Shows
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersIrwindale Speedway Tribute: Moto Miwa UNCUT InterviewMoto Miwa's Full Interview from our previous Irwindale Speedway Tribute EpisodeMoto Miwa is the founder of Club4AG, co-founder of Drift Association. He's the man behind providing instruction to some of America's first drifting events in the early 2000s as well as providing track support for some of the earliest Option Video and D1GP events in the USA.00:17 Moto intro00:37 Creation, function of Drift Association02:50 U.S. Drift scene before Irwindale Speedway04:59 Choosing Irwindale Speedway to host drifting events06:52...
2025-10-2335 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersIrwindale Speedway Tribute: Doug Stokes UNCUT InterviewDoug Stokes's Full Interview from our previous Irwindale Speedway Tribute EpisodeDoug Stokes is Irwindale Speedway's 2nd employee and retired after 20 years as the VP of Communications. He was instrumental in planning and building the track, and was often seen at the major events and early practice events. Fun fact: Doug can be seen in Option Video when Keiichi thought he was the track owner.00:14 Doug intro02:19 Doug’s start with the company that built the speedway and tenure with various owners05:56 The decision to build a racetrack at Irwindale07:49 What was at the property before the speedway was built10:27 Pl...
2025-10-1654 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersIrwindale Speedway Tribute: Ken Gushi UNCUT InterviewKen Gushi's Full Interview from our previous Irwindale Speedway Tribute EpisodeKen Gushi is a Formula D/Formula D Japan/D1 Grand Prix veteran and Toyota sponsored driver. In this uncut interview, he shares some memories from Irwindale Speedway and thoughts on how the famous track has helped shaped modern day drifting culture.https://www.youtube.com/kengushimotorsports#driftinghistory #drifting #driftingpodcast #podcast #irwindale #irwindalespeedway #tribute #d1gp #d1grandprix #formulad #formuladrift #drift #kengushi #kenshirogushi
2025-10-0936 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersIrwindale Speedway Tribute: Dai Yoshihara UNCUT InterviewDai Yoshihara's Full Interview from our previous Irwindale Speedway Tribute Episode.Dai Yoshihara, a Formula D veteran and champion, tells us that Irwindale Speedway is the first place he drifted in the USA and considers it his home track. In this full interview, he shares some of his highs and lows at Irwindale Speedway, and walks us through an ideal lap at the infamous House of Drift that no longer exists.https://www.youtube.com/daiyoshihara#driftinghistory #drifting #driftingpodcast #podcast #irwindale #irwindalespeedway #tribute #d1gp #d1grandprix #formulad #formuladrift #drift #daiyoshihara
2025-10-0213 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersIrwindale Speedway Tribute: Teddy Phu-Thanh-Danh UNCUT InterviewTeddy Danh's Full Interview from our previous Irwindale Speedway Tribute Episode.Teddy Phu-Thanh-Danh is the founder of drift team Auto Factory Realize, was there for opening night of Irwindale Speedway in 1999, and champion of early 2000s Japanese style drift cars. https://www.youtube.com/@AutoFactoryREALIZE#driftinghistory #drifting #driftingpodcast #podcast #irwindale #irwindalespeedway #tribute #d1gp #d1grandprix #formulad #formuladrift #drift
2025-09-2512 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersIrwindale Tribute w Teddy Danh, Dai Yoshihara, Ken Gushi, Moto Miwa, Doug Stokes, Manabu Orido, Vaughn Gittin Jr.Our beloved Irwindale Speedway had its last event and closed its gates for good in December of 2024. It was a very important place for many people's careers and passions, and it was especially important for the sport of drifting in the USA.In this episode, we provide some history about the track, and we share some details about the sale that lead to its closing. We also interview several notable people, each with different perspectives, about the closing of the infamous House of Drift.Interviews:Teddy Phu-Thanh-Danh - Founder of drift tea...
