Formula Drift: Rookie of the Year

Shops, People & Opinion Jacob Leveton Photos By Jacob Leveton and Formula Drift

Over the past four years, Formula D’s Rookie of the Year award has gone to an international driver who has made the transition to compete in Formula D. This year, the award seems up for grabs, with several pro-am graduates competing with a few international drivers for the right to be crowned Rookie of the Year. Several of the previous ROTY award winners have gone on to sign lucrative sponsorship deals, so earning the trophy can truly change someone’s career. We’re giving you a look at this year’s rookie class.

Walker Wilkerson

Team Walker Wilkerson Racing

Car 1992 Fatlace / Intec Racing Nissan 240sx

Entering last year’s ProAm finale at Irwindale, Wilkerson earned a top qualifier award and a podium finish in his local Evergreen Drift proam series, but was unable to make all events in the series and finished 7th overall. At the ProAm final, he earned a humble 8th place qualifying effort, but utilized his tandem skills to earn a 2nd-place overall finish. However, as the 2011 Formula D season got underway, it was clear that Walker has been practicing in the off season. Walker has become known for his ‘backwards’ entries and extreme steering angle, despite driving one of the only SR20-powered cars on the FD roster. He has lead the rookie-of-the-year points standings for the first half of the season, but will have a target on his back for the second half of the year. Will he have enough to hold off the competition?

Age 21

Height 5’ 7”

Weight 145

Nickname Masamori

Car Number 95

Hometown Snohomish, WA

Occupation College Student

Engine 2.3L Stroker SR20DET

Horsepower 500whp/440wtq

Sponsors Fatlace, Garage Autohero, Falken Tire, Intec Racing, APEXi, NorthwestNissans.com, AW Films, Seibon, EastInde Records, Exedy,
S-Gear, 326 Power, ShaftMasters, Factory 83, KAAZ, Yaer Productions

Pat Cyr

Team Drift Posse

Car 1986 HSD Suspension Toyota AE86

Pat Cyr was probably the biggest favorite during the off season due to his experience in the Drift Mania series in Canada. Pat has won 5 rounds in the DMCC series, finishing 2nd in points overall last season. Cyr also won the year-end Pro-Am event at Irwindale last season after qualifying second overall, showing his experience particularly in tandem. In the off season, Cyr focused on lightening his AE86 chassis even further, fabricating his own fiberglass doors, fenders, hood, trunk, and roof. Pat’s Corolla is powered by a turbocharged F20C motor out of an S2000, making his car one of the most unique cars on the grid.

Age 27

Height 5’ 10”

Weight 175

Nickname Lord Cyr

Car Number 68

Hometown Ontario, CA

Occupation Mechanic

Engine F20C Turbo

Horsepower N/A

Sponsors HSD Suspension, Falken Tires, Misimoto, JRP, u2ndyno.com, visual sugar.com, Cyrious Production, Weir Performance

Otto Graven

Team Drift Posse

Car 1986 HSD Suspension Toyota AE86

A relative unknown coming into the 2011 season, Otto Graven is only the second driver ever to be born in the continent of South Africa (Tony Brakohiapa was born in Ghana) and the first driver to earn a championship in Africa before coming to the US. Graven is the reigning two-time champion of the South African National Drifting series, and has previously trained with famed Team Orange driver Nobushige Kumakubo in Japan. Graven is an entrepreneur in his native country of South Africa, having purchased a local race circuit to convert it into a world class circuit as well as body shop, mechanic shop, and driving school all open to the public. Drifting in South Africa is relatively new, with competitive drifting having only 3 years of presence in the country. Look for Graven to be the first of many South Africans to come to Formula D.

Age 36

Height 6’ 2”

Weight N/A

Nickname N/A

Car Number 113

Hometown Kimberley, SA

Occupation Entrepreneur

Engine 3.8L Stroked Twin-Turbo’d VQ35

Horsepower N/A

Sponsors Monstermob Racing

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