Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Good morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned in to the Mac city morning show. I am your host Elliot Pierre, and we're going to start the show off the same way we start every episode with a moment of gratitude. I know you could be doing a million other things with your time. So the fact that you're spending with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, Tanner hit.
Speaker 1 00:00:20 Oh, she caught me, loves near listened to the next city morning show.
Speaker 0 00:00:24 <inaudible> all right. And we're back. Okay. I say it a lot in town are sick of me saying it, but this is one of my favorite type of guests. I don't know this person from a hole in the wall. Not only do I not know this person, he didn't even reach out to me. One of his buddies said, Hey, you got to get this guy on the show. So I'm eating a complete stranger who obviously has some credit with his buddies because they think he's cool enough to tell him to come on the show. So as everybody knows, I do not introduce my guests because they can do a better job at that than myself. And today. I couldn't tell you who he is, even if I wanted to. So on that note, sir, can you please tell everybody at home who you are and what you're about
Speaker 2 00:01:03 GC from the eight one crew, which is a collective of thrift or Intel and that's
Speaker 0 00:01:08 Okay. So explain to me what drifting means. Cause like in my head it could mean two things. So let me hear if I'm right on one of the two. Yes.
Speaker 2 00:01:16 Uh, we, uh, we, a racing series of scholars <inaudible> and, uh, it's just, uh, basically going sideways to get her and uh, it's kinda like, uh, uh, figure skating with tires and smoke. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:01:33 Very cool. So it's exactly what I thought it was. Exactly. Yeah. The only, uh, like I've seen lots of videos online, like you have the movie, which you're probably sick of hearing about, but you have Tokyo drift, so that classic for sure. And then there's a music video with, um, uh, artists called Mia. I don't know. And she is like, I think somewhere in the middle east, I don't want to, I don't know. I don't remember
Speaker 2 00:01:55 Exactly which part, but she's a great artist as
Speaker 0 00:01:56 Well. Oh my Lord. That video is real. What you can do in cars.
Speaker 2 00:02:02 This is crazy for us. It's fun. Cause I like, uh, I liked the idea of being able to make the car, do what I want to do. Right. So it's all about style and, and performance and it's just, it's beautiful. It's such a nice sport. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:02:16 So you just said something which I find interesting in regards to you say it's a sport. So that entails that there's competitions. Yes, exactly. So fill me in, I know nothing about this world.
Speaker 2 00:02:26 Um, basically up here we have growing scene, uh, like I said, there's this big V that we compete in. We go a little bit across Canada, Western Canada, like, um, we, we just came back from mission and menton and stuff like this. So it's just a, it's 32 Topco fire. And then they battle each other until there's one left and that's, that's your winter. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:02:47 And so when you're battling each other, like what are what's ranking points? How do you, how do you win?
Speaker 2 00:02:52 Um, there is tall there's, uh, the line, uh, as we need to, uh, follow, uh, uh, uh, ideal line that they call it. So the more, uh, the more you're able to follow that line, the better, the better your score is going to be. And there is a speed as well that comes into play. So it's a bunch of little factors that keeps, uh, keeps the adding points, getter, and the one that scores, the most points wins the battle. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:03:18 How did you get into this? Cause you're a year young guy. Yes.
Speaker 2 00:03:22 Uh, I've grown into more sports all my life. Uh, I started working at a drag strip at the age of eight. Okay. And, uh, but it was back home and a small town called, uh, Sherbrooke. Okay. And I stopped there, uh, and I came up here and when I was 19 and uh, took a break for a couple of years. And then I met my friend old fear that, uh, is also one of my partner in 8, 8 1. And, uh, just started hanging out. Cause we, I had this, uh, Chevrolet Stan that was modified and he had the nicer <inaudible> and we just started hanging out and uh, we decided to get together and start a team. And there we are right now.
Speaker 0 00:04:02 So how many people are on your team? Uh,
Speaker 2 00:04:06 On, on the actual team? There's five of us. Yes. There's uh, me mark Brendan or fear and Braman.
Speaker 0 00:04:12 And so when you're on a team, I'm assuming like, I can't assume anything. I have no idea what I'm talking about. So when you're on a team, does everybody have their own individual car or are you guys working on one unit?
Speaker 2 00:04:22 Yeah, we, uh, we all have our own cars. Uh, we have three drivers that due to professional, a spec D and me and Brandon are just, uh, just for like small shows and stuff like this, but Brandon is going into the competition next year. So it was going to be exciting.