2025-03-281h 26
My SGV PodcastBenson Hsu - The untold story of a drifting pioneer in AmericaSend us a textWho is someone you really admire? Let us know in the comments!Benson Hsu has had a fascinating life, one of being a pioneer for drifting in the United States. Raised in the San Gabriel Valley by his Toisanese parents, Benson’s journey began with humble roots in Chinatown and Monterey Park. From graduating with a Computer Science degree at UC Irvine to becoming a trailblazer in the drifting community, Benson’s story is one of passion, perseverance, and purpose.Benson was among the first to bring Japanese drifting cult...
2024-12-0353 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersHiroshi "Kaicho" Takahashi Pt 2 - AE86 Drifting Legend from Team RUNNING FREE (S2E12)
Hiroshi Takahashi aka Kaicho is back for part 2 of his interview, and he does not disappoint. Listen as he provides first-hand accounts of significant people and events related to drifting in Japan!
Get ready for some serious history lessons! Kaicho discusses many topics, such as Akira Nakai of current day RWB fame becoming the inspiration for Kaicho's drifting style, the origins of the term "missile car" and the infamous jump at Ebisu Minami, learning English from team Hey Man!, the early days of D1 Grand Prix, his battle against Ueo at Tsukuba and so much more.
Duck Off runningfree86...
2024-06-121h 53
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersHiroshi "Kaicho" Takahashi Pt 1 - AE86 Drifting Legend from Team RUNNING FREE (S2E11)Hiroshi Takahashi aka Kaicho is an AE86/hachiroku drifting legend from Tokyo, Japan. He started drifting in 1989 and is a self-proclaimed 2nd generation drifter.
In this episode, Kaicho gives us a history lesson and describes the drifting scene in Japan in the 80s and 90s, and some of the people who inspired him.
He tells us about joining team RUNNING FREE, and shares some stories about teammate Kouichi Yamashita and team leader Shingo Murao as young men in the early 90s.
Make sure to...
2024-05-151h 01
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersTony Angelo: East Coast Drifting Pioneer, Founder of Drift Alliance (S2E10)Tony Angelo is a US drifting pioneer from Doylestown, PA. He found drifting from Initial D in the early 2000s and started sliding his car around PA back roads, meeting Chris Forsberg in the process. In their turbo FC Mazda RX-7s, they were heavily into drifting before anybody in their area knew what it was. They eventually hosted sanctioned events at Englishtown Raceway, introducing drifting to others on the East Coast including people like Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Ryan Tuerk.
In this episode, Tony recalls getting into hot rods as a kid, discovering drifting, and his journey as a...
2024-04-101h 45
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersJonathan Wong - Super Street Editor in Chief and Advocate of JDM Style (S2E9)
Jonathan Wong, proudly grew up in the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California. He was introduced to import racing in the 80s by his older cousins. After buying his EF Civic Si, he and his teammates from Team Macross 7 strived to make an imprint on import car culture through car shows and drag racing.
He started his career at the bottom at a magazine called Super Street and eventually moved his way up to editor-in-chief. There, he influenced millions of Super Street fans as he helped to popularize JDM style.
In this episode, Jon talks about the early days...
2024-03-132h 16
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersPhill Lee - Co-founder of ClubFR / Midwest Drifting Trailblazer (S2E8)Phill Lee is one of the first street drifters in the Chicago area. He co-founded ClubFR, an organization created to get drifting off the streets and to legitimize drifting in Chicago and the Midwest area. Under his watch, ClubFR has helped produce D1 drivers and Formula D drivers, they’ve hosted the RS-R Drift Festival, Formula D Pro-Am, and most recently, Final Bout. From ClubFR’s inception to today in 2024, Phill played a role in establishing Chicago as an influential force in the USA in terms of drifting culture.
This episode and all episodes of Season 2 are brought...
