Drifting with Enemed
Though not the most popular sport in Malta, the local motorsport community is buzzing, large, and dedicated. We speak with aspiring pro-drifter Andrea Fabri to get some insight into the sport
Unlike Football, drifting is not the most popular sport in Malta, but go to Ħal Far on a weekend; attend a drifting championship; or visit an auto fest, and you will find the most dedicated car lovers on the island. Add the smell of car smoke, the sound of a revved engine, the heartfelt cheering of the crowd, and you have a large motorsport community buzzing with excitement.
These factors are part of what attracted Enemed to this sport, but it was the aspiring pro-drifter, Andrea Fabri, that helped close the sponsorship deal in 2017. Fast-forward to 2019, and the sponsorship has become more than a helping hand, with Andrea Fabri chosen as the latest brand ambassador representing Enemed.
“All or nothing – that is how I would describe Enemed. It is extremely satisfying being a brand ambassador for Enemed; however, it is a position that is full of commitment and responsibilities. I am very pleased with what we have accomplished so far, and I am willing to continue striving for success on their behalf! I am very thankful that I earned their trust representing such a high-level product all over the country. I do believe that we can only grow stronger along the years," says Fabri.
Whilst Andrea Fabri is highly committed to his drifting career, he also represents each and every one of us through his day-to-day lifestyle, a lifestyle that is hectic, to say the least. Working as a full-time technician during the week, his workday starts at 7am and finishes at 8pm, thanks to over-time opportunity which helps support the costly maintenance of his Enemed Supra, including any upgrades it might need.
Drifting is a highly expensive sport due to the competitiveness on the track, which results in damage on the car. Additionally, it is also a highly time-consuming sport, with Fabri and his crew having to sometimes work till 3am, maintaining and inspecting the car, and making sure that every detail, including every nut and bolt, is checked and working in perfect condition as not doing so can lead to catastrophic failures that not only add financial expenses, but can also result in inferior performance during a race.
Fabri is also a huge fan of the sport itself and follows the drifting series happening not only across Europe but also in the States. He also follows the vlog series of some drifting champions, such as Dan Burkett, from California, through which they explain every bit of detail about their program and cars.
From advice on how to set up the perfect drift car to direction on how to adapt to every situation that can occur in a competition, these vlogs teach Fabri invaluable lessons, those of which he can adopt on the track race himself.
Fabri notes that along his drifting career, the greatest lesson he has ever learnt is that being consistent is key, and to never do anything that one might have the slightest doubt about.
“In my opinion and what I’ve learnt over the years, is that the drivers achieving the most are always the ones who are the most consistent and have the most ‘consistent’ car. To achieve desired results, the majority of your time and dedication has to be spent in the garage giving your 100% on maintenance and upgrades. This is to ensure that the feedback from the car would always be the same, thus giving you the opportunity to pick-up the pace in developing your skill set".
My advice to someone who would like to start this discipline is to plan your vision, set targets, and accomplish them
Consistency is a factor that Fabri takes very seriously, as can be seen through his winning performance over the years. He plans on defending his 2018 Pro Champion title in the upcoming races. While competing in international events is currently in discussion, and Fabri and his team are working on upgrading the car for it to be ready to compete on an international level, their main focus is on local championships.
“My advice to someone who would like to start this discipline is to plan your vision, set targets, and accomplish them”, words with which he lives by every day. Andrea’s drifting dream started back in 2016, back when his main goal was to gain as much experience in racing as possible and to avoid upgrading the car, a bad decision which led to a substantial amount of seat time.
Therefore, 2017 brought about a new goal, that of constantly improving and upgrading his car and increasing its reliability based on racing needs and requirements. 2018 was the year that brought more upgrades to the car to better Fabri’s performance, such as; suspension setups to gain more grip, steering geometry to have more lock, and engine upgrades to achieve more power, thus further challenging his competitors and gaining the 2018 Pro Champion title.
The Enemed Supra’s high-level performance throughout the years is not due to luck, but is the combination of Fabri’s talent, his team’s commitment, and their experience garnered throughout the years, that makes their team a winning one. This commitment to excellence is the attitude and message that Enemed strives to portray to the public, as it is that same characteristic with which Enemed conducts business.
To learn more about Enemed, click here.
Follow Andrea Fabri on Facebook.