1.) One of the most positive things that has happened as a result of the senior project is the fact that I have gotten to know the drifting community. As of the last week in August I attended a Formula Drift event, as well as continually go to Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside. In this short frame of time I have established various relationships with people who know every aspect of the drifting world which includes business, car repair and fabrication, and lifestyle. I have seen how sponsors back drivers and also how companies dedicate themselves to these types of people through selling apparel that relates to this world. Also, I have been able to see a large community of varying types of people come together for the love of the sport how everyone out there supports one another and is there for no other reason other than pure passion. It is in this kind of environment that I excel because I like a tight nit community where everyone is family and in this sport it really is that way. Because of the senior project, I now know people who run the track, work the track, and drive the track.
2.) One of my most valuable pieces of research thus far was an article entitled "How Drifting Works." In this article I got a really great in depth introduction to almost all the aspects of drifting. These include things such as the cars, technique, car modifications, judging specifications, and history. I was able to figure out a lot more topics to research as a result of this article because it provided me with such a thorough explanation of what drifting really is. Form there I was able to go much more in depth into very very specific things such as individual drivers and car components that are vital to drift cars.
3.) So far, the best thing for my senior project is to really be ahead of the game. Never wait to the last minute to do anything important including class work and blog assignments. Being punctual and doing these things as soon as you find out about them is very beneficial because it allows time to assure yourself that you have done everything and if you have not, then you have ample time to fix it. Waiting until the last minute is a definite do not so I have been doing things such as research days ahead of when its due. Time management is very crucial to the project and I thing so far I have handled myself extremely well in that sense.
4.) One thing that has really come back to bite me is forgetting to check the blog. The blog is such a central component to senior year so when I forget to check it I find myself lost the next day. People will be talking about assignments and deadlines and I am there trying to figure out what it is they are talking about. So I have tried to check the blog everyday because I know how far behind you can feel when you do not do so.
5.) I have a lot of questions about the sport and really they come about as I sit there and watch the cars drift by. So when I am out on the track I get some of my best ideas. I would really like to know how drivers first learn to drift. Also how they decide on which techniques to employ. Other things are very specific to each type of car like how each driver decided on how to modify their vehicle and things of that nature.
By the end of this year I really want to know the ins and outs on drifting. I want to be able to be out on the track and analyze everything that is going on with that driver and his/her car. I want to be able to criticize constructively what one driver may be doing wrong based on my knowledge of the sport. I would love to be able to really visualize how exactly that driver and his/her car is getting around a corner.
I would really love to talk to an actual driver next because they are the ones actually out on the track doing it. These are the people who literally drive the sport. They know why they do what they do and how they do it. They are on of the best sources of information because they are current. They know what modifications are out there for their cars, and they know how to do all these things that I want to learn about. So I am really excited to find a driver who I could interview. My hero in drifting is Rhys Millen who is such a storied and historical figure to the sport. He drives the car that is the background on my blog. So if I could somehow find a way to talk to him, I would be in complete awe.
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