2024-02-142h 21
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersRobbie Nishida - Japanese Drifting OG + Formula Drift Judge (S2E7)Robbie Nishida started drifting in the 90s in Japan, forming an all AE86 Team Hey Man! with his friends at Yokota Air Base. He shares stories of the origins of his “drifting team”, how they befriended legends of Japanese drifting such as Nobushige Kumakubo, Dart Izumi Jr., and Hideo Hiraoka.
Robbie discusses his 13 year long career in Formula D as a competitor and how he became an FD Judge. He takes us behind the curtains, and gives us some insight on what it’s like to be a judge and he provides some advice for those who are seri...
2024-01-172h 09
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersTaking Time to Grieve: Delayed Episode ReleaseWe're pushing the Robbie Nishida release date to next week 1/9/2024. Thank you for your understanding.
2024-01-0303 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersCalvin Wan - Formula Drift Veteran and Bay Area Drifting OG (S2E6)Calvin Wan is one of the earliest drifters in the USA, drifting his red Mazda RX-7 (FD3S) in the Bay Area of California. He is a 6 year Formula Drift veteran, driving from 2003 to 2009. During that time, he had multiple podiums, including a 1st place finish in front of his home crowd in Sonoma, being the first import car to win a round of Formula D. He’s also a D1GP licensed driver, author, stunt driver, a drifting judge, and instructor.
In this interview, Calvin talks about his humble beginnings, his infamous crash where he totalled his RX-7 in...
2023-12-062h 44
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersGary Castillo - Import Racing OG and Fabricator of Iconic Pro Drift Cars (S2E5)Gary Castillo is an OG who has been a part of the early import drag racing days in the 90s all the way to today’s premier pro drifting series Formula Drift. He started as a mechanic, became a magazine editor then turned into a fabricator.
Gary witnessed almost the entire spectrum of import car culture in the USA as he watched both import drag racing and drifting go from their illegal street racing roots to professional series. He was a part of the scene as Hondas tried to break into the 9 second quarter mile, and he was...
2023-11-082h 51
Healthcare Policy PopHealth Care Worker StrikesDr. Benson Hsu, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, discusses the ins and outs of the Kaiser Permanente Strike and tells us that while this strike is over there is still a lot of work to be done; and Patients Rising Now is releasing its latest report called ”Prescription Drug Formularies Transparency and Reform.” NPR News Article: After historic strike, Kaiser Permanente workers win 21% raise over 4 years University of South Dakota Webpage: Benson Hsu
2023-10-2404 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersChris "Paz" Parry - UK AE86 Legend and Drifting Pioneer (S2E4)Chris Parry, aka Paz, is an AE86 and drifting legend in the drifting scene in the UK. When he bought his first AE86 and started drifting in the early 2000s, Japanese style ae86s and drifting didn't exist in the UK. Over the next several years, Paz owned several different AE86s, and he spearheaded the drifting movement and was a shining light for aggressive driving in low horsepower drift cars in the UK. Paz was a huge fan of Japanese style AE86s, inspired by people like Kaicho Hiroshi Takahashi from Team Running Free, and introduced that style to...
2023-10-021h 41
The Auto OtakuAuto Otaku Episode 17: Benson HsuOn this episode of the Auto Otaku Podcast Mike Garrett welcomes pioneering Southern California drifter, Nissan S-chassis expert and host of the SilEightyMania Podcast, Benson Hsu. Benson takes us all the way back to 1999 when he purchased his Nissan 240SX and became a pivotal member of Southern California and America’s founding drift scene. Benson tells stories of competing in Formula Drift’s first season with his daily driver, how him and his wife Nadine share an interest in drifting and the Nissan S-Chassis and how he started the SilEightyMania Podcast as a way to tell s...
2023-09-2850 min
The Goodest Cast - Hangout with the Drift CommunityEP.56 Benson and Nadine Hsu West Coast Drifting Legends
Benson and Nadine are two west coast drifting legends. They met through Nissan and S Chassis meetups in Southern California in the late 90’s and continued to learn about car style, and drifting together. They went from tuners to professional drifters and parents. Their wedding was covered in Super Street and featured their S13s which is one of the most iconic car wedding shoots in the US. Benson and Nadine were competitors in the first two years of Formula Drift. Benson shipped his caged street S13 with a stock sr20det, including a t25 turbo to...
