For a guy like Stephan Papadakis, competing as a world-class drag racer and breaking records on the 1320 just isn't enough. When you take a look at where he came from, where he's been, and where he's about to go, you'll know that for Steph, settling for anything but the best is, just like we said, not enough. And while his pro sponsorships keep him happily focused on going down a straight line, his sights are set on another goal: testing his skills and patience as a hopeful drifter. Not to be mistaken for a bandwagon hopper, this extremely personable driver is out on the drift circuit for one reason and one reason only: to have a bit of fun. And who are we to argue?
The recent obsession sparked off last year when Steph bought an old Nissan 240SX from a friend of his. From there, he went semi-serious with the car by perfectly prepping the chassis for drift with a custom-built SR20 and a rollcage. After a few practice sessions at the local drift meets, he learned early on that no matter how great his skill was on the dragstrip, the dynamics of a car while sliding are a much greater and different challenge than going as fast as possible down a straight line. It was also during this time that he realized his selection for a competent drift car could potentially come from an already major supporter. He states, "Toward the end [of last year], I became more involved with Honda, doing commercials and whatnot, and really, I am a Honda guy. So I talked to them to see if they had any old press cars that I could potentially turn into a drift car. They actually had a 2.2L '04 S2000 that fit the criteria I was looking for, so we built it and I like it. It took a lot of modification to make it drift well, but now we have things worked out pretty well."
A lot of the problem-solving advice came from the well-established pairing of Alex Pfeiffer and Design Craft's Gary Castillo, both of whom work with the RS*R team, which competes with a track-proven S2K. Gary suggested that the AEM/DriverFX team should alter the steering rack in order to achieve more angle because the factory rack and pinion is electronically assisted, which is limiting to a certain degree. "We changed the rack and pinion to that of an FD RX-7,PI" says Steph, "which is hydraulically assisted. We also had to use the Mazda power steering pump, modified all of the mounts, and then modified the RX-7 rack and pinion to get even more steering angle out of it, which there's plenty of now. I mean, you can only drift as much as you have steering [angle], so you're always looking for more angle in order to drift well."
The team also ran into issues with the weight of the S2, which is really centered because of the engine position and fuel tank, both of which are positioned more toward the passenger cabin. "It's very twitchy," he continues, "especially when you're trying to get it sideways. It won't hang out, or if you want to make a transition from one direction to another, it wants to stop on center." With those concerns addressed, the team made the necessary changes to the suspension in order to "unbalance" the car and, at the same time, alter the Honda design to give Steph the most suitable drift S2000. Afterward, the team needed to prep the F20 motor for a much-needed power boost.
Because the high-revving 2.2L F20C was to be used, it only seemed fitting to equip it with a turbo kit so that Steph could build up a lot of speed upon entry and maintain that power during a drift. It's all thanks to a ball-bearing GT30 from Garrett that has been tuned with an AEM EMS to produce 400 hp on the dyno. XS Engineering crafted a custom intercooler kit, which sits V-mounted in the engine bay and allows for the C&R aluminum radiator to be placed into the front air dam. AEM slipped on its own custom intake while DC Sports fabbed up a stainless exhaust manifold and an exhaust system. The fuel delivery system is top shelf as well, using a series of 720cc RC Engineering injectors, an AEM fuel regulator, and a Walbro 255I in-tank fuel pump. And while the factory transmission is still being used, it has been equipped with a stronger six-puck clutch from ACT and a two-way LSD from OS Giken to help maneuver the car properly under hard drifting.
With the engine setup and custom rack and pinion out of the way, Steph and the AEM crew turned their attention to the suspension, where a fashionable (and functional) set of Ohlins coilovers, SPC adjustable ball joints, and Comptech sway bars keep the S2K on target during a slide. Rotora provided a set of monster 13-inch brakes for the front wheels as well as the rear discs, while Motegi Trak Lite 2s now make a home at all four corners. Toyo, which sponsors the AEM/DriverFX Civic, also has performance tires that can handle the rigors of drifting, so it came as no surprise to see its Proxes T1-S as Steph's top selection.
Inside the car, and with the top removed, you can see a protective rollcage in place alongside the Sparco Rev seats and steering wheel, AEM UEGO gauge controller, as well as various A'PEXi electronics. The exterior maintains a stock look with the exception of a Honda Factory Performance lip spoiler and the wild graphic scheme from G Cube Designs and Modern Image.
While Steph has picked up the sport quickly, there's still much for this pro driver to learn when it comes to drifting. "I'm planning to hit 4 Formula D events this year," he says. "I think qualifying is going to be really hard, and that's really just my short term goal. I'll be racing against guys like Rhys and Samuel, whom I both admire greatly and I know have been drifting for a long time. It will take more than the year and a half that I've been at it to reach the level of where they're at. I just want to go out there and have fun, then try to compete."