The Goodest Cast - Hangout with the Drift Community

Sara Choi joins The Goodest Cast for one of our most unfiltered episodes yet. From sneaking out to street races in Hawaii to hosting underground car meets in Japan, Sara’s story is a raw and adrenaline-packed ride through car culture, identity, and healing. We talk about: – Street racing and growing up in Hawaii – How cars became her escape from home as a teenager – Hondas, drifting, and late nights on the Kanjo – Her journey through Japan’s car scene and finding drifting – Mental health, psychedelics (“vegetables”), and ending generational trauma – Gumball 3000, international competition, and balancing it all This episode isn’t just about cars. It’s about survival, transformation, and how the right kind of chaos can change your life for the better. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/sara.choi/ Sponsors: https://www.chasebays.com/ “goodestcast” for 5% so you can transfer fluid like a pro https://www.goldeagle.com/303-automotive/ for the best car car product you can buy https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest goodest" for 15% off Accelera 651s & 351s click the link for 10% off the rest and enter "goodest10" Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch to support the podcast!) Patreon: https://patreon.com/Goodestcast Get episodes, merch, and announcements early! Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

In this episode, we sit down with the one and only Hertrech Eugene Jr. better known as Hert to trace the chaotic, hilarious, and deeply personal journey that brought him from crashing his Honda Accord in Orlando to helping build the Hoonigan legacy. From doing donuts in construction lots to faking it ‘til he made it, Hert shares the stories behind the crashes, the cars, the friends, and the passion that shaped his path in drifting and media. Hert is a real one and he didn’t get to where he is now by just luck. If you’ve ever wondered how Hert got here, this is the episode Merch Drop Here: https://goodestco.com/ Only running until the presale ends or they sell out. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/hertlife/ Sponsors: https://www.chasebays.com/ “goodestcast” for 5% so you can transfer fluid like a pro https://www.goldeagle.com/303-automotive/ for the best car car product you can buy https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest goodest" for 15% off Accelera 651s & 351s click the link for 10% off the rest and enter "goodest10" Patreon: https://patreon.com/Goodestcast Get episodes, merch, and announcements early! Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

In this episode, we sit down with the legendary Chelsea DeNofa—FD Champion, RTR driver, and one of the most aggressive and passionate drifters in the game. Chelsea takes us all the way back to his BMX roots and how he transitioned into drifting before the sport really blew up in the U.S. We talk about the early street days, crashing cars with no regrets, the harsh reality of professional competition, and what finally pushed him to step away from Formula Drift. Chelsea gets honest about burnout, chasing dreams with no money, evolving as a driver, and what it really takes to make it work when you love something so much it hurts. If you're into drifting, car culture, or just love hearing the story behind the driver—this one’s a must. Topics include: Chelsea’s start in BMX and early drift days Crashing, learning, and street drifting culture The pressure and burnout of Formula Drift What makes team tandems and grassroots events special Why professional drifting sometimes loses its soul Guest: https://www.instagram.com/chelseadenofa/ Sponsors: https://www.chasebays.com/ 5% off with code “Goodestcast” https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest" for 15% off Accelera 651s & 351s click the link for 10% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch to support the podcast!) Patreon: https://patreon.com/Goodestcast Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Joel along with his Brother Adam are highly influential builders from New Zealand. Under the C’s Garage name they have been putting on a show for two decades. Joel, Adam, and other members over the years have pushed their driving style and with that their cars evolved. They went from floor and wheel scraping drift icons to set up angry SR powered battle machines. It was an honor to sit down and learn the origins of such an iconic group. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/csgarage Sponsors: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products in the game. https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 15% off Accelera 651s & 351s click the link for 10% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch to support the podcast!) Patreon: https://patreon.com/Goodestcast Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/ Thumbnail photo by Themotorhood https://www.instagram.com/themotorhood/

Aaron and Kendal come through for one of the last podcasts recorded at the LA house! We’ve had some crazy times around drifting over the last couple of years. It’s always good to have these hang out episodes with no agenda. We tried to get Laura to do the podcast with us, but she needs some more convincing so let her know in the comments if you want to see that. Guests: https://www.instagram.com/sidewayshatch https://www.instagram.com/kendal240sx Sponsors: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products in the game. https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 15% off Accelera 651s & 351s “goodest10” for 10% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch to support the podcast!) Patreon: https://patreon.com/Goodestcast Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Andy Sapp is a foundational figure in US drifting. Through his work with "Slide America" and his strong local community presence, he's become a pillar of the drifting scene. His memorable words and drifting showcased in the "Keep Drifting Fun" documentary have inspired many. He also drove his e46 325 to Formula Drift events and competed professionally in 2005. Sapp is a highly creative individual who has significantly contributed to the growth of drifting.https://andysapp.com/https://driftmechaniks.com/Sponsors: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products in the game.https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi”Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch to support the podcast!)Patreon: https://patreon.com/GoodestcastHost IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Sebastian is a very talented guy. He loves building vehicles and looks at every part of them as a different art form. Working at Koruworks and building his own cars he has taught himself how to do not one but many of the challenging skill sets some people spend a lifetime trying to perfect. As a judge for Final Bout he picks apart driving and also car building along with execution. Learning about his history and talking about his team drift team, Garage Moon Power was really interesting. It’s crazy what some people can do with with limited resources and a lot of passion. Guest: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/cerebralnebula/⁠ Sponsors:⁠ ⁠ ⁠https://fuelab.com/⁠ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products in the game. ⁠https://koruworks.com/⁠ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” ⁠https://tirestreets.com/goodest⁠ "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: ⁠https://goodestco.com⁠ (grab some merch to support the podcast!) Patreon: ⁠https://patreon.com/Goodestcast⁠ Host IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/⁠ Podcast IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/⁠

