The Great 8: A Battle of Speed and Skill

We're gonna have a good time on track. (engine rumbling) Right now, Piotr Wiecek is taking on Matt Field in the Falken Tire setup. Wow, surprised these guys have never seen battle before. Who's moving on into the Great 8? All Falken Tire setup here. (engine revving) And we got a clean start. Wiecek out front.

He was the fastest car that I'd followed all weekend, and I followed a lot of people this weekend. Right around the first corner, as soon as we initiate, I just felt like I couldn't apply the pressure, couldn't put the car where I wanted it to be. Matt Field trying to make his presence felt. A slight gap established through that area of the course but then Matt closes it by a few feet towards the finish line.

Matt Field out of the gate. Piotr Wiecek and Matt Field, flicks it in on that first clip. Really good on that outside zone. It was a pretty solid run, one of my worst chase runs all weekend, to be completely honest. Yeah, he stepped back just enough in order for him to transition and get all the way down inside zone, goes Field.

But it kinda just came down to me kinda hitting that wall. I thought it could go either way, Piotr or me. Slide 'em left for Field, right for Wiecek, and a one more time from Andy and Ryan. Oh, look at that, a one more time, unanimously! (engines revving) I don't really agree with that one more time, but what the fuck ever.

We're criticizing zone one. Dude, that was all I had. Was it? Yup. What can we do? I mean, I could do a better job, you know. There's just something about that first corner where I couldn't dive in and couldn't apply the pressure. And this is kinda where it comes down to car, driver.

Me, admitting it was me, and not knowing if it was car. (rock music) Seven drivers in the Great 8. One more is gonna join them. It's either Piotr Wiecek with his little Polish flag wavin' off his antenna or it's going to be the other Falken Tire vehicle of the beast from the Bay, Matt Field, and the Wish/Falken Tires Corvette.

Piotr Wiecek out front. Matt Field comes in hot. As soon as I initiated, it kinda showed the same thing. Matt Field jumps forward, looking like a beast. When we hit inner clip two, the only thing we can see are taillights. In that chase, you see Matt Field, oh! I found myself way too wide in the zone, bumper grazing the tires. I'm lucky to make it out without completely wadding my car.

Man, he was really dancing with the devil there. Coming back from that was gonna be difficult. And we are seeing Matt Field get prepared. He will be out front, he's got the clean air. Come on, bud, come on. Here we go, set it, fellas!

My lead run was okay, definitely not my best. Piotr Wiecek making to angle Field. Field fills both the outside zone, gets out of the touch and go, transitions past that front clip. Into the outer zone, you see him just a bit, that back left tire, Ryan.

And the judges gave him the win. I think it's completely fair. It's just kinda up to me to figure out car or driver. The chase run firewall, bro. That dude is supposed to heat in this car, dude. It was fast. He picked up like 3/10 everywhere. Yeah, they were like, they let air outta the tires, probably that's how.

Up until now, the car has done everything we wanted it to do. But, really, here, it showed me that there are areas to improve. This is not the same car that we started out in Long Beach, not at all. Yeah, it's great, we've gotten two podiums, we've won a lot of battles, but we haven't won. So, it's always gonna annoy me a little bit.

