Joon Maeng has been a Formula Drift driver for the past 2 years, and a Drift Alliance Ace for the past year. Entering his 3rd season as a professional drifter for the series. We got to get in a few words with Joon about his triumphs and tribulations he has had since he came into FD. As well as his revamped ride and what it takes to run a series like this.
EverythingDrift: Joon Maeng. How are you doing man?
Joon Maeng: Great! It’s nice out here at Mountain High, a Formula Drift event. Just having fun on the snow, snowboarding.
ED: Cool man, it’s been awhile since we’ve seen you. Especially since it’s been the off season, as we now are heading into the fast approaching kickoff of the season here in April.
JM: Yes it has been quite busy during the off season with rebuilding the S13.5 and building a back up S13 chassis. I’ll be driving my personal S13.5 with the help of Maxxis tires, LSAUTO.COM, Chris Forsberg Racing, Sam’s Auto Land, and many others. I’m very thankful for their support. LS Automotive and CFR helped build my S13 back-up vehicle. We stripped out as much weight as possible, stitch-welded the chassis, and got a custom cage from S-EMPIRE. My financial resources come from the 3 jobs I have, but I am willing to do my very best to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best! We, as a team, are committed to satisfying the sponsors and I want to keep my word of attending the complete Formula Drift season.
ED: You have gone from being privateer to corporate backing and now back to privateer, what are the pluses and minuses of both?
JM: The positive side of being corporately sponsored is that I, personally, did not have to deal with logistics; my job was to, basically, show up and drive. In other words, registration, transportation, room, car prep, and food were provided. The negative side is the amplified pressure to perform well because there’s that factor to please the corporate sponsor. Simply, it’s different. As a privateer, there’s more freedom to set your own pace and plan ahead to ensure that the car is ready to compete in the manner in which it underscores the drifter’s personal style. There’s anxiety and frustration when your expectations aren’t met because the car, for whatever reason, is limiting your drifting skills. Of course, each corporate sponsorship is specific to its corporation and that which I speak of is specific to my own. All in all, I’m just thrilled to be able to participate in this year’s Formula Drift series. I feel so blessed with all who have supported me in making this happen.
ED: So you’re back in the S13.5?
JM: Yes I am, but, for this season, I’ll be drifting it in a green hue thanks to Sam’s Auto Land. It also has a new body kit from AIT Racing, and a hood, doors, a hatch and Ti wheels all provided by Seibon. With the help of Chris Forsberg and Kevin Wells, we came up with this design. I want to thank them and Sergio Ramirez for always helping and getting the car ready to compete to its utmost capacity!
ED: Did you miss the S13.5 while you were driving for Dynamic last year?
JM: Yes I missed it very much. I used it sporadically for team drift events and local drift events even when it had misfiring problems. However, when Kevin touched the car with his magic fingers, it turned into a true drift car. Thanks to him, the car is revolutionized!
ED: What advice do you have for amateurs that want to compete in Formula Drift?
JM: My advice is giving it all you got, being diligent and patient, and learning to allocate your time and money wisely. As a privateer, those points are essential. I am currently working 3 jobs during the day. The only time I have to work on the car is late at night and in between work. Yeah, I haven’t been getting much sleep but that’s what it takes to compete in the series. It’s definitely not an easy schedule and consumes lot of time and energy. But, if you want it, your dream will manifest in reality.
ED: Where do you see yourself in 5 years as far as drifting is concerned?
JM: In 5 years I hope to see myself as a seated driver and every year thereafter, and to be working with companies like Maxxis Tires on a long-term basis because they have continued to believe in me, as well as with my other sponsors.
ED: If you could build a dream drift car what would it be?
JM: It would be a z32. That has always been my dream car. I actually had a z32 but sold it because, once I got the license for Formula Drift, I had to buy a truck to transport the competition vehicle. So I sold my beautiful z32 in order to finance a Nissan Titan, which allowed me to transport my drift car for the 2007 F.D. season. It’ll be no different this year. My truck got me this far so it was worth it to sell my beautiful z32 and live out my dream.
ED: We’ll see you out there. We know you can tear it up.
JM: Yes, those Maxxis tires will be smoking up! There should be more smoke emitted from the Maxxis tires than normal due to the amazing setup LSAUTO applied on the S13.5!
I would also like to thank my sponsors: Maxxis Tires, Chris Forsberg Racing, LSAUTO.COM, Sam’s Auto Land, A’PEXi, Mishimoto, AITRacing.com, Seibon, ACT, ER, and Ma-Motorsports. They’re making it happen for me. I would also like to give a shout out to my brothers in Drift Alliance and want to wish all of them and the rest of the FD drifters a successful 2009 season! Lastly, to my fans, I thank you very much for the support! See you all at Formula Drift!
congrats joon! youre the man, dog!