December '96
STR will be forever remembered for crafting this Del Sol in an attempt to become the world's fastest Honda. Sadly, 600hp was just too much for its brittle axles, preventing the dragster from making a consistent pass down the 1320. | 
Even before Ken Miyoshi came up with the idea for Drift Showoff and D1 invaded the US, Option tried its hand at introducing drifting to the US with a small invitational event at Willow Springs Raceway. Keichi Tsuchiya and Dai Inada judged current pro drifters Rhys Millen and Bryan Norris, but First place actually went to a FWD CRX! |
If we got a penny for every time someone called us a ricer mag, we'd be super filthy rich. This Sentra is proof why. | |
January '97
One would think that the greatest car shows originate in the West Coast, but it actually goes down in the southern state of Georgia. The Meyers brothers, who run the NOPI (Number One Parts Inc.) chain stores, held a huge motorsports expo dubbed the NOPI Nationals at the Lakewood Exhibition Center, featuring show, lowriding and SCCA competitions all in one venue.
The NOPI Nationals became so big that it moved to the Atlanta Motor Speedway to accommodate its crowds. This year's show is its biggest ever need proof? Check out the headliner: Ludacris.
The birth of a legend: RJ DeVera took show cars to a new height when his crew, Kosoku launched as Southern California's premier car club.
February '97
A'PEXi joins the US market alongside HKS and GReddy as a leading supplier of performance parts for high horsepower Japanese models.