By now most of you have seen the automotive action photos I shot at the Formula D New Jersey event. However, I just wanted to make a quick entry with some of the lifestyle photos. Formula D has a unique lifestyle aspect to it, that makes it feel different than D1GP or Nopi Drift or any of the other drift series in the USA. So here are some of my lifestyle photos from Formula Drift, hope you like them!

Above, I think it looks really cool at the end of the day when the drivers and teams are loading their cars back into the trailers. Some of the teams have the super expensive trailers with elevator-style lifts on the back, so they can stack up the cars on the second level, like the Falken rig you see in the background. In the foreground, you see the Braille Automotive team pushing their BRS body kitted 350Z into their trailer. I think the Braille team is a good example of a small privateer team who puts out a professional look and appearance. They are privately funded for the most part, and very grassroots, but their cars look just as professional as the big dogs on the FD circuit.

Along with Ryan Sage, Jim Liaw is one of the founders of Formula Drift. He was standing tough trackside during the Top 16 driver introductions, with his FD Officials Sparco uniform and Belle 1 radio to keep him connected to his whole staff. In the background, you can see our boy Samuel Hubinette doing a fat smoky burnout while sitting on the door bars of his rollcage!

Yup, we were all looking.

Okay, I know this photo isn’t great photographically, but I just posted it because I thought it was funny. Edo from Falken and Kim Loan were watching as LJ Garcia (left, in the white wife beater shirt) threw a ball at the “Dunk-A-Model” target, which was supposed to drop the model into a tank of cold water! The funny thing is, LJ missed the small target thing, and the ball ended up hitting someone at the Hankook Tire booth!!! LOL this photo is hilarious to me cause if you look at LJ’s face, it looks like he’s saying “daaaamnnnnn!!!” and Kim looks like she’s thinking “OMG dude” and Edo looks like he’s just laughing because it hit one of his tire company’s competitors. LOL

Brian Mabutas in the back is the OG east coast hustler. Almost all the stylish car guys on the east coast are hooked on his clothing line, Eat Sleep Race. I guess it also helps that he has some honeys hanging out at his booth too. They were offering some good t-shirt specials at the Eat Sleep Race booth, where you could trade in your free promo t-shirts plus cash, and get a fresh dipped ESR shirt! Good looking out Brian, I’m gonna rock my ESR shirt when I go out later tonight. That “Full Metal Jacket” style shirt is dope. I wish he made it in black!!!” Eat Sleep Race Official Site

It’s common to see people asking for used drift tires at Formula D events. Here’s a little kid wheeling around his tire all day, I wonder what he’s gonna do with that thing?!

At the New Jersey events especially, there seems to be a lot of national pride. Everyone paused for a moment to show respect as the Belle 1 Communications crew put up a waving American flag on the jumbotron, and played The Star Spangled Banner.

I thought it was especially interesting when I noticed the stoic faces of these two guys during the playing of the national anthem. I believe they said they were enlisted in the Marines, and used to live in south Japan, near Hiroshima. These guys owned S13s and R33 Skylines in Japan, so now that they were back in the USA, they volunteered to help out trackside during the drifting event so they could get up close to all the action.

The pit area was pretty full of fans and spectators even though it was relatively far from the grandstands. The open pit policy at Formula D is always an interesting thing for the fans!

There were tons of people in the bleachers, but it looked like the sun and humidity was taking a toll on the fans. Actually, it took a toll on everyone present at the track. It was super important to drink tons of water so you wouldn’t get dehydrated and get light headed!

Right as we were about to leave the track, I ran into my boy Tyson Beckford who was chillin out at the front gate, rockin an Eat Sleep Race shirt, leaning on the fender of his new Audi R8. Alright, baller! My good friend Francis Mabutas, who used to work at Englishtown Raceway Park, stepped up and said, “hey man, I know it’s usually just ladies that want to take photos with Tyson, but hey, I’m comfortable enough with myself, and I have a girlfriend, so… Antonio, take this pic real quick, okay?” HAHA! You have a girlfriend Fran? I didn’t see her at the event! Hmmm….? haha JK!

-Antonio Alvendia

Formula D New Jersey Competition

Formula D New Jersey Overview

Formula D New Jersey Practice Event

Englishtown Raceway Park

Eat Sleep Race Clothing Official Site