Simba Nyemba

FB Gallery Driver

Name: SIMBA NYEMBA

Who influenced you to develop the drift style you have?

Having started drifting over 15 years ago there was a small amount of media surrounding drifting that was available in the US. Drifting had just begun in Socal. The majority of drifting I saw was from VHS Option tapes and drift tengoku magazines. The biggest takeaway from what I had seen is that everyone had their own self expression through both their cars and driving style. There was no one look that every car had, or one style of driving. In understanding that, I applied my own personal life style to my car and my driving.

When did you first get truly excited about drifting?

I purchased a 1989 240SX hatch, not with the intent of drifting it. Shortly after owning it and starting to look to make it my own through modifying it I met what would we would then form as the team Grip Gambler. They took me to a street drift spot, did a couple runs, then told me to give it a try. That moment of trying it out got me hooked on drifting, even despite my lack of skills.

What drivers/cars influenced your style?

As I mentioned earlier, in the beginning all we had were old VHS tapes. Drivers like Atsuhsi Kuroi, Chunky Bai, Daigo Miura were some of the many that come to mind. Over the years as drifting progressed, I looked towards my teammates in Grip Gambler and Proceed as well as the many drivers in my travels around the world that I have met, or cars I have seen online.

Why did you choose to take the path through drifting that you did?

In short, Chicago. Being from here we are very lucky to be able to cruise our drift cars anywhere and any time. The utility of my car extends past the track, because of that there are certain areas in which my car may differ from what some may consider the ideal drift car. My focus has never purely been on my cars ability to complete a course. Walking up to it in the grocery store parking lot, cruising it down the highway at midnight, driving aggressively mid tandem, all are factors in the path I chose to modify my car. I know it may not be the most ideal for a particular category, but it is at the balance that pleases me the most in all the aforementioned activities.

I started drifting at a young age with not a lot of money, it forced me to only modify when things broke. At the time I thought it was a limitation and holding me back, but at this point of my life I realized it taught me to focus more on my skill and not on the car. Only when I reached the full potential of the modifications I had did I upgrade things. Granted, there were times when I had money and opted to modify when not needed. It typically led to less time driving and getting better.

Special Thanks!!! ~ to all the photographers that supplied photos! Be sure to check out their respective Instagram accounts - THEY HAVE AMAZING PICTURES! @illroller @squaredphoto @roosterphotograph elliot golden @koyorad @naritadogfight, damn yeah @theryanlopez @tfworks (if your photos are being used in the post and would like them to be tagged please DM us ~ THANK YOU!)