I've already started to talk to Dan at Parts Shop Max. Fortunately, he's the guy who designs all the suspension, fabricates, manufactures everything that goes on that car, from the shocks to the knuckles, all the arms, everything. The car's reliable, it's performing well, but there's a little bit more, I guarantee it.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(rock music)- Car's hookin' up.Falken tires are feeling great.And then I feel 3,500 pounds of Cadillacjust plowin' into me.The front's f****d for sure.- We need an inner tie rod now.- The steering's off,alignment's messed up.I cannot run the way it is.What up, I'm Matt field.- I'm Odi Bakchis, and this is my car.(engine screams)- And this is my car.(engine roars)(low-key rock music)(engine roars)(engine rumbling)Few years back, you weren'tsure what you were gonna get.A good driver, a rookie,a bad driver, a champion.Going into this year,it is a loaded bracket.Every battle is a serious battle.We're at the point where Formula Driftis a very, very hardseries to perform well at.Everybody's bracket, there'ssomebody to worry about.You just have to work hard.Everybody else is working equally as hardand there's definitelysomebody working harder.Last year, I won against Jhonnattan Castroin top 32 here in Texas.- JhonnattanCastro gets the victory,taking out last year's winner.- This is my turn for redemptionbecause I have Jhonnattan Castro in top 32here in Texas.(exciting music)- So, we're here outat Texas Motor Speedwaywhere everything is biggerbecause we're in Texas.(engine roars)We've been here several times.We know what to expect out here.We have a straight initiationinto a large right-hand turn,into a first inner clip,followed by a first outer zoneinto a very fast straightawaywhere's there's a transitionto an outer touch and go,followed by a second inner clip,and then another transitioninto the second outer zoneup against some firewalls,and then ending at a finishwith the third inner clip.(engine roars)This track is a fast track.(engine roars)Long, stretched out,on-throttle the whole time.(engine rumbles)- Texas and I have apretty good relationship.My actual first win ever inFormula Drift came at Texas.This is a power track.As much power as youcan throw out the car,as much grip as you can throw out the car.It kinda suits my driving style,suits my car, how it's built.(engine roars)- Comin' out here in Texas,I'm really gung-ho tobattle my way throughinto the podium.I'm hungry for it.(engine revving)You know, in St. Louis,I lost to Piotr Wiecekwho was just on one.I really went back to the shop, and I go,I need to make my careven better, and I did.So, comin' out here and it's payin' off,my car's feeling amazing.- Flying intothis outer zone, goes Bakchis.A 90 for Odi Bakchis.(impact wrench rattling)- That was good.- Yeah.- Precision driving machine.- Next up, Matt Field(rock music)and the Wish/Falken Tires Corvette.- This car, compared to the S14,is a totally different animal, stock.It's a real-deal car.- Nasty flick, Field.He punts that Black Magicclip out of the way.- Matt's been building cars long enough.You know what doesn't workand you know what does workno matter what chassis it is.That is why the car performs so welljust right off the bat.- And there's an 84.So, a lot of points left out there.Line was 21 out of 30,angle 28, he styled.A lot of points missing.- We got a 84 on our firstrun, definitely not good.It's been spot-on all weekend (chuckles)and first qualifyingrun, it starts, you know,not being a hundred percent.This one has a certain amount of powerthat I expect out of it,and on that run, in a veryimportant part of the track,felt like (engine roars)power a little bit.Yeah, this thing is usuallyspot-on, tons of power,anywhere you need, and we pull it back,but now it's, just gotta see.Yeah, hopefully, it's something simple.Hopefully, it was fixable.(rock music)- In drifting, we're constantly usingevery single control inside our vehicleto put the car exactly wherewe're expected to place iton the race track.The clutch, the foot brake, throttle,all of these, simultaneously.But one of the most effectivetools that we could useis the hand brake.Most drivers like toposition the hand brakesso it's within reach of the steering wheeland the shifter.I prefer my hand brakein between the shifterand the steering wheel.Whenever I feel likemy car's gonna rip up,this is the tool that I use.This hydraulic hand brakeis completely divorced fromthe rest of the braking systemon this car.When you pull this, it actually actuatesits own set of calipers in the back.It doesn't just slow down the wheels,it basically just completely locks them.I use a fairly simplecookie-cutter formula.This is a ASD hand brake lever,a Wilwood 5/8 master cylinderthat goes to the 32 rear calipers.This is a very effective toolbut can cost you a lot ofpoints if you this excessively.You gotta use it just enoughto keep your car in check,but don't get greedy with this,otherwise, you're slowing the car down,you're losing points,and you're gonna have a bad dayif you're overusing this thing.