Matt Field lead a conservative lead run, paired with a follow run that pressured Jhonnattan Castro when needed to get the win and advance into the Formula Drift Top 16 (Alex Wong photo)
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The sport of Drifting employs a technique where the driver intentionally loses traction in the rear wheels while maintaining control through counter-steering. The exact origin of drifting is unknown; however its birthplace can be traced back to Japan. In 1988 one of the first organized events specifically dedicated to drifting was formed and called the D1 Grand Prix. Since then Drifting has become a massively popular form of motorsports where drivers compete to earn points from judges based on line, angle, speed, and show factor. If a clear winner cannot be decided the judges will request that more passes are run until a driver comes out ahead.
Matt Field took on Chelsea Denofa, an aggressive, relentless, driver much like Matt Field, which made for an exciting battle in the Top 16 of Formula Drift at Evergreen Speedway (Alex Wong photo)
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K&N filters sponsored professional drifter Matt Field found himself in exactly that situation at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington for the Formula Drift Throwdown. Practice had been going really well for Matt Field and his team. Unfortunately it started to rain just before practice was ended. The off and on rain continued into qualifying leaving wet and dry patches resulting in unpredictable levels of grip throughout the course. During Matt Field’s second qualifying pass the rain cleared, and the track dried up which improved grip levels. Matt went out and laid down a score good enough to earn 7th position going into the round of 32.
Things got interesting in the FD round of eight with K&N filters supported driver Matt Field going against Pat Goodin when the judges decided it was going to take One More Time to decide (Alex Bucur photo)
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K&N’s Matt Field was slated to go against Jhonnattan Castro in his Top 32 tandem battle. Matt lead a conservative lead run, paired with a follow run that pressured Castro who needed to get the win and advance into the Top 16. There Matt Field would take on Chelsea Denofa. Chelsea is an aggressive, relentless, driver much like Matt Field. This pairing was sure to make for an exciting battle no matter what the outcome. Matt lead first and the run went in his favor with Chelsea de-beading a tire, giving Field the advantage. On the follow run, Matt applied pressure around the bank, leaving room for the transfer, and then again applied pressure to end the course. The judges gave Matt Field the win and a spot in the Great 8.
The judges ultimately awarded Pat Goodin with the win; but Matt Field and his team gained a marginal gap in championship points between 6th and 7th, getting a bit closer to the Top 5 (Larry Chen photo)
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Things got interesting in the round of eight with K&N filters supported driver Matt Field going against Pat Goodin. The two went out for their first run, where Matt laid down a solid lead while Pat made multiple mistakes in the follow position. During Matt’s follow run he applied pressure, however the overall winner was too close to call and the judges decided it was going to take One More Time to decide. More rain made the ground wet and slippery. Matt Field and his team tried to overcome the loose conditions by lowering tire pressures but the conditions were very tough. Pat Goodin had a solid follow run to Matt’s lead, while Matt dropped low coming off the bank during his follow run. The judges ultimately awarded Pat Goodin with the win.
Staying positive about his elimination, Matt is thankful that he and his team gained a marginal gap in championship points between 6th and 7th, getting a bit closer to the Top 5. K&N air filters sponsored Matt Field and the Formula Drift series will hit the track again at Texas Motor Speedway on August 21-22 in Fort Worth, Texas.
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