Making the Big Jump at 2017 Top Drift Round 3
It seems like every time we think we know how this year's Top Drift competition will begin to shape up, some new twists emerge that keep us — and everyone else involved — guessing.
After the close of Round 3 competition on the banked oval of the Walt James Stadium at Willow Springs, it’s become clear that not only are there still no safe bets as to who will take top honors in the season championship and earn their coveted Formula D Pro 2 licenses — it’s still, almost literally, anyone’s game.
Setting the Stage
Willow Springs’s Walt James stadium might seem like a simple oval course, but it’s big and covered in rough pavement — meaning it requires a lot of power and rubber from Top Drift’s crop of pro-am drifters. The biggest-power cars do well here, so it came as no surprise that V8 S-chassis proved the most popular configuration and biggest competition threats.
But long before GM’s LSX V8 engine there was Toyota’s inline-six JZ, and plenty of Top Drifters are keen on keeping that flame alive. Sean Adriano and Meliton Villamor’s 2JZ-powered cars have been Top Drift mainstays for a while now, and this time around Las Vegas’ Sean Abellana and his 1,000 hp 2JZ-powered S14 came out to play, and put on a hell of a show in practice prior to suffering a transmission issue and retiring early.
But before either engine was the Mazda rotary, and while it may not be the torquiest, or most forgiving engine, a pair of rotary-powered FD3S Mazda RX-7s never cease to entertain. Especially the two from Noah Nelson (No. 797) and Aaron Parker (No. 300).
Also in pairs were the two infamous Toyota Tacomas from Top Drift: Brian Nimmo’s 1JZ-powered No. 555 machine and Kevin Armijo’s No. 364 LSX-powered specimen.
And, of course, there were lots of other cool and offbeat things that help make pro-am drifting so stylish in its own right — like Abe Cruz’s SR20DET-swapped AE86 Corolla.
Showtime
Once the Top 16 field was announced, we began to see some semblance of predictability, with Sean Adriano claiming the top spot and a bunch of consistently strong drivers making the cut.
But when those mechanical problems once again reared their head for Adriano in his first round of competition, and when rival and 16th-place qualifier Dom Martinez took his revenge over the shoe-in and advanced on, it was clear that once again anything could happen.
And it did. Luke Pakula, Alex Grimm and Shaun Doom (another strong player) were also all ousted in Top 16. Tim Cobb, Kyle Cameron and Dominic Martinez advanced on but were eliminated in Top 8.
This all lead to a battle among four drivers thus far new to semi-final competition: Micah Diaz and his No. 8 E36 BMW M3, Kenneth Vuong in the No. 223 S13.4, Kevin Armijo in that No. 364 Tacoma(!) and Rome Charpentier in his No. 17 E36 BMW M3.
Just to recap, that’s two arguably vintage BMWs, a pickup truck and only one V8 S13. Pretty rad. As much as we wanted to see Armijo and his truck on the podium, or a final fight between the two Bimmers, it sadly wasn’t in the cards.
Moment of Truth
After a final-round fight between Vuong and Charpentier, a new podium emerged, with three all-new names entering the fray for season championship honors: Micah Diaz in Third, Kenneth Vuong in Second and Rome Charpentier taking the win.
By our math, this third of four rounds of Top Drift leaves a whopping 11 drivers within striking distance for season-championship honors, and 13 (or more — we’re writers, after all) eligible to finish in the top three and earn their FD Pro 2 licenses. To do that would require the perfect storm of upsets and broken hearts, but if this season has taught us anything, it’s that anything is possible.
Stay with us for the dramatic conclusion to the tumultuous 2017 season.
