I had the very fortunate honor of being a guest with Chris Forsberg and his team for the 5th Formula D round in Seattle. I had the opportunity to follow and document the day of competitions with Chris. The day started with Chris rubbing the crusty from his eyes, to the day-to-day race operations, then a quiet moment of self reflection with him and his car before the top 16, and finally, to stand on the top step of the podium! It was quite the experience to be a 'ghost' and follow the team around. You get witness things that you never would have known about by just being a spectator at an event!

So, without further adieu, here's a glimpse into a day with one of the hardest working drivers on the grid:

The red shirt under my hoodie is my lucky “game day” shirt, I wore it every Saturday in ‘07 but for some reason I did not in ‘08. I decided to bring it back for ’09, it’s been working out well so far!

I eat very little during event days, I started the day with a waffle and coffee but during the course of the day I will only have a few pieces of fruit and a Nature’s Valley granola bar.



This morning was a bit more relaxed than most, it’s not very often that we get to sit down and have any sort of meal before the day starts



This is me talking to my mom before the start of the event. You will almost always see my mom and dad at the events, they have been very supportive over the years. I have learned a lot since I started my own team in ’07 but I can sincerely say that we have only made it as far as we have because of their guidance.



Formula Drift’s coverage of the events is great, the camera crew talks to as many drivers as they can during the day so they have the best content after each event is over.



I had to borrow this suitcase from my father-in-law, Mark. He just retired after 40 years of being a police officer. When you open the briefcase you can still see the imprint of his holstered gun that he carried in that case.

When I am not racing, I am running expense reports! Well sort of, I think Linhbergh was trying to capture the fact that in addition to driving, I have taken on the responsibility of running my own team. I must say, it is definitely more business than I would prefer to deal with but it has all been worth it so far.



Here, my crew chief Kevin Wells and I were discussing whether or not to change the grip of the car before we ran against McNamara. His car is so fast that we thought it may help us keep up with him. In the end, we decided it would be best to stick with the existing set-up.



Nos… Nom nom nom nom!

I can only wear these super awesome gold glasses when I’m in my race suit. I just can’t pull them off in jeans and a t-shirt.



This is the time in between runs where we get to sit in our cars agonizing over what we just did or what we must do next. This is where the mind can take you over and lead you to make mistakes. Over thinking is sometimes your biggest enemy out there.



Zzzzzzz... Actually, I am not sleeping in this one. However I have nodded off in the car a few times. I did in Atlanta and Vegas, those days are so long and hot that it really wears you out especially if you are still in the competition towards the finals. And especially if the pair before gets some one more times going, you can sit in the car for up to twenty minutes just waiting.



Self Explanatory.

I have run up the back of my car onto the roof every round since Atlanta 2006. I have many quirky routines (superstitions) that I do every round.  

Darren and I running the bank in Top 16. As we transferred into the infield he took a tight line and crashed into the side of my car which broke my door... Sorry SEIBON!



Another awesome shot of our car as it slides through the infield… I wish the lighting looked this awesome in real life!



Warming up the tires before the final round. We always heat up our tires as much as possible... the hotter the conditions, the better they perform.

Exhausted yet exhilarated! This win is what really pushed us out in the lead for the championship.

That is Blair Stopnik from MMI, he is my manager, my spotter, and my good friend. I am in constant communication with him throughout the event. And to the right is my lovely wife Michelle a.k.a. Team Mom!

Celebrating!! Eric O’Sullivan earned his first Formula Drift podium so I’m sure he was as thrilled as I was to be up there!
 


Umbrella girls… not for this guy! I can hold my own umbrella if I want to.

-Chris Forsberg

ChrisForsberg.com
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