2NR: What was it about the early days that transformed our scene from an underground, L.A. subculture to pop culture?
Frank: You guys. The magazines. You guys helped it explode, made it die-off, and now it seems like some of you are helping to bring it back, again. Back in the day, there was no Internet, and Cable TV didn't give a shit about us. Magazines were all we had to get information from. And having your car featured in the mags was like finding the holy grail.
Ken: They were our Bible!
2NR: What was it like, working with the mags back then?
Frank: The kids reading the mags back then got a good taste of the grassroots of our scene that they don't get today. That's what I think helped spawn big-time import drag racing and shows. But on the flip side...
2NR: Oh no, here it comes [laughs]...
Frank: The minute drag racing and event coverage left the books, they left our scene, and everything took a dive. And I understand that the Internet beats out print on event coverage, but there's a certain tangibility and permanence of print that gives the mags an authority the Internet doesn't have. You guys are the voice and the validation tool. And now that some of you are starting to get back to your roots, I think we're looking at a brighter future.
Ken: Another thing our scene had back in the day, was that people and companies were very specialized. Everybody focused on what they were best at, instead of one company trying to control everything. That, along with more roundtable-type communication, could be really good for the scene.
Frank: A good example of that was NIRA. They were tied to a very popular magazine, and in order to race in their circuit, you had to be in good with the magazine and their advertisers. But, then, what if you raced NIRA? Maybe NHRA wouldn't want you, or the other mags wouldn't want to give you coverage. From the business standpoint, you had companies that wanted to support NIRA, because of incentives they could offer that the other guys couldn't, despite it being a series with very limited experience.
2NR: What were Battle's and Showoff's roles in helping the scene take off?
Frank: Obviously, the FWD racing was started here, and after Oscar broke into the 13s, everyone was battling each other for the next drag racing milestone: 12s, 11s, 10s, etc. The Bergenholtz brothers inventing the traction bar for FWD cars, the incorporation of tube-frame chassis, and whatever else all spawned from that. The cars got faster, and more companies and parts got onboard. (pauses) I've always had a good relationship with GReddy and Trust in Japan, and when I went over to meet Mr. Hiyakowa, and convinced him to let Battle bring over some Japanese cars to compete, that turned out to be a big deal.
2NR: I remember the blue R32. I missed that Battle, but everyone in L.A. was talking about it.
Frank: Yep, and we brought over the Top Fuel race team for a while, the JUN Hyper Lemon. And it just started from there. There was a rivalry between the Top Fuel CRX and Tony Fuchs' car... all that pushed the U.S. racers with new competition, and in turn, pushed the whole thing further.
Ken: The first Showoff winner was Non Fujita's FD RX-7, which was built to Option magazine specs - which he drove to the shows - which helped spark the clean, JDM street car trend that Import Showoff came to be known for.
Frank: After a trip to Osaka and meeting Drifter X, Komatsu, and experiencing drifting, I knew I had to find a way to bring drift to the US, and so Drift Showoff was born at Irwindale's parking lot in 2003. Also, it was on one of those trips to Japan that I met Daijiro Yoshihara, who eventually introduced me to Jerry from Pac Rim.
2NR: Show and drift pioneer! Looking back, what were some of the wack trends that you look back on and think, "What were we thinking back then?!"
Ken: colored vinyl seats, for sure.
Frank: Carter, didn't you have those on your DC2 [laughs]?