(air cylinder hisses)- Oh, yeah!(man laughs)- Nineties street racingused nitrous quite a bit'cause our elders werehotrodders that ran nitrous,so we would take thehotrodders' nitrous kitsand try to put 'em intoJapanese import cars,adding dense oxygen into the cylinder.That was kinda thego-to, cheap power adder.- Flip it down real quick. (chuckles)- Hold it, hold it real quick.Hold it for me real quick.- Hold it real quick.- I'm not gonna pull your zipper.(laughs)(rock music)- So, for top 32, Odiis battling Taylor Hull.We've battled with him inthe past, Odi's done well.We weren't supposed to battle with himin St. Louis last time(engine roaring)but Odi got a by-runwhen Taylor's car broke.- This motor's healthy now.I draw Taylor Hull again.But, you know what, I'm feeling confident.We had some very solidruns through practice.I think we got a car I'mfeeling good about this run.When I get in my car, strap my helmet on,all I think about is,outer zone, inner clip,touch and go, over and over.- Odi Bakchisjust always omnipresentas far as the overall championship stands.(engine revving)We're now seeing Taylor Hull.A new vehicle debuted this year,the COMP Cams' CadillacATS-V on Achilles tires.- Just visualize my run.Now, it's go time.(engines roaring)- Odi Bakchis initiatesand Taylor Hull right there on the side.- The first run starts out great.The car's hookin' up, theFalken tires are feeling great.Pick up the throttle,and then I feel 3,500 pounds of Cadillacjust plowin' into me.- Looks likesome contact was made.Looks like Odi is gonna shut it down.- When you get hit like that,the first thing thatgoes through your head,man, I hope the judges saw that,that they put the blameon the driver that hit me.The steering's off, alignment's messed up.We gotta fix my car.I cannot run the way it is.The front's for sure.- We need an inner tie now.- All the way up.- Judges deemed TaylorHull at fault for hitting me.We got a lot to fix on the car.(impact wrench rattling)(engine purring)- It was a front and rearimpact, twice the work.Normally, it's just, hey,fix something on the frontor fix something on the back.(engines revving)- Get back out, the run,right there on that ragged edge.- Right now,Taylor Hull out front.Sits on that deficit.Odi Bakchis keeps pace with him,doesn't have a inactivechase and no mistakes.Odi Bakchis will advance on.- I'm not just gonna completelybe overly conservative.Still chase him, put on a fight.And I did exactly that.(engines roaring)It's really honestly greatto shake off that hitand reset myself for a top 16.- And looks likeOdi Bakchis gets the victory.- Good job, Odi.Awesome.- Well, not the way I want top 32 to startbut at least we're past that.The car felt a littleawkward in the burnout box.At least now, we got sometime to square up the carand hopefully make it feelas good as it did during practicebecause I'm going up againstFalken Tire teammate, Dai Yoshihara.I gotta make sure thisthing's ready for it.(rock music)(engine roaring)- I've run against JhonnattanCastro a couple of times.Last year, actually, I wentagainst Jhonnattan Castrotop 32 here in Texas.- Last year, we actuallylost to Castro here.It's gonna be good toget some redemption backon this track.Castro's a very calculated driver.Ever since he's movedinto the Papadakis FR-S,he's been really developing his driving.Matt's been on fire ontandem runs all weekend.We're feeling really confident.(engine fires up)(engine idles)- This time, though,it's gonna be different.We didn't leave anything to chance.We gave it all she had.- What's on your mind, man?- Winning is on my mind.(engine revving)(engine roaring)- I think Castro'sgonna put up a fightbut Field's been looking really good.- A really consistent driver.He's known to pull somebadass stuff out of,you know, last minute.(engine roars)- And Matt Fieldwarmin' up his Falken tiresin a brand-new car.You know, sometimes, there'sa developmental seasonbut not the case for Matt Field.Getting on the podium inthis Wish/Falken Tires,Borla exhaust, Vortech Supercharged,he waved visual, Corvette.(engines roaring)All right, so here we go.Castro out front.- If I'd qualified lower, I wasactually gonna follow first.But, fortunately for me,I'm able to initiate,stick it right to his door and stay there.- Matt Field,really mimicking the angle.Castro with a great degree of angle.- That's the importantthing at this track.Staying there.- Very fluidinto the outside zone.Quick little yank of the e-brake.A wide swing past that front clip.