2023-09-073h 05
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersPalmer Sanderson: E36 Drifting Icon, Tandem Trailblazer, Goodestcast Drifting Podcast Host (S2E3)IT'S A PODCAST CROSSOVER! Palmer is our feature guest and we're also guests on the Goodestcast podcast dropping 9/7! Please check out our interview on his podcast to see what it's like when the interviewers become interviewed, Goodestcast style.
Palmer Sanderson is the youngest guest so far on the podcast, but he is making waves in the drifting community in more ways than one.
He became a member of infamous drift team Animal Style in 2013, and has one of the best examples of a Japanese style BMW E36 3 Series for drifting. Palmer and his teammates have been leading the way...
2023-09-051h 39
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersChris Forsberg: East Coast Drifting Pioneer and Nissan Z Icon (S2E2)Chris Forsberg is a US drifting pioneer from Doylestown, PA. He has a 20 year long career as a professional driver in Formula D, and is well-known as a Nissan Z drifting icon.
His love for drifting started in the early 2000s with his Mazda FC RX-7 after meeting Tony Angelo. The two would eventually run DGTA, an organization hosting events that would provide a legal alternative to street drifting. Chris towed his car all the way to Los Angeles for the D1 Grand Prix driver search in 2003, and eventually made the decision to buy a brand new Nissan Z as...
2023-08-022h 08
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersRob Riter: Midwest Drifting Pioneer and Miata Legend (S2E1)Rob Riter started drifting in the early 2000s and is a drifting pioneer in the Midwest, specifically the Chicago area. He started drifting in his NB Miata and became a hub for Mazda Miata drifting information and style through his website roadsterdrift.com. A founding member of ClubFR, they helped bring drifting off the streets and onto the track. He became one of the best drifters in the Midwest earning time in Formula D and Pro-Am. He later followed his dreams and moved to Japan, where he documented his experiences in his blog with photos while buying a Nissan...
2023-07-041h 57
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersLA - Why the Toyota Cresta is better than a Chaser and Mark II JZX100 | StorytimeLA is a major part of drifting in the Mid-West. You can often find him working at Final Bout and ClubFR events. Before that, he lived in Japan and is a self proclaimed JZX100 otaku. He met and befriended Yokohama drifting legends like Yubo Takahashi and Kuniyaki Takahashi of drift team Night Walkers. He lived that JZX100 life as he owned several (and crashed several).
In this interview, he talks about his experiences in Japan, what it was like learning from Japanese drifters, and why out of all JZX100 chassis variations like the Chaser and the Mark...
2023-06-061h 02
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersNikolay Konstantinov - My Tribute 180sx and Trip to Meet Yoshinori Koguchi | StorytimeNikolay Konstantinov started drifting in the early 2000s and even competed in Formula D.
He built a tribute car paying homage to his hero Yoshinori Koguchi. He explains the challenges of building a green s13 hatch inspired by a car that no longer exists in that form. He also recounts a recent magical trip to Japan where he got to hang out with Drift Zamurai and The Emperor Koguchi. He even got to see and sit in 189sx that inspired his build.
Follow Nikolay on IG: https://www.instagram.com/konstantinov_nikolay_/
Follow our Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram...
2023-05-021h 48
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersLindsay Ross - Pink Godzira, my Fake Drift Team | StorytimeLindsay Ross is an OG US drifter, starting in the early 2000s. He has always been big on Japanese drifting style and Japanese drift car styling.
One day he met up with Aaron Suarez aka Dousan and the two of them decided to form a drift team called Pink Godzira. The two were one of the earliest US drift teams to properly color coordinate the way drift teams do in Japan and they did it with style.
