http://www.youtube.com/v/5RiA3uXdgq4

With the 2012 Formula Drift Season only 48 hours away from kicking off on the streets of Long Beach, we thought it’d be fun to hop in the time machine and travel backwards five years.

This video clip from Drifting.com was shot at the 2007 event and it’s amazing to see the difference that half a decade has made as far as the cars and driving go. It’s not only the competition that’s evolved, but the media coverage as well. This was one of the only halfway decent video clips I could find from this event – a stark comparison to the live coverage and dozens of Formula D films we see today.

Take a look and see which familiar cars and drivers you can spot.

-Mike Garrett