“Every single corner, you have to think — how fast do I enter, should I use the emergency brake or clutch; there is a lot going through your head,” said Konstantinov. “Each time around you have to think and re-think your driving style to get through the course.”
In many ways, that lap around PGP’s 14-corner, .82-mile track mirrors the life led by the 26-year-old from Lynnwood, Wash.
Born on the banks of the Caspian Sea in Baku, Azerbaijan, Konstantinov and his family — mother, father, brother and uncle — moved to Russia when he was 6. As Armenians, they hoped to escape the violence and ethnic tension unleashed in that part of the world as the Soviet Union fell apart.
The better life the family sought wasn’t to be found in Russia, however, where Konstantinov said “we were darker than the Russians so there was a lot of racism, name-calling and taunts, so we had to come here.”
Although settling in the Pacific Northwest finally brought the family the security they sought, the struggles of 12-year-old Nikolay were far from over. After starting middle school partway through the year, he was held back to take sixth grade over from the beginning.
“I knew three words of English, ‘where is office,’ so I could get to a translator,” Konstantinov said of starting school in America. “It was very, very, hard, absolutely.”
Konstantinov got through school, graduating from Roosevelt High School, and went on to spend some time at North Seattle Community College and Shoreline CC. But he grew tired of sitting in a classroom, and wanting instead to work his hands, Konstantinov went to work for his uncle as a stone craftsman, creating custom kitchen counters and tile floors.
Somewhere in the five years he worked as a stonemason, Konstantinov discovered drifting, but it was an on-and-off hobby until November 2009 when he secured his Formula Drift professional license at the ProAm Nationals at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, Calif.
As Konstantinov put it, “things snowballed from there.”
With the support of Doug Smith’s U.P. Garage USA of Tacoma, Wash., he competed in four of the seven events on the Formula Drift Professional Series 2010 schedule: at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. — where he became the first Pacific Northwest driver to break into the Round of 16 — Las Vegas, Sonoma, Calif., and the finale, once again at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale.
U.P. Garage lead technician Erik Rittscher helped upgrade Konstantinov’s professional drift car, a khaki-colored 1991 Nissan 240 SX which happens to be the first car he ever owned. In addition to a slew of changes that Konstantinov said runs “from a to z,” Rittscher added a second turbo, high-end suspension and a factory Japanese body kit to improve the car’s aerodynamics.
Spectators at PGP Motorsports Park are likely to see Konstantinov in a 1991 Nissan SX, but it won’t be the same car he drives professionally. The 240 SX that is his “PGP war machine” — which is also his daily drive to work at Discount Tire at Seattle Northgate — is red, but everything else about it resembles his professional ride.
“Aero kit, wheels, everything is exactly the same,” Konstantinov said. “I really like that car and the styling, which is the best I’ve ever seen. I actually own three at the moment. After you upgrade them, I think they’re beautiful.”
Some of the beauty was knocked out of Konstantinov’s pro car when he crashed at the Formula Drift season finale in early October at Toyota Speedway. He had made it into the Round of 32, with eventual 2010 series champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. as his first opponent, and Konstantinov pushed himself too hard in practice, hitting the wall hard.
With help from other Formula Drift teams, Konstantinov and the U.P. Garage crew led by crew chief Randy Sisler II worked on the car until the track lights were shut off for the night, and then again as soon as the gates opened the next morning.
They got the car back together in time to make one run again Gittin, a draw, but on the second pass Konstantinov’s car overheated and his day was done.
Although he didn’t compete in all of PGP’s drift events earlier this year, Konstantinov said he enjoys the challenge of drifting at the region’s premier multi-purpose motorsports facility.
“That track is absolutely amazing. It has a lot of potential for drifting in the Northwest,” Konstantinov said. “Every driver wants to drive there. It is fun and educational, with corner variations and different length straights. PGP is a lot more of a challenge, which in the long term will make you a better driver.”
Even though Formula Drift events are often less about competition as they are the off-track show — with vendor booths, trophy girls and show cars —Konstantinov finds the atmosphere at PGP to his liking.
In addition to drifting with good friends like Chris Crisostomo, Konstantinov said the drivers and fans have plenty to do in the infield when they’re not enjoying being able to see every corner of the track thanks to the velodrome-like setting.
“Spectators can see everything very well, but I think it would be boring for people to just stand around and watch us drift,” said Konstantinov. “The whole environment at PGP, the whole vibe, with music and food, it makes it more like home. It makes it that much more of a great environment.”
For now Konstantinov is getting his daily drive, the red Nissan, ready for the fall-winter drift series at PGP that starts Nov. 20. He wants to get as much practice as possible to be at the top of his game for the 2011 Formula Drift Professional Series.
Because working hard, being prepared and overcoming the challenges before him is how Konstantinov lives his life.
“If you’ve seen the movie ‘8 Mile,’ it’s like that,” he said. “You only have one chance, one shot. I think I could go far.”
On the Web: Visit www.pacificgp.com, become a fan of “Pacific Grand Prix” on Facebook or follow @pacificgp on Twitter.
You can also become a fan of “Nikolay Konstantinov Racing” on Facebook or visit U.P. Garage USA at www.upgarageusa.com.
About PGP Motorsports Park: PGP Motorsports Park is the Northwest’s premier multi-purpose racing facility and is located in close proximity to the greater Seattle metropolitan area. Named “Best Guys Weekend Destination” for 2010 in the KING 5 Evening Magazine Best of Western Washington contest, the track is easy to get to and inexpensive to utilize, making PGP a rare combination of top-level racing excitement and affordability. For more information on PGP events and services, visit www.pacificgp.com or call (253) 639-7223.
PGP Motorsports media contact: Paul Zalud, (206) 390-9858, paul@pacificgp.com
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