Take a listen as Lindsay tells us about the origins of Pink...
2023-04-031h 29
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersBenson Hsu - The 1st Falken Drift Showoff in 2003 | StorytimeBenson Hsu won 1st place at Falken Drift Showoff in Irwindale Speedway on March 02, 2003. It was the first time we'd ever seen a pro drifter on US soil doing drifting demos. Yoshinori Koguchi, Seigo Yamamoto, Fumiaki Komatsu and Kazuya Bai, very famous and influential drivers from Japan, flew in with their cars for demos and judging. It was a day that introduced so many to drifting and inspired a generation of future drifters.
Host Nadine Hsu interviews Benson about the day, asking questions he didn't remember answers to (and some that he did.) He talks about his first...
2023-03-0253 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersMark Arcenal - Hellaflush, Fuji Speedway with 400+ Cars | StorytimeMark Arcenal, from the Bay Area in California, is an artist and a trailblazer in fashion and car culture. He is a major reason for what is widely known today as "stanced cars".
We talk about his love for both industries and how they influenced his journey to create his website Fatlace and Illest brand. He is an inspirational person to many and this interview will show you why.
For this episode of Storytime, Mark takes us through his ambitious plan to hold a Hellaflush event in the place that inspired his love for his d...
2022-12-051h 15
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersNadine Hsu - My First Children's Book About Drifting | StorytimeNadine wrote a kid's drifting book! You may know our beloved co-host Nadine Hsu as one of the first female drifters in the USA, or as one of the first women to compete in Formula Drift. Maybe you know her as the co-founder of Drifting Pretty, the first all female drifting program and eventually all female drifting team in the USA. She is now a children's drifting book author!
She's here to announce that she's now a children's book author! Her book Sachiko Goes Racing is inspired from her experience as a person learning to take a...
2022-10-3147 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersJavier Paramo - 2nd Place Drifting at Option Ikaten | StorytimeJavier Paramo has experienced 15 minutes of fame many times. You might know him from his beautiful white MA60 Celica Supra or appearance on Wheeler Dealers, Netflix's Fastest Car, his cameo in Fast and the Furious 1, his annual hosting of Supras in Vegas, or his features in Import Tuner and MotorMavens.
What you might not know is that there's a good chance he was the very first Mexican drifter. Javier is Benson's old friend, and they spent a lot of time together in the junkyards, wrenching on their cars and just being young guys who loved Japanese style ca...
2022-10-051h 16
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersCole Chalmers - I Met My Wife During a Disaster Trip to All Star Bash | StorytimeCole Chalmers was your typical car boy who didn't want anything in life but to drift all day, everyday. After a breakup, he told himself, "no girls." He chose the lonely driver life, but did the lonely driver life choose him?
Listen in as Cole discusses early drift life in Kamloops, British Columbia, his snow drifting adventures on logging roads, and how drifting changed his life in many ways, but mostly through finding love during a disastrous road trip all the way to All-Star Bash in Southern California.
Follow Cole on IG: @thislifeintransit
When...
2022-09-0756 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersLance Feliciano - '96 Option Ikaten When I Was 8 Years Old | StorytimeLance Feliciano is the son of a professional rally driver. His father introduced him to cars and motorsports at a very young age, and as a child he would rather watch Option Video instead of cartoons. At the age of 8, he got to experience something very special - he attended Option Video's very first Ikaten ever held on American soil. He was in the presence of drifting icons Drift King Keiichi Tsuchiya and Nomuken, got a ride-a-long and it forever changed his life.
You can follow Lance on IG: @lfvsupreme
2022-08-031h 20
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersRyohei Takahashi: Why You Should Know About Sportsland Yamanashi Circuit, Japan (Storytime)Ryohei Takahashi from Team Lowbrain, Japan joins us to tell us about Sportsland Yamanashi (SLY), why it's important for Japanese drifting history and what his experience has been like hosting events there and dealing with its unique track owner.