Speaker 0 00:04:36 No, in regards to like, cause not every car can do this most tires. I have to assume aren't made, like they're not made to drift. They're made to stick to the road. So fill me in about like the, the equipment in regards to cars and tires that you need to perform the sport.
Speaker 2 00:04:52 It looks a little bit weird. Cause whenever you see a drift car, you see like the big crooked wheels, like the, we call that the camber, which helps the, the surface patch of the tires when you're on the side of the road. But you see the big angle on your steering wheel. It's a bunch of little, little things like this that helps the car being more stable whenever you're sideways and being a, be more predictable. So, okay. Yeah. A lot of money into it, but uh, it's rewarding.
Speaker 0 00:05:17 No, well, everybody you're going to spend your money in one way, shape or form. That's
Speaker 2 00:05:22 Right. And that it's easy to go into viruses. My and my mom always told me, I'd rather you doing this than being out there, uh, going vices, so
Speaker 0 00:05:30 Right. That's right. Yeah. So is there any specific particular car that is kind of known for drifting or a brand?
Speaker 2 00:05:39 Uh, the, the, the classic, like, uh, I have an old Nissan, two 40 ASX, which is known to be a easy car to get into. And right now the big chassis that's starting to come up is the BMW E 46, which is a bit more rigid. It's like the, the Nissan two 40 SX, but being more new rigid, and it was a bit easier to drift, but, uh, that, that those are the most two, uh, the two most normal car that you'll see drifting right now. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:06:06 And from a price point, like, cause like every sport is expensive to get into, obviously this is a sport with vehicles and when you start throwing like the name BMW around, obviously this gets pricey. So if somebody wanted to get involved in it, like what would be like an entry level price point to you? Roughly
Speaker 2 00:06:25 Obviously it depends on the bracket that you want to, you want to achieve. Like you can get into drifting for a thousand dollar. If you just weld your differential, that you can, you find a cheap car and you just try to Detroit sideways. And if you want to go into more complex, like you want a car that's more performing, you want to try to win competition. Now it gets higher and
Speaker 0 00:06:46 Higher and
Speaker 2 00:06:48 Yeah, exactly. There, we, we're a more bit of budget on a kind of point. Cause we're not millionaires we're uh, yeah, we're just like everyday worker. So we, we try to build a fierce car, uh, under $20,000 and it worked great. We used truck our goals. So that was great. But some people that compete in the same series can go up to 60, 70, 80,000 or so
Speaker 0 00:07:11 Now is this something like, um, I've been watching the series, the F1 series on Netflix and certain car companies just have more money. So they're just going to win it's regardless of the driver. Well, the driver has something to do with it, but the chances are you're going to win. If you're in this car, is that similar to your sport?
Speaker 2 00:07:31 It's uh, it's kind of, because at the end of the day, it's a driver is it's a very heavy driver's port. So you can have the it's it's like, um, you can give the nicest knives to you, a new to somebody who's trying to cook for the first time. He's not going to perform as well as a, as an experienced chef with the doll tools. Right. So it really depends, uh, on the driver itself, but for sure the car ELPs, but it's not, what's gonna make you win.
Speaker 0 00:08:03 Interesting. So that's good. So like the guy with the nicest, most expensive car doesn't necessarily have that guaranteed top.
Speaker 2 00:08:11 Yes. If you can, if you can, end-all your car or if you can't throw it around and be in control, you're not going to win. Right. You ever tip a car,
Speaker 0 00:08:19 Have you ever tipped a car? I didn't.
Speaker 2 00:08:22 I uh, kinda jumped the berm last year, but yeah, we, um, we see walls all the time though, that that happens all the time. So it's kind of our, uh, budget for repairs over the winter. The car gets a smashed the rear ran on. So you got to cut it and do it the full structural as full structure in tubes. That's right. So it's some little stuff that happens or tapping each other happens all the time as well. Yeah. It's part of it. It's part of the,
Speaker 0 00:08:49 And so where, and I like, I, I, I'm going to ask questions. I don't, hopefully I don't get you in trouble for any of these. Where do you practice this?