- And right at the last corner,he actually made a mistake.- Toyota 86 lunges forward.We got some contact.- After I hit Castro,for a brief second, Ithought it was all overand I was just gonna spin out.But, fortunately for me, thesuspension is strong enoughthat it can take a hit, stillfinish the run, not break.- Looks likethey're just gonna crossthe finish line.Rubbin' is racin' here.- Judges deemed fault on Jhonnattan Castroso he called the five to fix his carwhich means he gets 10 minutes to fix his.(engine turns over)- My car just misfiredand literally almost shut downand Matt didn't have anywhereto go, so he tapped me.It's our fault, we'retrying to fix the car,put it back together.The battle's not lost yet,we're gonna try our best.(engine fires up)(engine revving)- Collision always representan incomplete for thedriver who's at fault.- Gonna make it clean pass.Pretty much it, clean pass.- Here wego, Matt Field out frontin that Wish/Falken Tires Corvette.The beast in the Bay initiates.- Laid down a lead run, dideverything I needed to do.Castro was still there.- Castro quicklygets to the side of him,takes on that front clip.Castro knows he needsto really send it here,and he does, look at that!- It wasn't like we dusted himbut I had a better leadrun, a better chase run.- Castro,that's another mistakeat that same point hedid on that first battle.- And we were awarded the win.- And Matt Fieldunanimously gets the win.Castro, couple donutsthere for good measure.But, unfortunately, his weekend is done.- Usually, top 32 for us is pretty chill.Car works, I do my thing,we move on to top 16,but we were behind one step.(rock music)- For top 16, I got my FalkenTire teammate, Dai Yoshihara,and, man, he's on one today.I qualified with a 90, Dailays down a 90 as well.In the wet, I up myqualifying score to 91.Dai ups his to 91 as well.I know it's gonna be a tough battle.- Both guys havehad pretty phenomenal seasonsand would love to get a good result hereat Texas Motor Speedway.- I lead Dai Yoshiharainto the first turn.I pick up the throttle and Ijust jam out as fast as I can.- Look at Odi Bakchis dip it.Actually, Dai Yoshihara offof that front clip pointquite a bit.And Bakchis now diving on the inside,taking a shallower line.- They're both a little bitall over the place in there.They better take it up.- Although he was kinda off-lineand Dai had to compensate.- My spotter tells meyou gotta really put some pressure on Daito get the win here.And I do exactly that.(engines roar)- And here we go.Through the start chicane,these two V8 Vs.- I locked in probably the most proximityI've had this whole weekend.- Look at Odi Bakchis chasing,just keeping it right there.(engine roars)- Wow!That was two titty runs back to back.- I look at the judges' verdict,and then I see, one moretime, one more time,one more time.- Dai won the lead,but I think Odi won the chase.And when you got one that wins oneand one that wins the other,you gotta do one more time.- I know this next battleis gonna come down towho makes the bigger mistake.We're both givin' it all that we have.We get some new Falken rubber on.Dai and I run up to thestart line, warm them up.And now we're ready to battle.(rock music)- And here we go,this one-more-time battle.- I'm nervous, too.- Me, too.- Lead start.- I lead and I hammerdown as hard as I canbut Dai is still chasing me very well.- Bakchis initiates.Yoshihara brings it on in.Again, that is a decel area on initiation.Filling all that zone is Odi Bakchis.- When I have to chase Dai,I gotta picket his dooreven harder than I did.I don't want a one more time again.So, I chase Dai as hard as I can.(engine roars)- This all-Falken Tire battle.Odi right there.Awesome angle there from Odi Bakchis.- I throw it in a little bit harderthan our previous battle.I came up a little shorton the touch and go.- Really tuck itin and cut through that smoke!- So then I threw it in evenharder on the last zone.- Odi Bakchis brake there!Dai Yoshihara going all that outside zone.It is very similar drivingfrom these two veterans.Well, if Odi Bakchis hadthe better chase again,I think Dai may have had the better lead.- When we look up at the judges' verdict,they evaluated that I mademore mistakes than Dai.Dai was just on it, driving very clean.- We got a one more time here.- One more time.One more time.- Yeah.- One more time.- And Andy says Dai Yoshihara.Ryan says Dai Yoshihara!- Aw!(engines rumbling)- My weekend here in Texasend in a top 16.(mellow rock music)And, ultimately, I lostto a Falken Tire teammatethat was on it.- You've been beating me thepast couple times, I think, so- Your turn.- time for meto take the win. (chuckles)- All right.- Thank you.