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Lance Feliciano
Dream big
Lance Feliciano is one of the youngest drivers to compete in Formula D and the D1 Grand Prix. He is also the first Filipino to do so
Words by Paulo Rafael T. Subido; Photography by Filbert Kung and Glen Peter Perez
At the age of ten, Lance Feliciano already knew how to drive and had big dreams of becoming a rally driver. All that changed after he met the original Drift King, Keiichi Tsuchiya and watched in awe as the legend sliced through the Willow Springs Raceway, sideways. “I didn’t know that you could connect the corners like that,” recounts Lance. “Drifting wasn’t big and nobody knew what it was, but I knew right then and there that I wanted to drift. I was just 12 years old.”
Long before the drift craze hit the world, he had already been honing his skills on the deserted industrial streets of Los Angeles and the canyon roads around California in his father’s old AE86 Toyota. “The kids in high school used to make fun of me,” recalls Lance. “Back then, it was all about Civics and Integras, and I was always asked if what I drove was a Back To The Future car! But I knew that if I was going to make it big, I had to practice every day.”
In 2003, one of his best friends died in a drift-related car accident. Lance’s mother struck a deal with her son: She told him that she would finance and fully support his career as a drifter—as long as he never raced on the streets again. The mother-and-son tandem have been working their way to the top ever since. But it certainly wasn’t easy.
“I started competing in the amateur leagues, trying to qualify for Formula D and D1—the big leagues,” Lance shares. “In 2005, I finally made it to the D1 qualifier. Their press releases said that I was a driver to watch for. But when my turn came, I wanted it so bad and pushed it so hard. My car actually caught fire during the qualifier, and I was out! I had to rebuild the car, find new sponsors, and start all over again. There were many times when it wasn’t happening for me. The car wouldn’t work, or sometimes I’d put so much pressure on myself and that would mess up my run.”
Lance’s break came when Formula D held national tryouts. He took first place for the western division and was invited to join the Formula D Pro Am finals. The prize? Only the top three amateurs would become eligible to turn pro. Lance finished in second place, and it has been a roller-coaster ride ever since.
According to Lance, now 21, the drift scene in the US isn’t a joke. You have to be more than just a driver and to always put your best foot forward. Proper preparation is also key. “Some Filipinos in LA want to do it the easy way since they don’t want to spend too much,” he says. “I used to be like that, but I realized that I really did need the right equipment. I learned not to rush things and to go through it the right way. You have to struggle to be successful.”
His advice to the kids who want to be part of the fastest-growing motor sport?
“It takes hard work and dedication—and a lot of support. As soon as it gets so hard and you want to quit, that’s the time to man up and work harder. That is a sign that fulfilling your dream is just around the corner. I live by the saying that you have to sacrifice the little things in life for the bigger things that are worthwhile. I’ve already come so far; I cannot turn back now.”
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Top Gear Philippines - July 2008
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