Make sure to follow us on IG because Ryohei sent me a bunch of Team Lowbrain stuff and we're giving it away! Announcement will happen on 7/18 on @sileightymania
Ryohei on IG: @lowbrain_yohey
2022-07-061h 09
Stories of CareFighting COVID in the Pediatric ICUDr. Benson Hsu, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota, joins the show to discuss how he and his colleagues in the pediatric ICU adapted their practice to the COVID-19 pandemic, embracing uncertainty, demonstrating compassion, and protecting themselves and their community. This episode was produced in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics.
2022-06-1533 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersAdam Goodman: When I Drove a D1 Driver's Car in Japan (Storytime)Adam Goodman, aka Understeerking, has a very popular IG account and YouTube account where he posts all the Japanese car nostalgia that your heart desires.
For this Storytime episode, he tells us about his early years with drifting in Atlanta to his trips to Japan. During one of his trips, he gets to meet D1 Driver Kaneko Naoya, who offers Adam to drive his 380hp competition car!
For more on Adam, find him on Youtube and Instagram!
2022-06-0153 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersChob: When I Accidentally Entered a Drifting Competition in Japan (Storytime)It's our very first Storytime episode! Chob, a member of Team ProceeD and owner/pilot of a Lexus GS300, joins me for a little small talk and then gets into the story about when he accidentally entered a drifting competition at Nikko Circuit, Japan.
If you are a good storyteller and have a good drifting story to tell, please go to the following link to submit an application: https://podcast.sileightymania.com/storytime-interview-application/
Have you purchased your Sileighty Podcast merch yet? There are only a few days left to buy before it closes! https://sileightymania.squ...
2022-05-0446 min
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersSeason 1 is a Wrap. Time to Celebrate! (S1E12)Season 1 has been a journey from all of us at the SileightyMania Podcast. Our graphic designer Steven Nakamura is an OG in his own right, and you get to hear from him because he finally joins us in the studio. Bring your own beverage for this one, because we're poppin' bottles to celebrate our 1 year anniversary and a job well done!
We also spend some time to pull back the curtains to give you some insight on what it was like making the podcast and we talk about what the near and distant future holds for the podcast.
Please support al...
2022-04-061h 28The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersSteve Oliberos, Stanford Lau, Michael Kitchens: OGs of Drifting in Hawaii (S1E11)In Part 2 of our Hawaii series brought to you by In4mation, our old friend Jason Ryan from Grip Video tells us to hold on to our okoles as he tells us about the early days of Grip Video and his observations of early drifting in Oahu and the mainland.
In this episode, 2 OG drifting pioneers in the USA and Hawaii graced our podcast with their stories and experiences in the early days of drifting on the track and on the street. Steve Oliberos AKA Steevo is well known for his charismatic personality and being an OG drifter in Hawaii as...
2022-03-022h 30The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersRoyce Fujimoto, Justin Kikkawa & Barry Wong: OG Drifters of Hawaii (S1E10)In Part 1 of our Hawaii series brought to you by In4mation, our good friend Layton Takaesu gives us one propah kine podcast intro, teaches us some Pidgin and then recounts some of his memories seeing early drifting on Oahu when he was a kid.
Our 3 guests in episode 10 are all pioneers of drifting in the USA in the early 2000s. Not all of them drove competitions, but what they were doing was noticed across the Pacific Ocean on the mainland and in Japan.
Royce Fujimoto, known for his blue and then later brown ae86, rec...
2022-02-092h 37The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersAlex Pfeiffer: RS-R S2000 Pilot & America's First Drifter? (S1E9)Alex Pfeiffer started drifting in the early 90s on the island of Oahu, HI. Back then he was already an avid fan of Option Video and Japanese drifting and would emulate what he watched on the now infamous mountain road Tantalus in Hawaii.
In this episode we try to figure out if Alex Pfeiffer is the very first American to drift. We talk about his roots and what it was like growing up in Hawaii, his big move to the mainland and how it helped him improve his drifting skill, what it was like drifting the RS-R S2...
