Portrait of a Driver: Martin Langlois

The DMCC (Drift Mania Canadian Championship) added a ProAm amateur category to its championship back in 2010 in order to ensure a steady flow of new participants. It helps new drivers test their skills against each other without breaking the bank.

In general, the cars are less powerful as the drivers are competing at a lower skill level than the Pro racers. The Pros garner most of the media attention as they are frequently in the spotlight.

However, a newcomer to the ProAm series managed to gain some attention by capturing the pole position in the first race of the 2013 season, leading to an impressive second-place finish in the season opener.

Trois-Rivières, Quebec native Martin Langlois is a machinist by trade, and he singlehandedly performs the majority of pre-race chassis and engine modifications. Langlois took a few minutes of his time to tell us his story.

Marie-Laurance Paquin (MLP): Where does your passion for this sport come from?

Martin Langlois (ML): My passion for motorsports mainly comes from my family. As a kid, I always tagged along with my dad at various rally events. I immediately modified the first car I ever owned. I went out and bought my Silvia (Nissan 240SX) five years ago. The first few months I only drove it on the street, before slowly transforming it into a track car. It’s exactly the same car that I’m driving in this year’s series.

MLP: Were any modifications made to the car over the winter?

ML: I put in a lot of work last winter to modify the suspension. The engine remains as is because I firmly believe that the way the car handles is what really counts. The Nissan Silvia is a popular car for drifting. I think that the time I spent modifying the suspension to get the jump on my competitors is time well spent.

MLP: Is it your goal to participate in the Pro series in the near future?

ML: Everything depends on this year’s results. It certainly would give me a boost if I manage to climb on the podium a few times, and the prize money is certainly interesting, too. It would help me raise the money I need to modify the engine in order to be more competitive.

MLP: Which engine are you using now?

ML: I’ve got a SR20DET under the hood. I replaced the original turbocharger for a twin-scroll GT3071R, boosting the output to 500 hp, which is approximately 400 to 430 hp at the wheels.

MLP: What’s your objective for the current season?

ML: Last year was my first on the circuit, and I never got the chance to climb on the podium. I had quite a few mechanical issues, and was stressed out to the point that it affected my confidence. I worked on the mental aspect of the sport last winter and I’m looking to “kick butt” this season!

MLP:Who are your toughest opponents?

ML: Eric Belanger, who (I’m surprised) didn’t qualify today. He’s a great driver. Maxime Cyrenne and Michel Pelchat are also worth mentioning.

Source : www.auto123.com