically, mentally, emotionally. 

Thank to everyone who has been a part of making 2012 one of the best years of my life. Most of all, thank you Brandi for not just allowing me to pursue my dreams, but for pursuing them together. You're a dream come true and I'll love you til the end...

Here's to many more memorable times, experiences and love to share in 2013 and beyond.