RawFew presents -the Grand Reopening Matsuri
June 10, 2023
After a little over 2 months of being closed for a big remodel / restructure, Super-G was finally able to reopen and hopefully get back to the normal grind again.
Although it may appear Super-G is some huge company, we are really a small business tying to make it like everyone else. Everyone here needs to really hustle every day to make things work, and everyone is exhausted. We finally made it through this transition, and here we are! We want to thank each and everyone one of you for being understanding during our transition. This quickly escalated from what we thought would be a couple weeks to a couple months. This was our biggest move thus far.
Before I even get started here, we need to give a huge thank you to everyone for showing Super-G the love and support over the years. This has always been a project of passion for Joe and myself, and we would have never imagined it would be where it’s at today.
So What Happened?
After Round 2 of the SoCal SDC series, Super-G closed the store and track to prepare for and host the King Of The Streets Drift event in Las Vegas along side with our NorCal Fam, Limited Traction and RC Drag Talk. I needed to not only fabricate the track itself, but we took 2 trips out to Vegas to test the surface and tires to make sure we weren’t making a mistake. At the same time, we planned to empty our facility and install the new P-Tile we had imported from Japan.
The importing procedure was a long, drawn out process. It was 6 months in the making. Luckily everything lined up time wise. We felt this was the perfect opportunity since we would be in Vegas. We’d come back from King Of The Streets and our new surface would be ready to go.
As it turned out, we were suddenly presented with the opportunity to acquire the adjacent warehouse (which we have been wanting for the past 5 years). Passing on this was not a option, so we needed to act on this immediately. Amazingly, it lined up perfectly with everything else happening. It did however stack an immense amount of additional work on top of a huge task at hand already. We went from moving everything out, installing a new floor, and moving everything back in, to a full on move and restructure. The only part that was easier than a full move to another location was the fact we just needed to move next door.
At the same time, we were training a new person, and we lost one of our main workers for personal leave. Talk about the worst timing ever for us to make this huge move. Everything was in motion, so we had no choice but to muscle through it. Since keeping the shipments moving is our top priority, and given the situation with our staff, this left us with a couple hours a day at most to work on the move and restructure. Some days we make zero progress on the move, which was beyond frustrating. We wanted to be open more than you guys wanted us open.
During this time, our families saw very little of us. It was rough, but I was glad we were able to keep our goal of orders shipping out within 24 hours for the most part. Usually less than 12 hours. I think there was one weekend where we were behind, but other than that, the focus was on shipping all orders, but that’s a big part of why we took so long to open.
The New Surface
For years now, we have been considering importing P-Tile from Japan. Specifically, the tile used at RC Vega. As much as we love polished concrete, our locations have always had bad staining. This has always been something we were very self-conscious of. We finally decided to pull the trigger and bring it in. We are extremely happy with the results. It’s considerably different than the tiles available for purchase here in the states. The installer was surprised how brittle it is when compared to the Armstrong products. The characteristics of the surface seem to be very favorable for what we are doing here. I will say the break in period is very long. From what I am seeing, I would guess 10 times longer than concrete, possibly even longer. On a side note, there is no dust being generated, and the maintenance is zero! If we needed to keep waxing or somehow treat it to maintain the slide, we would tear it out, and we were prepared to do so. That type of maintenance for us is not an option. After testing a ton of tires, (15-20 or more) we settled on DS Racing, Comp III LF-3. Of all the tires we tested, these possessed the most consistent performance for us.
The feedback on the surface has been extremely positive, so it was really worth the effort. The speed is very close to what we were at on the polished concrete. In fact, it is slightly slower. The most noticeable difference for myself is when I let off the throttle. On the previous surface, it felt as if I was on ice. When I would let off on the throttle, there was not much of a change in speed or traction. The car would continue to slide. With the new surface, when I let off the throttle, there is some grip-up. It’s a more realistic feel in my opinion.
RawFew Drift Team Matsuri
Since we were closed for so long, and we are starting the next phase of Super-G, RawFew decided to host a Grand Reopening Matsuri. A huge thanks to the guys for making this happen! Literally, we did not know what was going on until the morning of the event. They knew how pressed for time we were here, so they did not even take a minute of our time to get this set up. The food was cooked and provided by RawFew Drift Team. Hot Links with BBQ Sauce, Rice, and Mac Salad were on point! Thank you guys! That was a lot of people to feed.
We did not know what to expect. A couple nights before the event, I was talking to the homie, Jonathan Belda. When I told him I don’t even know if anyone is going to come out, he laughed at me and said I better expect something like Finals. This made me extremely nervous. We are always surprised by the outpouring of support, and for that we are grateful.
We ended up with Over 100 DRIVERS. Not attendees, but actual drivers. This was amazing! The skill in the house was amazing and a lot of faces I haven’t seen in years had come out for the event. Even visitors from NorCal, