Bare with me – this might sound a little jaded, but I’m going to be radically honest. My original plan for covering Formula D Seattle hinged on me not getting approved for media. With this in mind, I applied for media credentials and awaited my letter of refusal. I already had the article written in my mind; it was going to talk about how Formula D had gotten too big for their britches and how it isn’t what it once was. To save face, I was going to end my post with the point that Formula D is a growing company (now the largest drift organization in the world) and as part of their expansion, people like me need to get left behind to accommodate the prestige that comes with growth. I was going to direct you to Speedhunters or OMGDrift if you were interested in quality event coverage.
However, my letter of media approval came – much to my surprise. And just like that, a monkey wrench was thrown into my best laid plans. I also struggled with the idea that being issued media credentials means having to write a positive story, but a friend reminded me that this isn’t the case. After all, it’s not like every person who reviews a movie pays for a ticket. This led me to believe that my honesty could stay intact.
I struggle with Formula D for several reasons. A few of these reasons are fairly obvious and a few are not so obvious. The first and most obvious reason is because I subscribe to the “Final Bout” school of thought (if you don’t know what I mean about that, then we are on two different wave lengths – which is fine and to be expected).
The less obvious thing I struggle with is the added value that comes from us covering Formula D. What I mean by that is there are plenty of people who do it better and I’m constantly reminded of that every time I look at the internet. The question becomes, “Why come to DODOlogic when you know Larry Chen is going to knock it out of the park at Speedhunters?” If you’re still reading and haven’t clicked away to another page, I owe you a thank you!
The truth is it’s really easy to be negative about Formula D. It’s easy to complain about the calls that are made and how inaccessible the sport has become for up and coming drivers. Or you can just dogpile onto the whole “lack of style and forgotten Japanese roots” argument (I know I have). These are valid points, but instead of hanging my head against a wall, I’ve decided I don’t care. What I actually mean is that I’m indifferent; it doesn’t matter and even if I did, things would just keep moving forward anyway. So instead of being a drift hipster and telling you how things were and how they should be, I will simply say “meh.”
As I looked out into the sea of people at Formula D Seattle and contemplated how many more people were watching the event at home, I realized that not one of my potential complaints really matters. Formula D’s existence isn’t an attack on grassroots drifting or style, but rather a whole other facet of drifting. What I’m trying to say is some people like cucumbers better pickled. Or rather, Formula D’s existence has no bearing on the Finalbouts, DUIs and Parkfests of the world. Cool grassroots events that focus on things I care about will still exist, regardless of what happens at Formula D. In fact, I would argue that it’s amazing drifting has evolved to the point where we can chose what faction or ideology we subscribe to – and I think Formula D played a big role in making that happen. Even more importantly, it helps maintain the balance in the ecosystem of drifting by giving those interested in competition an outlet to compete and spectate.
After all, once you strip away the drama, the politics and all the nitpicky little issues, you’re still left with the spectacle of drifting. Style arguments aside, the spectacle of Formula D is hard to match.
What I took away from this weekend’s event is I just like drifting. I didn’t care who won or what happened, it was just fun to watch. This doesn’t mean I like grassroots drifting any less or that I need to give you a lecture about why Formula D exists. All it means is that I can respect something for what it is and find joy in it – and this doesn’t lessen the things I’m passionate about.
Couldn’t of said it better myself