Full Name: Clayton Richey
Nick name: The “Dry Cup” Drifter
Age: 19
Residence: Reston, VA
Web Site: http://www.yoshiware.com/slideways
# of Years in motor sports: One year!
Automobile: 1990 Mazda Miata convertible, 1.6L DOHC motor.

Modifications
Suspension: Racing Beat Springs, Koni Adjustable Shocks, Racing Beat swaybars
Engine: Jackson Racing 2 ¼ in. exhaust, RX7 AFM, Torsen LSD
Interior/Cosmetic: No carpets, no radio, cut dash, Bride Vios III seat, M&R 5-point Harness
Exterior/Cosmetic: Stock
Any sponsors? Not as of yet, but I’d love to pick up a sponsor for the USDrift events I’m going to be going to.

When and how did you get into drifting and/or other motor sports?
I bought my car in 2003 because I wanted to get into motorsports. I knew I wanted to do something with cars and going fast, but I wasn’t sure what. I started off with the Miata because I knew it was a very well-handling car. At first I went to an autocross, and I thought that was fun but kind of short-lived. I did a track day, and that was great but really expensive. Finally, I went to USDrift’s Cloverleaf Mall event, and I had so much fun and so much track time that I knew that drifting was what I wanted to do. It was a lot of fun, and it didn’t cost too much money.

What was the first car you used for drifting?
My first and only car is my Miata. I’m looking into getting a Corolla however . . .

How did it work out for you?
My Miata is NOT an easy drift car. It’s a lot like a Corolla in size and power, but very different in suspension and chassis setup. It’s a short-wheelbase, 50/50-balance, and high-grip car, so it doesn’t like to slide. When it does, it wants to swap ends faster than you can say, “Dorifto Majico.” Needless to say, I’ve been doing this for about a year and I’m still struggling to make it do what I want it to do.

What was your most practiced technique?
I used weight transfer mostly, and feint initiation.

What is it now?
I still use feint and weight transfer, but I’ve started to clutch kick as well. I find that helps the car initiate at low speeds where the weight isn’t enough to make the car slide and pulling the e-brake just slows me down.

Where are you looking to improve?
I’d love to improve all aspects of my driving. I suppose that the most important part for me right now is working on high-speed drifts. They are the most difficult to hold and maintain due to the twitchy nature of my car. I’d love to become faster at grip driving, which is what the car is really intended for, but haven’t had the money and time to both drift and autocross/hit the track. Because I have to choose, I chose drifting because it’s more fun.

What types of events have you participated it?
I’ve done autocrosses, track days, and drift events. I’ve never drag raced.

What type of events have you competed in?
I have only competed at drift events.

What do you find challenging?
I find it very challenging to drift my car smoothly. It’s a very rough, hard-to-control slider. It’s hard for me to make transitions and initiations smoothly. I feel like I have to fight the car to make it slide. The car was designed to be very grippy, so that’s not too surprising.

Who are your influences?
Keiichi Tsuchiya is probably my only driving influence. Watching him drift in “Drift Bible” is just awesome. The key part of that film for me is when he drifts the green Miata through the high-speed section at Ebisu. It’s the only Miata in the movie, but I think it’s so cool that he chose to demonstrate that very tough section in the Miata. I’m also an avid reader of Road and Track, so I like to read about old-school race drivers like Juan Manual Fangio, A.J. Foyt, Ayrton Senna, and Alain Prost. In my heart I still think that high level grip drivers embody the highest level of driving ability. I wish I could learn to drive like that. One day I will, maybe.

What modifications would you like to have in the future?
I’d really love to turbo my car. I think that would give me a lot of torque that would help me to break the rear loose. With more power, it’d be easier for me to initiate and sustain my drifts. I’d also like to do a few more things like add coil-overs, do some body repair, and maybe get a hard top.

What are your future plans in drifting?
I’m beginning to think now that my Miata is not a good choice for drifting. I constantly feel like I’m fighting the car to make it slide, instead of feeling as if the car is working with me. I’m not sure if I’m ready to switch to another car yet, but I’m thinking about it. If I do anything, I’ll find a nice Corolla that needs a little work and turn it into a slide machine. Doing so would allow me to modify each car for its intended purpose, instead of having to compromise by having one car do both.

Your thoughts on the future of drifting?
I have no idea what direction this is going to take. I’m not worried about people “ruining” drifting. I don’t think that’s a realistic concern. All my experiences with the people running events have been very positive, so I am optimistic about the future of this sport.

Anything else you would like us to know about you?
I’m also a Journalism student at George Mason, so I write the occasional article (some of which make it to Drift411!) Please check out my web log at http://racerstory.blogspot.com. I’d really love to write for an automotive magazine like Sport Compact Car or Road and Track, so I’m starting with a blog to hone my skills.
Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to say. I think everyone should come out and have some fun with their car. Whatever it is, whatever you like to do, have some fun and be safe.

lost pics...