Speaker 2 00:08:58 Okay. So in town it's kind of complicated because we have nothing, uh, around, uh, that can support us. Right. Which is, uh, it was just kind of sad, but in a way it's a growing towns still, right. Uh, there is an invention that as facilities, air we're, uh, we, uh, we have a little back back, let's see crap that the, the police are aware and they're just leave us for, for one hour, we do our things and we do it the safest possible. Right. But we're trying to, uh, help with the local track, which is called area 63. Um, I, I believe in their future, they might, they might dream of pavements or they can even have a little pad or a little something it's yeah. All like we're, we're all going to bring the drift there and just, yeah, because unfortunately we don't have any where in town that is very legal to do it yet. Right. Uh, I I've, uh, I have a dream in the future to see a big facility
Speaker 0 00:09:56 And good for you. Dreams are good. So this is new to Fort McMurray though. There's never like, has there been teams prior to
Speaker 2 00:10:02 Yes, but no, uh, it was a bit before the social media age. So it wasn't it's right now it's easy to get known. You have a viral video, it goes a little bit everywhere. Everybody started talking about it back in two days, it was really a more a garage buddies that, that knew each other. Right. So, right,
Speaker 0 00:10:21 Right. It's cool, man. That's really neat. I know as a may or may not have done this myself, but potentially when I was younger, like I just used to love the winter time. Yes. Because like I grew up driving stick shift with an e-brake and so like, you make it around that turn. I remember like pulling out a parking lots. And as you just accelerate as fast as you can with that, we'll pull that e-brake and <inaudible> May or may not have done that as many, many years ago. I'm an old man now a teenager. So, but that kind of stuff, it's fun. Especially if you can like figure out how to do it in a controlled environment.
Speaker 2 00:10:59 Yes. And it's, uh, it's something that everybody can appreciate. Right. It's that it helps bring, uh, bring awareness to defensive driving and makes it it's just, uh, you don't, you don't lose by bringing the facility like this up here. Oh. Hopefully one of these days we'll be able to do it in a safe place, but yeah.
Speaker 0 00:11:18 Very cool, man. All right. Well, we're at the part of the show called the Mac city minute. This is Tanner segment. He's going to ask you a few questions. I don't know what he's going to ask you. So best of luck, Tanner hit him with the maxi minute. Alrighty.
Speaker 2 00:11:28 Question number one. How does living in Fort McMurray remind you of growing up in Quebec? Uh, it's kind of it's the, the, the fact that I love about Fort McMurray, which brings, brings me back from back home is, uh, it's a nice infrastructure, but not a too big of a town. I'm a I'm I'm from a small town. I don't like big town and Fort McMurray. It keeps you like that between of a small town and the accessibilities of a bigger city
Speaker 3 00:11:58 Question. Number two, if you could turn one car into a drift car, what would that be?
Speaker 2 00:12:04 Uh, BMW <inaudible> with a NES eight cylinder. That would be my dream car. Okay.
Speaker 3 00:12:10 Question number three. What is your favorite road in Fort McMurray to go for a cruise on
Speaker 2 00:12:16 The, the drive to, um, how's it calling it and ZZ bar up in the end. Zack, is that right? Yep. The date from 8 8 1 all the way to the Z Z bar is the, it's the nicest for only with the Gregoire lake and everything. It's beautiful.
Speaker 3 00:12:31 Sure. Is question number four. What is the most memorable moment you've had drifting?
Speaker 2 00:12:37 Ah, there's so many it's yeah, I think it was that straddle take a, there's a big park in the Fort Saskatchewan and, uh, it's not necessarily just drifting it's everything that's around the hanging out with my friends. Just that whole weekend was crazy. I think it was, yeah. My best memory is just hanging out with my friends for a whole weekend. It was awesome.
Speaker 3 00:12:57 And your final question, what is your go-to way to celebrate a day at the track?
Speaker 2 00:13:03 That's a good one as well after the track. Usually I'm pretty beat that I just want sleep, but I think good steak at a good restaurant, usually with a good beer is the goal with you for us. Do you just enjoy the end of the day off of drift
Speaker 3 00:13:17 And those have been your five questions. Thank you.
Speaker 0 00:13:20 So you guys have this team you're competing? Yes. Um, are there cash prizes? That could be one.
Speaker 2 00:13:25 Yes, but it's, um, it's nothing that is all of the world is it's just like a thank you for price fading. It's, uh, it covers a little bit, but we're not doing it for the money. Right. We do it for, uh, because we enjoy it. It's, it's just a nice getaway with your friends. Right. So
Speaker 0 00:13:43 Do you guys have any, like if there's somebody out watching the show right now that wants to like support me, it'd be through sponsorship or like getting involved with parts and stuff. That's something you guys invite or are you guys like, no, we got this
Speaker 2 00:13:54 We're super open. Uh, we're very tankful that Napa Fort MacMurray is a big supporter for us. So that has been like brand. If you watched this a big tank, you they've been behind our back for, since for a year now. I believe so. Yeah. Very happy with that. But yeah, we're always open with, uh, to work with companies. We have a few different ways to promote them, but at the end of the day, we're just, we're just a bunch of friends that enjoy to do what we do. Right. It's awesome.
