Event Coverage | D1 Grand Prix 2012 Odaiba Round 1

Night Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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Hello again NI fans (^-^)v
The weather is finally getting better here in SoCal. It's definitely a good sign for all the enthusiasts because that means...clean your ride and bring it out! While those who are living in CA are enjoying the beautiful weather, the other side of the world is being hit with thunderstorms and heavy raining, such as Odaiba, Japan where D1 Grand Prix was held last week. It really is bothersome when you plan on attending a grand event and the weather pretty much messes up the whole mood, but D1GP was different.
You guys took a look at Brain Kato's coverage last week, and for today, you'll be seeing a coverage by our official contributor Charles. He was actually updating all our staffs on what he was doing, how the weather was, who crashed, etc. Because I've already explained on the history on D1GP, I'll jump right to the coverage.

NightLife | Infest X Glendale Infiniti & Nissan Meet II

Night Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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The only time when I can actually go to a meet or an event early is on Sundays, and luckily, there was one meet going on that was actually really close to my town. It was hosted by a group of guys that I've known since last year, a crew called Infest. I promised to attend their meet when they made an announcement earlier this year, so after waking up, I dropped off my brother at Burbank and headed directly to Glendale Nissan & Infiniti Dealership where the meet was held.
Last year, our editor Edgar Lozoya attended Infest's first meet and did a coverage for us. It seemed as if the turnout wasn't bad at all. If ya'll don't know about Glendale though, it's not such a friendly city when it comes to cops, because living near that area for quite a long time, driving a modified car in that area is asking for trouble. Considering these circumstances, the amount of cars that did show up was good enough. Anyways, the turnout was pretty decent and I had a good time checking out rides and talking with peepz. Let's get on with the coverage.

Event Coverage | D1 Grand Prix - View from contributor

Night Import: Photography by Brian Kato | Words by William Lee

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Ah~ one of the most anticipated events that many enthusiasts were waiting for happened yesterday in Odaiba, Japan. Yeap! You got it right. The first round of D1GP baby! and today will be D1 Champions at the same location. I should be in Japan RIGHT NOW to cover the event (ㅜㅜ) but luckily, there are fans out there that are willing to contribute their coverage for my blog, so I'm very pleased a friend of mine, Brian Kato (owner of the super cambered Infiniti M), was willing to share his own coverage to be publicized on my blog today.

Now, I'm sure many of you guys know about D1GP. I can recall back in the days when I first got into the scene not knowing jack about any automotive sport except Nascar. Yea yea~ you can hate me if you want, but I didn't have cable television and Nascar was on a local channel. Anyways, once I got to know people in the drifting scene and just enthusiasts in general, I heard about D1GP or to be more specific, D1 Grand Prix. For those who don't know what this sport is about, one can pretty much sum it up by saying...it's a drifting event in Japan!

As I've mentioned earlier, enthusiasts love D1GP because of spectating professional drifters competing against each other in powerful cars. Like many of us, we want the day of the event to have a good weather. I do, because I gotta do coverage and don't want to be in a shitty mood. Well yesterday in Odaiba, Japan, it was pouring! Our official contributor in Japan, Charles, was saying the weather was so horrible he decided to leave early after shooting for a short time. You'll be seeing his own coverage some time during this week, but today, let me share you the photos taken by Brain Kato.

Event Coverage | Formula Drift Long Beach 2012 - Part 2

Night Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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Hope everyone enjoyed Part 1 yesterday, because if you did, the enjoyment will continue on with today's coverage, Part 2 of Formula Drift. I think I should rename it to Slammed Society Showcase (Name of Car Show hosted by Fatlace) because that's one of the two sections I only covered from the event because of not having media access. Either way, in Part 2 today, you'll be seeing majority of the cars that participated in Fatlace's show along with some of the drifting cars that didn't make it to the Top 32.

If you are a blogger or just go to events to snap some shots, you always expect to see something new every year. That's pretty much how I felt during late January because the most common phrase I heard was, "Just wait and see...". I didn't expect TOO much when I went to Formula D 3 days ago because to be honest, although there are a good amount of cars that participate in Slammed Society, most of them are the ones I've seen at meets or other events. For this year though, there were a lot of new rides and the ones I've seen before came out with a different look.

