For the past three years, Tony “The Hurricane” Angelo, has been helping out Formula Drift as technical director and judge. However for 2012, all of this is about to change. This weekend we caught him testing out his Scion tC at Willow Springs International Raceway, during a Just Drift practice event.
Now he’s back as a driver and is out for blood. Interestingly, all four original members of Drift Alliance will be back on the Formula D grid this year.
Scion racing stepped up and offered their drift tC build by RSR. Ken Gushi campaigned the car for two years, but as he is moving into the GReddy FR-S, this machine is available.
Chris Rado’s World Racing team have also stepped in to help Tony out with testing, so Scott Stanwood and Rob Cardona came out to tinker with the tC. Scott was Shawn Carlson’s fabricator back in the day, but now you will find him working on crazy Scion creations like the F-wing 2.0.
Rob is usually working on Rado’s 1500hp monster time attack machines, but he is no stranger to drift cars. Tony is planning on bringing a few Drift Alliance buddies from the Northeast to help turn some wrenches while at Formula Drift.
In between runs, the World Racing team made tiny adjustments to cater to Tony’s driving style.
It didn’t take long for the former FD judge to go full throttle. He whipped the tC around the Horse Thief Mile track like he has been driving it for years.
The car is currently sporting flat black but he is planning on painting it to his liking soon.
I will miss his RX-8, as I still think that car was one of the most photogenic cars ever to drift in FD, but I am looking forward to seeing Tony at round 1 on the streets of Long Beach.
Stay tuned for a short video.
Larry
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hope his final design is better than the illustration that appeared elsewhere.
That TC is so ugly!!! It looks like it was styled in the late 90's! And don't even get me started on the g*yness that is a rear wheel drive scion TC, no guy should ever drive a TC!
I would love to drift with that Scion white listening to Judas Priest!
@Dan, you're dumber than you seem if you would turn down a chance to actually get paid to drive this.
@Dan I don't like scion cause in my eyes they're a "hipster" manufacturer but that's no reason to hate on a fresh build of a car that is barely what it started out as...I think it looks awesome without a livery too.
first off, ill begin with saying i hate formula drift! i believe that they have ruined the image of drifting and mustangs, camaros, and scion tc's should never be seen on a drift circuit.
secondly, as a driver i would make sure that my crew and car owner knew my style and i wouldnt let them put me in a car so ugly
Larry your photos are amazing as always!
Looks like he's enjoying being back in the seat. Curious to see if being a judge will be beneficial in the crossover.
rotary= tony angelo??????? u mad?
looks nice. gotta love formula drift.
Nice opinion Dan, how about you take it far, far away from a post about Formula D? Anyways, im excite to see Tony in this car. Maybe the BloodMasters can figure out how to make this car beastly
It's great to see a driver come back to drifting. (So many leave for whatever reason and never return.) The jury is still out on the car for me, it certainly doesn't compare to his RX-8 style-wise, but i'm curious to see what the finished livery will look like.
again Larry no other pictures of other people from the event? Come on.
I see what you did there Dan...jealousy at its finest.
@rotary yeah.i agree!lmao.
It's about damn time
Tony Angelo would drive a rwd Tc. A car almost as shameless as him.
Ok Dan, well Im sure it was Tony's choice to drive it haha. Everyone likes what they like, some want to drift muscle, some want to drift Euros, some only respect running SR's and RB's and hate the LS. Everyone has their own likes.
I see Scot from DSG in there too:)
the car looks the part..i wonder what his take will be.. 'livery-wise' - Thanks
hopefully this year he will actually be able to compete his RX-8 left him stranded at the start line a couple of times really fucked him over. good luck to him hope he does alright but im more worried about drivers with style and can slide anything without a full team like DAIGO SAITO coming to FD
Make it happen brother!!!
Dan, what the hell makes a circuit a drift circuit? I'm a fan of drifting and all forms of racing. I do believe there were originally circuits built for racing before anything became a "drift circuit" Also what the hell do you mean Mustangs, Camaros, and TC's don't belong on a drift circuit. I'm pretty much sure that any car with a rear wheel drive train can drift. Besides, before teh 1980's when drifting in mountain passes where popular, I'm pretty sure our grandparents were power sliding they're big rear wheel drive american cars around before it was popular. Also, why do you hate on Formula D? They were the first drift competition to have every single car running over 500bhp. Over in D1 Hibino in his AE86 were running 500 + whp. I'm pretty sure American drifting has some pretty moderately built cars compared to other competition. Also, you do understand that this car IS NOT FINISHED, right? Great article Larry and Tony just keep drifting just keep drifting!
7th pic down looks wicked. well I love it. my opinion and taste, i surely would drive it too.
Sweet!, Can't to see this in action.
whats the point? tony is washed out and old already. thats why he became a judge because he knew he couldnt compare to the other guys.
stick with judging bro
Tony must be running hankook's this season, they left the hankook logo on the spoilers canards.
not into the whole RWD conversion thingy on Scions...but at least ITS A 4-BANGER!!! so yea, lookin forward to this years FD! =D
OH NUTS A BLOODMASTER
SHIT JUST GOT REALLY REALLY REALLY REAL.
WASSUP DRIFT ALLIANCE!!!! these guys run the NE's drift scene. everything. Monticello, East Coast Bash, Lebanon Valley. you dont run an event in the northeast without the DA involved. their like the damn mafia.