2022-01-052h 13The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersTommy Chen: Host of USA's 1st Option Ikaten in '96 & Founder of SpeedTrial USA! (S1E8)Tommy Chen founded SpeedTrial USA, a group that hosted road racing events in the 90s. With his friends, he was able to get Option Video with Keiichi Tsuchiya, Nomuken, and Daijiro Inada to come host the very first drifting competition on US soil in 1996. In '99, Tommy hosted the first sanctioned US drifting event under the guise of "car control" run groups. In 2002, Tommy made history again when he hosted an event with icons of the AE86 drift world Hiroshi Takahashi and Shinji Minowa.
Thank you Falken Tire for sponsoring this episode and for giving away a free...
2021-12-011h 29The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersToshiki Yoshioka: Japanese AE86 Drifting Legend and Icon! (S1E7)Toshiki Yoshioka started drifting in 1996 when he discovered it at touge as a young boy in Japan. In this episode of the Sileighty Mania Podcast, he talks about how he got started with drifting and became a member of Team Bross Running Crazies. Listen as he takes us behind the scenes of early drifting in Japan, spills the tea on fellow D1GP drivers, and what he thinks of the difference between drifting in the USA and Japan.
We're so honored to have Yoshi on the podcast, somebody who worked hard as an unknown driver and has be...
2021-11-031h 09The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersToshi Hayama: Host of JDM Insider, Founder of Apex'i USA, Fast and the Furious Consultant (S1E6)Most people today recognize Toshi Hayama for his heavy involvement with the Fast and the Furious franchise movies. However, Toshi's influence on US import culture goes all the way back to the mid 90s when he started Apex'I USA. With Apex'i, he was able to broaden Apex Japan's product offering to include tuning parts for the ever popular Honda market in the USA. He brought over from Japan the Apex R33 GT-R for drag racing and ultimately the infamous FD3S driven by Yoichi Imamura for D1 Grand Prix.
His experience with D1 Grand Prix earned him...
2021-09-011h 56
The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersBrian Harte aka BH: Drift Style Authority (S1E5)Brian Harte aka BH, aka BH World, aka Brad Harte aka BH2 joins us in-studio. Brian became quite popular in the mid-2000s as a member of the drift team Pink Godzira with his website BH World. He talks about his still-relevant philosophy about drift car style and the ever important sticker placement. Listen in as we swap funny stories, and special guest Rhys Millen joins us for the interview.
Have you left us a voicemail or text message on our hotline? Listen in, as we play and read some of your messages on the podcast! Want to be...
2021-08-042h 15
SDConCast - The Official Podcast of the San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial BlogSDConCast 7/24/2021 - San Diego Comic-Con Online 2021 Live SpecialSan Diego Comic-Con has been once again gone virtual for 2021. So once again we're bringing you all your favorite things about Comic-Con, straight to you to you. This will be a celebration with special guests from your favorite TV shows, films, and video games, as well as artists and exhibitors. Guest Line-Up: - Scott Shaw, illustrator - Thomas Lennon, Reno 911!, author of Ronan Boyle book series - Peter Santa-Maria, artist – Aisha Tyler, Archer, Criminal Minds, director, founder of Courage+Stone – Martin Hsu, artist – Darin De Paul (Overwatch, Shazam!) – Patrick Balleste...
2021-07-263h 38The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersMoto Miwa: AE86 OG and Founder of Club4AG (S1E4)Moto Miwa likely could've been the next Japanese noodle king of the United States, but his heart and passion was into cars and racing instead. In the early 90s, he built his first ae86 coupe with a supercharged 4agze and founded the now infamous website for all things toyota - Club4AG.com.
Moto talks about co-founding Drift Association and hosting possibly the earliest legally sanctioned drift events on US soil, allowing early US drift competitions to exist such as Falken Drift Showoff, RS-R Drift Festival, Option Ikaten, and D1 Grand Prix. Don't miss his story where...
