ORIGINALLY AIRED: 9/18/2005

Follow The Leader

Episode #5014

Join us as we follow current points leader Rhys Millen as he prepares for the Chicago drift event with his team, Rhys Millen Racing. Though competitive drifting is a comparatively new sport in the US, Millen has been racing cars since 1992 and following in the footsteps of his rally racing father Rod Millen. Before entering the drifting world, Millen made a name for himself racing and creating custom auto parts with Team RMR.

In preparation for an event, Millen and his team look over his Pontiac GTO extensively, checking every part for damage to prevent any chances of mechanical failure during competition. Drifting takes a heavy toll on automobiles, but customization has made at least driving the car a bit easier. Some of the customizations in Millen's vehicle include a hydraulic hand brake, an increased turning angle for the tires, an aerodynamic spoiler, and a special steering wheel that reduces the amount of spins to make a full turn to one and a half from three and a half. After that's all said and done, Millen hangs out with fellow drivers Rich Rutherford and Tanner Foust, relaxing with some non-motorsports activities.

However, even careful preparation and meticulous maintenance may not be enough to ensure that everything runs smoothly at a drift event. After Millen made it Chicago, he ran into a glut of problems, starting with hitting the wall during a practice run. Though the crash didn't look too terrible on camera, the whole rear trailing arm was twisted and the car suffered moderate damage. The team was able to fix it temporarily, and Millen was able to qualify in sixth place. However, in the first round of tandem runs, the power steering pump of Millen's GTO was torn open when he clipped the back of Ken Gushi's Toyo Tires Mustang. His team was able to put a quick fix on it, but Millen was still defeated by Gushi after a "one more time" was called.

Millen may have ended the day early at Chicago, but that doesn't mean he's not going to be a contender at Irwindale!

Plus, Mayleen's got an update on the G4 drift car--we'll head down to Turbotechnic to install the finishing touches on the inside including the air intake, inner cooler piping and turbo system. Then, it will head to AEM for tuning. After that, it's all set for a day at the track in Irwindale!