Event Coverage | Formula Drift Long Beach 2012 - Part 1

Night Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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It's been my 3rd year now going to Formula Drift and I couldn't be any happier continuing that streak! The sound of roaring engines, smell of burning tires, and seeing smoke from every angle is what makes Formula Drift so dam fun! Personally, this is an event I always look forward to attending because along with drifting, there is a car show hosted by Fatlace right next to the track. After watching the professional drifters ripping it up, another source of entertainment is there. If you haven't been to any of the Formula Drift rounds, then let me tell you right now; go to their website, purchase a ticket, and GO! If the event isn't hosted where you live, then reserve a plane ticket to attend one that's near you because it will be worth it.

There was far more than expected in this year's Formula Drift at Long Beach. Cars were even more powerful, some drifters changed to different chassis, and new drifters participated such as the professional drifter in Japan, Daigo Saito, which I'll talk more about later on. With all these excitements being known months before the actual event, I was really looking forward to go on the track and see the action up-close. Unfortunately, what I dearly wanted didn't happen. Every year, all the staffs and I got accepted as Media, meaning a full track access and entering other sections of the event; however, there were new regulations that needed to be met for this year's event and my blog didn't satisfy or meet the requirements. I felt horrible for all our contributing photographers because they did apply as well but got denied. The fault is definitely on me because I've been MIA for quite a long time and as a result, the number of visitors for my blog did slightly diminish. Now, knowing that we got declined, I was expecting to see some high-end photographers at Formula D yesterday who worked for, of course, blogs/sites with good stats. Long story short, I was very x100 disappointed. I don't need to see a coverage to judge because by knowing few of the guys out there on the track, I knew my blog had better stats and other things that did make NI better. I'm not being cocky right now but saying the truth. O well~ I guess I just need to accept it and move on. Once again, sorry to all NI contributors and especially, my apology to all NI fans for not being able to get track access and get drifting shots. (ㅜㅜ)
With that being said, all you'll see in my coverage throughout this week will be the pit/vendor area and car show section. You won't be disappointed, so make sure to re-visit my blog after you read through Part 1 today :)

Random NightLife | Formula Drift Long Beach LIVE

Night Import: Harro~!

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Formula D LIVE BABY!

Watch live video from driftstream on www.justin.tv

Random NightLife | Instagram, Formula D, Etc.

Night Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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WDUP!!!! How's it going sexy NI fans. Gawd dam~ this week was busy as hell, but glad it's FINALLY Saturday, because.... *drumroll* .. Formula D baby!
Woot Woot! I've been waiting for this day like a little kid waiting to watch Pokemon. Wait a sec...was that too childish? Eh~ who gives a fuck.
Anyways, if you are an automotive enthusiast, I'm 100% sure you've watched drifting before or if not, heard about it, because personally, I think it's the biggest automotive sport. The excitement of seeing cars going sideways, tires burning on the pavement, and the noise of throttling engines that sound like trumpets being blown when greeting a King or Queen are a few to mention when it comes to drifting. All you need to know about the event can be found here, but for those who are really lazy and want to find out some info about it on my blog, read below.

Information from Formula D

Formula DRIFT kicks-off the 9th championship season on the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Street Course

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Street Course has been around since 1977. Highlighted by Formula 1, IndyCar, American Le Mans Series, The Toyota Pro/Celebrity race, and now Formula DRIFT. 2012 will be Formula DRIFT's 7th consecutive year at the famous Street Course. The expanded 2-day event will again be one week prior to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Utilizing Turns 9, 10, and 11 of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Street Course, Formula DRIFT slides its way on one of two actual street course utilized for professional drifting; the other is the Formula DRIFT Asia event which is held on Singapore's F1 Street Course. With a high-speed entry and very tight spacing between the cars and walls, there is no room for mistakes, making the opening round of the Formula DRIFT season one of the most exciting drift events of the year.

This event also features: the Slammed Society Car Show presented by Fatlace, a huge vendor village, tons of giveaways from sponsors, driver autograph session, open pits to see the cars and stars up close and personal, and much much more!

Round 1: Streets of Long Beach will kick-off the 2012 Championship season in style with new cars, new drivers, and all the sideways excitement that Formula DRIFT is known for. Champion Daijiro Yoshihara will be back to defend his title against all competitors including Justin Pawlak, Chris Forsberg, Darren McNamara, Matt Powers and the rest of the talented pool of drivers.

