Profile

 

Joey Whitaker has been racing his entire life. Whether it’s short track racing, drag racing, karting or drifting, Joey has been behind the wheel of it. For Joey, drifting is his favorite form of racing not only because he has a passion for it but also because of the nature of the sport. It’s the competition that fuels his competitive nature and it’s the people of the sport that he calls friends and family. Drifting is a major part of who he is and that shows on and off the track.

Having purchased his first 240sx 6 years ago he immediately knew that there was something special about the sport of drifting. He prepared the car for the 2010 season equipping it with a RB20DET motor set and adequate suspension mods. By learning the ropes of drifting throughout the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons Joey earned himself 12 Streetwise Drift Grassroots series Top 16 appearances and a second place finish.

After his success of his first three years in the Grassroots levels of drifting, Joey decided to make the transition into Pro-Am competition for the entire 2013 and 2014 Pro-Am seasons. During the 2013 Pro-Am season Joey realized his RB20DET was restricting his ability to effectively match the competition. Having experienced this, he realized there was work to be done in order to compete for the 2014 season. By upgrading every facet of his car including full suspension upgrades, Formula Drift spec cage and an LS1 power plant, Joey was now up to par with the level of competition he would be facing.

Unfortunately the 2014 season never came due to a major illness his mother was facing. For the first 6 months of 2014 Joey was by her bedside. It was during this time away from the sport that not only brought him closer to his family but also brought the drifting family closer to Joey. With the full support of Joey, his family and his brothers and sisters within the drifting community his mother made a full recovery. Having gone through this trialing time, Joey now realized what was important to him. His family, his friends and his career in racing.

For the last event of the 2014 Streetwise Drift Pro-Am season, Joey made it to the top 8 of competition and set his sights on the 2015 season. It was over the course of the 2015 season he released and fine-tuned a new suspension package, upgraded his motor and transmission and truly began to see what it takes to win.

With the 2016 season ahead of him, a team and business partners backing him and the support of his family and the community, this year is the year Joey Whitaker earns his Formula Drift License.