2021-07-071h 37The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersNick Fousekis: Creator of Falken USA's Drifting Program (S1E3)Nick Fousekis wasn't always the Director of Advertising and Promotions at Falken Tires. He was a street racer and import car enthusiast from San Diego who had a job opportunity and an idea.
After acquiring an entry level position at Falken Tires, he dreamed up the idea that Falken should make a name for themselves by being the first American tire company to support drifting. He spearheaded the effort and soon, Falken became the title sponsor of Drift Association's Drift Day grassroots events. In 2003, Falken was the title sponsor of Drift Showoff, bringing Yoshinori Koguchi and Seigo Y...
2021-06-021h 12The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersKen Gushi: From Teenage Drifter to Formula Drift Veteran (S1E2)Ken Gushi is on his 17th year in his career as a Formula Drift professional athlete, a stunt driver, and a level 40 Pokemon Master on Pokemon Go. He is well accomplished celebrity, and rightfully so - he is on the Toyota website! But when we first met him, he was just a 14 year old kid who had a love for cars and drifting.
We reminisce about his days as a young kid, his run-ins with the law while street drifting, some of his favorite early moments of Formula D, and his fondness for brown S13 interior and Sn...
2021-05-051h 31The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersSlide Squad Dave Scholz & Mark Hutchinson: USA's First Drift Team (S1E1)Mark Hutchinson and Dave Scholz met in the late 90s and became America's first drift team known as Slide Squad. In this episode, hear about their adventures both in Japan and the USA with infamous people like Nobushige Kumakubo, Hideo Hiraoka, and Hiroshi Takahashi. They recall the drama of the first Super Street article introducing us to drifting on American soil featuring their team. Mark and Dave preached that drifting should be fun and not serious from day one. Combine that with their love for 80s nostalgia, off-the-wall humor, deep passion for motorsports and their bravery to do things...
2021-04-091h 37The SileightyMania Podcast - Drifting Interviews with OGs and PioneersIntroducing The Sileightymania Podcast: Benson Hsu, Nadine Hsu, and Marc MondoyIn this introduction episode, get to know the hosts Benson and Nadine Hsu and sound engineer Marc Mondoy. Learn about why this podcast was created and what to expect in future episodes.
2021-03-121h 02
DLA Piper's Beyond the CurveTelehealth’s impact on low-income communitiesDLA Piper’s Ray Williams and Kirsten Axelsen are joined by Dr. Benson Hsu of the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine for a frank discussion on disparities to engaging with telehealth and ways to better serve low-income communities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2021-03-0328 min
The Drifting Pretty PodcastDrifting Pretty Podcast Episode 01- Nadine HsuWe turn the tables on our host Nadine as her husband/VP of Drifting Pretty Benson and long-time member Linda interview her and bring her to tears. She recounts being a teen mom, how she left an abusive relationship, and what it was like being one of the first woman race car drivers in professional drifting.
Linda (mom of 1) and Nadine (mom of 4) then discuss having a daughter that's breaking into singing and performing on YouTube and TikTok.
2020-07-161h 18
The Goodest Cast - Hangout with the Drift CommunityEP.6 Return of the Benson Hsu - Drifting OG and host of the Sileightymania PodcastBenson is a legend, what more can be said?Guest: @bensonhsuHost: @palmer_sndrsn@goodestcastIntro track "Talk to me" by my friend @critikaal_Goodest Co: goodestco.com (check us out for social media links and merch!) IG: @palmer_sndrsn, @goodestcastTiktok: @goodestco The grassroots drifting podcast!
2020-05-031h 51
» The Narita ExchangeNDF Exchange: Benson and Nadine Hsu – November 10, 2015We’re back! Learn a little about the origins of drifting in the US and Southern California area with Benson and Nadine Hsu. We discuss what drifting was like nearly 20 years ago, how the industry […]
2015-11-1931 min