Don't miss out on the exciting 2012 Formula DRIFT Season Opener on April 6-7

Saturday, April 7, 2012 - Main Event

6:00 am – 8:00 am — Roll in Car Show
8:00 am – 3:00 pm — Will Call Open for Vendors/Sponsors/Teams
8:00 am — VENUE OPEN Credential Holders ONLY
8:30 am – 9:00 am — MANDATORY All Drivers' Meeting
9:00 am – 10:00 am — MANDATORY Driver Headshots
9:30 am – 10:00 am — MANDATORY Media Meeting and Check-in
10:00 am – 6:00 pm — GATES OPEN TO PUBLIC
9:00 am – 10:30 am — OPEN PRACTICE – Top 32
11:00 am – 1:00 pm — MAIN COMPETITION – Round of 32
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm — "Half Time" Break
3:00 pm — National Anthem/Opening Ceremonies
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm — MAIN COMPETITION – Round of 16 to Finals
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm — Trophy Ceremony & Closing Main 

*SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Address: 300 E Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802

So there it is! Get your butt off the computer chair, dress up, take your camera if you have one, and head to Long Beach in a few minutes because it's going to be cracking. I don't know about you guys, but I'll be rooting for Daigo Saito because this is his first time entering into a drifting competition in the US. For those who don't know him, he was the champion of D1 Grand Prix back in 2008, which is a very honorable title to have in the drifting scene of Japan.

I also want to note to all you Smartphone owners that Instagram is available in the market! What does that mean? FOLLOW MY ASS! I'm just playing :) But really, for those who want to see some live coverage going on or want to see some cars that I spot on the freeway while going to work or just walking around, follow me @ wlee87. Yeap! wlee87
You can't see it in the Android Market? CLICK HERE

I made only 2 posts about this thing on our fanpage and didn't expect some of ya'll to already follow me. The followers # went higher yesterday, but just wanted to share this pic to show my appreciation and thank all ya'll for supporting NI.

Have a great week guys! and don't drink and drive :)

NightLife | Drift Faction 2011

Night Import: Photography by Jim Davis | Words by William Lee

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Grassroot drifters are what makes the drifting scene exciting because one day, one of those grassroots might become the next professional drifter competing at a major drifting event, such as Formula Drift. We all need to start somewhere no matter what we do. For grassroots, it's the continuous and consistent practice, trying to claim rewards, recognition, and the name grassroots itself, which is only a beginning title and a step forward to their future success in drifting. This event coverage, covered by our contributing photographer Jim Davis, called Drift Faction is exactly what many amateur drifters look forward to. Drift Faction is a once a month event and according to Jim, he tags a long with our other contributor Dan Purpura to take some shots and chill with these guys. Although the set of photos I'm about to share were taken last year, I want you guys to get a taste of Drift Faction and join the event this year.

Event Coverage | MFN Season Opener

Night Import: Photography by Rich McKee / Words by William Lee

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The weather is pretty warm, people are starting to move, and the cars that were hibernating for few months are finally coming out. Here is SoCal, car shows and meets are nonstop, so there really isn't a resting period unlike other countries where it snows and rains as if the earth is about to end. But in the UK, the enthusiasts really doesn't give a shit about the weather because from the coverages I've been seeing through our contributor Rich McKee, it's been pretty cracking almost every month. Not so long ago, a very well known event called MFN was held, an event that started with mostly bikers and gradually reached out to car enthusiasts. Let's check out the coverage provided by Rich!

NightLife | Puente Hills Car Meet 2012

Night Import: Photography and Words by William Lee

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It's been a long time since I went to a car meet here in SoCal. Many of you guys already know I've been busy with work during these past few months, so my activity in the car scene has been diminishing. But as mentioned in my previous articles, Night Import is only a hobby, not a career, so don't be expecting too much this year because this actual blog will not be updated as it used to be.....actually...don't believe me because I tend to be more active when I say depressing things :)
So last week, I was busy having too much fun starting from Thursday to Saturday. When I mean "fun", I'm talking about going out at night time..and.. well.. I don't want to get too specific. I was way too tired on Sunday and decided to stay at home, but I got a call from JP, owner of the Cressida from BP VIP, asking if I wanted to come out to a meet at City of Industry. It was a car meet called Puente Hills Dealer Showcase hosted by Prestige Marketing. If you've been updated with my blog since last year, you should know Prestige has been hosting several meets at dealerships in City of Inudstry because of not worrying about the usual problems many face when hosting a meet. So far, I've been to almost every meet they've hosted except one or two. I forgot why I missed the others, but either way, when I told myself I would rest, I said to myself, "fuk it" and decided to head out after dropping off my brother.