CLICK HERE TO ORDER A COPY OF ISSUE #45 FEATURING CASPER CANUL

WORDS Victor Melendez PHOTOS Orlando Perez

Drifting is defined as the technique of steering a car such that the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle and…ah, screw the physics class! It’s a cool, up-and-coming motor sport where insane drivers burn major rubber by skidding sideways around every curve in their path. More importantly: chicks dig it. Although it originated in Japan, it’s taking the estados unidos by storm. There’s even one of our own tearing up the drift scene. Casper Canul, the Mayan Motorhead, has taken his Nissan 240SX to drifting stardom and takes us here inside the mind of a drifter…

How did you get started in drifting?
I started drifting in 2003 after watching some Japanese Option videos.

What was your first car?
My first car was a 1996 Nissan 240SX and it’s the same car I have today.

Wow, you still have the same car! Is that normal?
Well, it is a rarity. In my particular case it’s the car I developed throughout the years. It’s brought me all the way to where I am now and it’s just a really good car. It’s been through hell and back, but it’s allowed me to have the career I have now.

Do you need a lot of money to get started?
Not really. You can buy a Nissan 240SX for about $1,000 to $4,000. Then because it’s a rear wheel drive car, depending on what engine you put in it, with some suspension mods and exhaust mods, it’s pretty easy to start going sideways for under $4,000 to $5,000. Then just go to a local track and start drifting.

What is the major difference from drifting in the U.S. compared to drifting in Japan?
Japan has been drifting longer than we have but what they do is develop a lot of cars, so they are innovators and creators of original drift cars. Their technology is not so much advanced but more original. The difference is style. They have very stylish cars, faster cars, more advanced. But Americans have come along way with V-8’s, Vipers, GTO’s…We have advanced a lot with our technology and are almost on par with Japan.

If someone wants to learn about drifting events or schools, where should they look?
There are drift associations like driftday.com, driftbuffet.com and justdrift.com. You can pay $80 to $120 to come out and drift all day. Some of them have instruction, some of them don’t.

How long have you been drifting now?
I have been drifting for four years and now I have my own shop called Monstor Fabrications in Glendora, California.

You can catch Casper in action at the Formula DRIFT Championship Series.

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