Speaker 0 00:14:23 Yeah. No, that is super cool. And you can tell that you're obviously passionate about it. So that's really interesting.
Speaker 2 00:14:30 Yeah. It's been occupying my life for the past, uh, years.
Speaker 0 00:14:34 That's awesome. So are there other teams in town?
Speaker 2 00:14:38 Uh, there's not an actual team, but there's a, there's another very talented drifter who's called Jesse foot. He has a super nice set and he'd come peace with us. So it's fun to, uh, to, uh, to get, to get her out of the truck and then have a few beers after the event. And there's a few, like a grassroot that we call that don't compete, but just coming to hang out and just go, yeah, it's just good fun.
Speaker 0 00:14:59 So with more, most sports and something like this, there's like a culture that goes behind it. And that's like a lot of what you're talking about in regards to like, there's a comradery with people outside of the drifting. Is that what else? Trans what transpires, when you go to these competitions, uh,
Speaker 2 00:15:14 Uh, as, as you mean, um, what I, what do you mean by that question? Sorry.
Speaker 0 00:15:20 Uh, my man Tanner over here, he likes to go to raves for example. Right. And so he has, obviously you go to the rave, there's a dancing, but there's a culture in regards to how people dress and how they interact. I've gone to a few American football games in the states and they have like tailgating parties before the event. When you go to one of your, um, competitions outside of the racing, what transpires around that event?
Speaker 2 00:15:43 Ah, just hanging out with our friends. Most of our friends, our downtown Calgary and Edmonton. So it's just making friends on there. Uh, we have, uh, uh, our friends, Jason deli, who's unfortunately moving to Texas. Uh, this year he always brings his scampered air. And after, after the drifty man, we have a few beers. We play, we play a drinking games and just have fun. Right. It's the main goal of going to a drift event for us is just finding out what our friends and yeah. Just relax for a little bit.
Speaker 0 00:16:12 Okay. Um, I know we're running out of time here, but I got, I got asked this one question when it comes to movies, there's tons of movies out there for racing. And like there's the one that's like has drifting in it in particular. But if there's one go-to movie that kind of showcases what you guys do or a movie, maybe doesn't showcase what you do, but gets you excited about what you do. What would that be?
Speaker 2 00:16:37 I have a big, big, big influence, which is a Tokyo drift. I know it's very cliche, but you just hear that little tent <inaudible> and it just rings a bell for us. And it just puts us in different, uh, different zone if we want to say this, but it's just like that car culture in like Japan and Tokyo is really where it was born. So we tried to transfer it a little bit on the cars, but keeping in mind that we're a work makes us pause. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:17:06 Yeah, man. I'm I'm not gonna lie. I'm going to go watch a movie tonight. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:17:11 Just say it. And you just do some scenes in your ad. You're like, oh my God. I need to watch that movie.
Speaker 0 00:17:17 Very cool. Well man, thank you very much for coming. This has been a pleasure. Time has flown. I say this to all my guests and I truly do mean it. So please take me up on the offer. Please come back again and again and again and again, and I'd love to meet like your teammates. Um, anything that we can do to help like bring more attention to what you guys are doing in your sport. I think it's really cool. Um, yeah. So please take me up on the offer. Come back again, of course. But before everybody leaves, they get their shameless shout out or plug. So the microphone is yours. Whatever you want to do, whoever you want to out, it's all you, um,
Speaker 2 00:17:52 Probably our biggest bug would be, uh, I'm going to announce it here cause it's not very, uh, official yet, but we're trying to bring a freestyle motocross at the track on the September 18 and 19 during their, uh, third batch, uh, double. Okay. So we'll do it. They'll after your own races. And uh, as usual we bring our tracks into our cars on the tracks and just drift a few labs just to keep the show going. And, uh, our castle cloning came and came out and offered to come and do a freestyle motocross do back slip on big John. So that would be probably the biggest thing to plug. So September 18 and 19 at area 63, besides that, uh, if you're interested in things, we do 8, 8 1 crew on every social media. And besides that big, thank you for you for reaching out. That was very awesome.
Speaker 0 00:18:37 Yeah, man. No worries. Thank you. Well, I hope I'm going to follow you guys and hope that everybody else says too, because I think what'd, you guys do is pretty, pretty cool. Yeah. <inaudible> Everybody at home, uh, in Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. Thanks for tuning into another episode of the Mac city morning show from the bottom of my heart. It really does mean the world to me. So thank you very much on that note. Have a great day and we'll see you tomorrow. Peace.