- Yeah.Good luck the rest of the round here.I've had a tough season so farand luck just hasn't been on my side.I'm definitely learning a lotgoing into Irwindale,and, honestly, resetting,going into next season.All these steps that I'mtaking, round to round,we gotta magnify that andcome out even stronger.(rock music)- So, in top 16, we'regoing against Piotr Wiecek.This is one dude, and Isaid in the last episode,I hope I don't have to go against Piotr.And this time, there we no choice.- Right there, wheel to wheel.It's like they're about to touch Falkens.- You know, I alreadybattled Piotr a few timesand Piotr's on it, man.- PiotrWiecek gets the victory!- He's also on very goodsuspension, on Feal suspension,the company I own.(howling)So, it's a bittersweet, you know.I want Piotr to advance,it's good advertising for my company.But, man, Matt's my bud,and I think he's just gonnahave to lay it all out there.(engine purring)- It's gonna be a good battle.Piotr is always on it.(rock music)And I feel like I'vefigured it all out so far.Doing everything I possibly can.Team is on it, I'm ready.(engine rumbling)- He's a hell of a driver, butI think we can take 'im outand we're gonna have a good time on track.(engine rumbling)- Right now PiotrWiecek versus Matt Field.Wow, surprised these guyshave never seen battle before.Who's moving on into the Great 8?All Falken Tire setup here.(engine revving)And we got a clean start.Wiecek out front.- He was the fastest car thatI'd followed all weekend,and I followed a lottapeople this weekend.Right around the first corner,as soon as we initiate,I just felt like I couldn'tapply the pressure,couldn't put the carwhere I wanted it to be.- Matt Field tryingto make his presence felt.- A slight gap establishedthrough that area of the coursebut then Matt closes it by a few feettowards the finish line.- Matt Field out of the gate.Piotr Wiecek and Matt Field,flicks it in on that first clip.Really good on that outside zone.- It was a pretty solid run,one of my worst chase runs all weekend,to be completely honest.- Yeah, hestepped back just enoughin order for him to transitionand get all the way downinside zone, goes Field.- But it kinda just came down tome kinda hitting that wall.I thought it could goeither way, Piotr or me.- Slide 'em leftfor Field, right for Wiecek,and a one more time from Andyand Ryan.Oh, look at that, a onemore time, unanimously!(engines revving)- I don't really agreewith that one more time,but what the fuck ever.- We're criticizing (impactdrill rattles) zone one.- Dude, that was all I had.- Was it?- Yup.- What can we do?- I mean, I could do abetter job, you know.There's just somethingabout that first cornerwhere I couldn't dive in andcouldn't apply the pressure.And this is kinda where itcomes down to car, driver.Me, admitting it was me, andnot knowing if it was car.(rock music)- Sevendrivers in the Great 8.One more is gonna join them.It's either Piotr Wiecekwith his little Polishflag wavin' off his antennaor it's going to be theother Falken Tire vehicleof the beast from the Bay, Matt Field,and the Wish/Falken Tires Corvette.(engines revving)Piotr Wiecek out front.Matt Field comes in hot.- As soon as I initiated, itkinda showed the same thing.- Matt Field jumps forward,looking like a beast.- When we hit inner clip two,the only thing we can seeare taillights.- In that chase,you see Matt Field, oh!- I found myself way too wide in the zone,bumper grazing the tires.I'm lucky to make it out withoutcompletely wadding my car.- Man, he was really dancingwith the devil there.- Coming back fromthat was gonna be difficult.- And we areseeing Matt Field get prepared.He will be out front,he's got the clean air.- Come on, bud, come on.- Here we go, set it, fellas!- My lead run was okay,definitely not my best.- Piotr Wiecekmaking to angle Field.Field fills both the outside zone,gets out of the touch and go,transitions past that front clip.Into the outer zone,you see him just a bit,that back left tire, Ryan.- And the judges gave him the win.I think it's completely fair.It's just kinda up to me to figure outcar or driver.- The chase run firewall, bro.That dude is supposed toheat in this car, dude.It was fast.He picked up like 3/10 everywhere.Yeah, they were like,they let air outta the tires, probably.That's how. (chuckles)- Up until now, the car has doneeverything we wanted it to do.But, really, here, it showed methat there are areas to improve.This is not the samecar that we started outin Long Beach, not at all.Yeah, it's great, we'vegotten two podiums,we've won a lot of battles,but we haven't won.So, it's always gonnaannoy me a little bit.I've already started to talkto Dan at Parts Shop Max.Fortunately, he's the guy whodesigns all the suspension,fabricates, manufactureseverything that goes on that car,from the shocks to the knuckles,all the arms, everything.The car's reliable, it's performing well,but there's a little bitmore, I guarantee it.