Dillon is a jack of all trades, he can draw, build, fabricate, create, and make people laugh. He has an eye for cool stuff and ties everything he works on together with his own personal style. He’s worked for Sketchy Tank, Heatwave Visual, and some other crazy brands. His latest endeavor working for TJ Hunt he continues to have his hands on a lot of different projects and parts of the business. Working on high profile SEMA builds and going drifting is all part of the job. He’s designed liveries for some of the most iconic cars and trucks in the automotive space. As a personality on youtube and in real life Dillon continues to keep us entertained. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/dillon.bjorn/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products in the game. https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch to support the podcast!) Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Goodestcast Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Gregg Bucell runs Koruworks, a staple in the drifting community. He is a professional drifting spotter, judge, commentator, car builder, drifter, and all around character. We talk about everything from the shop origins, our love for Dennis Anderson, to how Formula Drift could it’s best. It’s a wild ride and we wouldn’t expect anything less. Gregg loves drifting and it’s community with all his heart. He will continue to fight to keep the sport cool, exciting, and make sure the people that bring that energy are supported. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/gregg.bucell/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products in the game. https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch to support the podcast!) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Keep it Reet is a Drifting organization based in Australia, they focus on putting together fun and accessible drift events. They also have a strong focus on men’s mental health. The name started as a joke(as a lot of things in drifting do) and has blown up over time. On the podcast we have the Founder Jason Ferron and right hand man Josh Rogers. We talk about the origins of Keep it Reet, and both of their early days of drifting. Jason has been touring the US with his R31 Wagon which he Barra swapped. He has also competed in Australia and in D1NZ as a top contender. They have some big plans for KIR, and hearing the story of how it all came to be is inspiring to anyone who wants to build something in the drift community. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/keepitreet/ https://www.instagram.com/jasonferrondrift/ https://www.instagram.com/jbrogers_/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products in the game. https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch to support the podcast!) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Dom is one of the west coast drifting scene's most low-key guys. He has toured in a band that played the Warped Tour and has driven his Z32 drift car from California to Chicago and back. Dom is an amazing driver and car builder. His 300zx is one of the most iconic drift builds of that chassis type in the US. Even with all that background, he's humble, and you would never know unless you asked—so we did. We talk about his origins with the Goldstar drift team and how that came together. There's a lot to cover, and we've been friends for at least ten years, so there's a lot of lore. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/dominic_goldstar/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products in the game. https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru Works products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch to support the podcast!) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Jay is the youngest member of Auto Factory Realize. He has one of the coolest drift s13’s on the west coast. With its iconic team teal color, the 240sx really pops. Jay has character and has always been good to everyone around him. He wants everyone to win, and that energy has put him in some very cool situations. We talk about his drifting origins and what his goals are as well as the future of drifting in SoCal. Driving with Jay or just hanging out at the track is always a good time but I never knew his story until we recorded this. He’s another example of dedication and true love for the sport of drifting. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/whorechatawhore/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products in the game. https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch or follow us on other channels) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Sebastian, Nikos, and Mike all came up in the car scene together in New Jersey. Through their passion for street racing, drifting, and cool cars captured in unique ways, this led them to chase their dreams in Los Angeles. Seb fell into becoming a curator of cars in music videos and other productions simply based on his passion. Having the desire to properly represent what we know is cool in the drift community is important to all of us and Seb and his team nail it. Mike has been creating visual works of art for a long time, and that led him to the west coast to work on some really cool music videos and other productions as a director of photography along with working with Seb on providing some of the coolest cars on the planet for projects. Nikos is a Toyota diehard and Auto Real Dream teammember who has built some very cool cars over the years. He took a leap and has now joined his east coast friends' journey out west. We sit down and talk about H2Oi, drifting influences, how long the shelf life of drifting in the forefront of pop culture will last, working as media at Rolling Loud in the early days, riding shotgun on the Kanjo Loop with Osaka’s outlaw Civic street racers, and of course origin stories. Guests: https://www.instagram.com/srodriguez92/ https://www.instagram.com/mkoziel/ https://www.instagram.com/rd_nikos/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products around https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch or follow us on other channels) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Leigh Roto is a US drifting veteran. He was once on the infamous team Risky Devil and was featured in iconic drift videos from T2 Films that inspired many, including myself. He is now a part of Proceed, a Drift team composed of some of the most iconic street and track drifters from Chicago. Leigh is very analytical and looks at drifting through an objective lens. He is also now offering drifting webinars and in-person training through his company, D Corp. We touch on a lot of interesting topics and cover a lot of drifting info and history. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/terboboost/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products around https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch or follow us on other channels) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Toshi is well known in the drift community for his driving style. Early on, it was his street drifting, and more recently, his aggressive style on track. Despite facing a few very rough years due to a court case in Japan that seemingly took everything from him, Toshi never lost his passion for drifting. This passion became one of the driving forces behind his determination to prove his innocence. After a three-year battle, he was found not guilty and is now back up and running with his export business. He is attacking drifting full force to make up for lost time. We talk about Toshi’s court case, Japanese prison, the Japanese justice system, drifting techniques, street drifting, and, of course, his origin story. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/s15_alpha/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products around https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch or follow us on other channels) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Jimmy Yates out of Houston Texas runs Knuckle Up drift events and is a member of Essence Drift team. He’s known for his car styling and big personality. He’s also an emcee for Final Bout. Jimmy Yates was one of our first 10 guests, 4 years ago, and that episode was a fan favorite because of his storytelling. This time JY is a father and event organizer and his car styling and driving style has changed. We dive into modern day drifting and what it’s like to make it sustainable while dealing with new responsibilities. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/jyw0rld/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products around https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch or follow us on other channels) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Ryota Hirakawa AKA @splash0327 is a Meihan local Drifter out of Osaka Japan. He runs Cutting Works Splash and has been drifting well over a decade. He has traveled the world and made friends all throughout the drift community due to his friendly nature and hard driving style. He has been pushing his driving on some of the most notoriously difficult tracks in the world and is ultra dedicated to the sport. We also have one of our Goodest Cast crowd favorites back Branden Mace AKA @macey14. Branden has been living in Japan for over a decade and once was an early 20’s dude from Australia running around Osaka, streeting and going to drive the “hills” with Jesse Streeter. Now he’s a family man and has been in Japan a long time. He is also pushing in his S15 harder and harder. We talk about some of the interesting details of Japanese drifting especially Kansai All Stars, along with some of the other nuances and difficulties. We were all exhausted filming this but we pulled through for you guys. I hope you like this episode! Guests: https://www.instagram.com/macey14/ https://www.instagram.com/splash0327/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products around https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch or follow us on other channels) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Landin Williams AKA Squeeze.86 is one of the coolest dudes in drifting. His unique style and dedication to pulling off insane visuals either with his car builds or using a computer is unrivaled. We talk about how he got his start as a creative and how his passion turned into a job in the gaming industry. As usual for the Goodest Cast we also get into his future, his dreams, and what drives him to push his driving along with his visuals. From a Super Street print article to some of the coolest videos on the planet Landin has done some very impressive things all with his love for the hachi roku. His team “Meal Team” is a squad of corollas who are all pushing their driving constantly and is one of the few teams of ae86 drivers that still regularly goes to events in the US. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/squeeze.86/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products around https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch or follow us on other channels) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Geoff Pitts was responsible for running Thunder Drift which Formula Drift pro licensed quite a few Northern California drivers including a few of my Animal Style teammates. He ran events, announced events, and now he’s a race director for a prestigious vintage motorsports group. It’s always cool to see where drifting takes people next. Geoff Pitts also was Ryan Kado’s spotter in FD along with shooting for Life Blasters which was a sort of alt Speedhunters. In an absence of drifting Events in Northern California Geoff stepped up and made it happen for us. Geoff has been around a lot of cool stuff over the years and we try to talk about as much as we can in the time we have. Guest: https://www.instagram.com/funkycoldsubpoena/ Sponsors: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products around https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch or follow us on other channels) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/

Matt Coffman is a pure driver. He lives and breathes drifting. We talk about his experience in Rally racing and his origins. We talk about how he was able to get involved in the sport at such a high level so early and some of the pitfalls of being young in Formula Drift. Matt is an interesting character and his drifting IQ is through the roof. It was great to sit down with him in his shop and really get into the details. Three hours is not enough to cover everything but we sure tried! We also released this on his birthday so be sure to wish him a happy birthday! Guest: https://www.instagram.com/coffmanracing/ Sponsor: https://fuelab.com/ 15% off with code “Goodest” get the best fuel system products around https://koruworks.com/ 15% off their Koru products using “goodestboi” https://tirestreets.com/goodest "goodest651" for 20% off Accelera 651s “goodest15” for 15% off the rest Goodest Co: https://goodestco.com (grab some merch or follow us on other channels) Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/palmer_sndrsn/ Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/goodestcast/