Brought to you by Usual Suspects LA

coverage by Brando

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Brought to you by Usual Suspects LA

Coverage by Brando

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Formula Drift – Streets of Long Beach
Round 1
April 6-7, 2012

Round 1 of Formula Drift was an exciting start to what looks like a stellar year for drifting.  Justin Pawlak took 1st place in Long Beach and did so again in Atlanta for Round 2.  Can he do it again in Florida?  We shall see.

Results for Round 1
1st Place: Justin Pawlak
2nd Place: Daijiro Yoshihara
3rd Place: Daigo Saito

Round 3 is less than three weeks away in Palm Beach, Florida.  For more information, visit formulad.com

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photo by Ice

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Spring Break where did you go?!  Oh I know… you went hiding because of this Heat…  Sometimes even us Los Angelenos can’t even take the heat.  It feels like we just jumped right into summer season already!  Well readers I hope all of you are staying cool and staying fit!  Summer break is just around the corner (officially) and that means more fun in the sun!  Summer is the ultimate season for the hardcore party goer so that means a lot of fitness , and a lot of Pool Parties! I hope you guys have been sticking to those diets and those work out plans.  If so, then meet us out at the nearest pool party!  And when I mean nearest I mean…. ALL OF THEM.

For our Monthly Feature we wanted to introduce to you a dear friend of ours who originally from Maryland has moved from Los Angeles to the West Coasts party capital, Las Vegas.  Corissa Furr has been a local to Los Angeles and the Orange County area for quite a long time until last winter she made the trade from LA to LV.  Without a doubt we had to sit down with this girl and give you guys the 411 on what’s going on with her this summer.

Corissa, tell us what is new with you? Oh you know other than leaving LA for Vegas ?

– Haha, I didn’t LEAVE anything for Vegas.  I still go back to Cali all the time.  It’s just convenient to have a place in both SoCal, ANNNNND Vegas, don’t you think?  =)

What brings you out to LV anyways? *tear* JK )

– I was driving back and forth to Vegas quite a bit for modeling jobs.  It became so frequent, and then I found out how CHEAP the rent is here in Vegas… so I said “Hey, what the hell?”   haha

Even though Maryland is where you originally came from what do you really miss about LA?

– I do miss the weather.  Vegas is about to be insanely hot for summer, so I’m thinking of heading back to cali for those hot summer months.  I want to go to a real beach.  Oh, and I GUESS I miss you guys, too.  =P

Being an MMA fanatic and ring girl can you give us any tips on how to get fit for this summers pool party season?

– Welllll, I actually kinda hate working out, so I don’t really do much of it.  For me, I believe it’s all about diet.  I eat really healthy, and it’s pretty easy for me to maintain my figure.  I’ve also been told by a lot of celebrities and fighters that plenty of sleep is very important.   Naturally, I have no objections to that….

Two part question… How did you get into being a ring girl and were those round cards heavy?

– I’ve been a long time fan of MMA, so when I heard that Strikeforce was having a contest to find their new ring girl, I entered that same day.  I was actually the FIRST girl to submit a video entry… haha.   I won, became a ring girl, started doing fighter interviews and other video segments for the sport, and the rest is history.  OR — the future, actually.  Oh, and the cards of course weigh like a million pounds.

What would you say was your favorite part is being a ring girl?

– DUHHHH, I get PAID to sit cageside for the fights!!!! No-brainer.

So we happen to believe that we’ve seen you on Spike Tv’s Manswers many times….we just have to ask . IS IT YOU?

– Hahaha!! Yes!!  I’m in the MANswers intro at the beginning of all the shows (yes, with the classy MANswers tramp stamp tattoo)… and I’m pretty sure you’ll see me in just about every  episode of Season 4.

What’s your favorite Summer break Memory in LA?

– I don’t know if it counts as an LA memory… but the OC Fair! Deep fried Klondike bars and chocolate covered bacon, ftw!

Say we were at a pool party and a beach ball just so happened to fly and land one right in your face. What would you do?

– I would just toss it up and attempt to volley it into someone else’s face.

Now what would you do if it were me that threw it by accident ?

– I would totally spike it in your face!

What’s your favorite drink to sip on in the summer?

– I like a nice, cold beer on a hot summer day.  Or a vodka soda, two limes.

Any thank you’s?

– Yes!  Thank you to my friends and family, of course for always supporting me, and understanding my busy schedule.  Thank you to the many people I have had the pleasure of working with, and who have helped me to get where I am!  You all know who you are!  Too many to name, and I don’t want to leave anyone out!  THANK YOU TO ALL THE FANS!!!  And, thanks of course to IRLA for having me! =)

Be sure to Check out this UFC insider segment with Corissa Furr!

Photos by Andrew Ho

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Wondercon
Anaheim, CA
March 16-18, 2012

So this year, Wondercon was held in the O.C., just right across from Disneyland.  Normally this event is held in San Francisco at the Moscone Center, but there was construction in the center that prevented Wondercon from using the facilities this year.  Their loss up in the Bay Area meant a new event in Southern California.

The best way to describe Wondercon is that it is like a smaller version of Comic Con.  It kind of reminded me of the Comic Con from years ago when it wasn’t as crowded and you didn’t have to purchase tickets half a year in advance.  But at Wondercon you still had the great panels, a smaller masquerade on Saturday, and the many cosplayers dressed as their favorite characters.  Fun times.  I think I have prepared myself for the big one in San Diego now.

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This year there were a lot more rookies than ever before.  It made for an exciting atmosphere as more drivers were gunning for the limited 32 qualifying spots of competition.  There was one “rookie” driver that stood out from that pack of newbies.  His name was Daigo Saito.  He may be new to Formula Drift, but he is far from being an amateur in the sport of drifting.  Daigo has been competing in D1 Grand Prix in Japan for years before he came to this series.  And boy did he make his presence known when he slid his 1,200 hp Lexus SC430 around the turns.  I do not believe any other car produced as much tire smoke as he had.

Formula Drift will also be aired on NBC Sports.  I think this new exposure made the drivers push even harder to put on a show.  Some pushed their cars too hard and smacked into the concrete k-rails, tires, or both.  I don’t think I have ever seen as many crashes at this track in the many years I had covered the event here.

The top 32 qualifying drivers for Friday are:

Driver: Score:
1 R. Tuerck #62 97
2 R. Millen #67 96
3 V. Gittin Jr. #25 95
4 J. Pawlak #13 93
5 E. Amandio #30 92
6 D. Yoshihara #9 90.5
7 T. McQuarrie #17 89
8 C. Grunewald #79 88.5
9 D. McNamara #8 87.5
10 R. Kado #614 87
11 F. Aasbo #151 86.5
12 C. Forsberg #64 86
13 K. Mohan #99 85.5
14 K. Gushi #21 84.5
15 G. Marstanovic #111 82
16 T. Aono #86 79.5
17 M. Powers #665 78
18 D. Saito #430 78
19 J. Lowe #138 78
20 M. Essa #101 78
21 T. Angelo #96 77.5
22 C. Denofa #88 75
23 P. Mordaunt #90 75
24 K. Moen #22 72
25 R. Nishida #31 70.5
26 J. Maeng #51 68.5
27 M. Field #777 68
28 T. Yoshioka #5 67.5
29 R. Petty #808 67.5
30 O. Bakchis #723 67
31 N. D’Alessio #84 63
32 D. Mertzanis #323 61.5

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photo by Ice

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