Engage a Ferrari F12 with a 1,300 hp engine in a drifting competition is an absurd idea in itself. To do it with no real preparation, very little practice, no spare parts, and with the sole aim of trying to win... a skateboard, is almost delirious. But that's exactly what Daily Driven Exotics did at the LZ World Tour. Right from the start, the tone is set: «I'm taking part in my very first professional drifting competition... and I'm scared to death.»
A really bad idea?
From the very first seconds, Damon Fryer doesn't try to make himself look good. He admits himself that entering his very first real drift competition with a Ferrari as expensive as it is radical is a bad idea. Not only because the car is worth a fortune, but also because he's driven it very little.
Damon Fryer makes no secret of the scale of the challenge: «I'm taking part in my very first professional drifting competition... and I'm scared to death,» he explains at the start of the video. The reason is simple: he has hardly driven the car for several months. «I have almost no experience of drifting,» he confesses, pointing out that he hadn't driven the Ferrari since November, apart from a few test laps the day before the competition.
But the problem doesn't stop with the driver. The Car is only partially prepared for drifting. Sure, it has a full roll bar, but it lacks the essential elements found on real competition cars. «If I hit the front, there's nothing to prevent the intercooler from crashing into the rest of the car,» he explains. In other words, there's no crash bar to absorb the impact, and the bodywork is still very close to the original.
A Ferrari among real drift cars
On site, the contrast is striking. Around him, Damon discovers ultra-light cars, chassis designed for the discipline and easily replaceable bodywork, capable of withstanding repeated contact without drama. In the video, a BMW E36 drift car perfectly illustrates this philosophy: around 1,000 kg, carbon/Kevlar bodywork, removable panels and a structure designed to withstand impacts. In contrast, the Ferrari F12 retains expensive and fragile components. Its original headlights, for example, are said to be worth almost $10,000.
Opposite him are experienced drivers with cars specially prepared for drifting, such as a Toyota Supra dedicated to the discipline. Cars made to be pushed to the limit, repaired quickly and put back on track. Even the other drivers humorously point this out to him. In drifting, contact is part of the game. Some are already joking about the moment when someone comes along and puts a wheel on their door. «It's not a real drift car until there's a mark on the door,» says one.
In other words, Damon is about to compete in a professional event with a car that is spectacular, very powerful, but fundamentally unsuited to the logic of competitive drifting. And all to win... a skateboard. While Damon and his entourage are talking about a car costing close to a million dollars, the trophy promised to the winner brings a gentle smile: a skateboard. «We're risking a million dollars... to win a skateboard,» the team sums up ironically. The discrepancy is total. On the one hand, a 1,300hp Ferrari F12 racing among experienced drivers; on the other, a symbolic reward that obviously has nothing to do with the risks taken.
From competition to show
Even before qualifying, Damon realized that his 1,300hp Ferrari F12 was not the ideal car for this kind of exercise. For four long years, however, his team transformed this 2013 Ferrari F12 into a truly exceptional machine. Two turbochargers were added to boost power to around 1,300 hp, all powered by a specific high-performance fuel, Ignite Red (E90), reserved for the most extreme engines. A project that clearly runs counter to Ferrari's original philosophy, but gives birth to a unique car.
Powerful and impressive, it does have a slight advantage in that its tires are wider than those of many of its rivals, which can give it greater grip and stability. But the experience quickly turned into a headache. The team arrived on site with minimal resources: «We literally had no spare parts». The day was soon disrupted by a problem with the alternator belt. A critical failure, as the car relies on important electrical systems (power steering, fans), impossible to operate without an alternator.
Despite the stress and the technical problems, Damon managed to get off to a good start, scoring 55 points in his first run. «At least I didn't crash,» he says after his run. In the end, he finished second to last, but above all he saved the day by avoiding an accident with a Ferrari that was far too valuable for this type of event.
What follows is almost more important for the show than for the result: Damon takes to the track again, turning his performance into a real demonstration.
Penultimate, but memorable moment
On paper, finishing almost last is no great feat. And yet, this adventure remains a real showstopper. After all, it wasn't really about seeing Damon Fryer win, but rather about witnessing something you almost never see: a Ferrari F12 engaged without restraint in a discipline where, in theory, it has no business being. As one commentator put it, «He doesn't know the rules of the sport... but what a showman!»
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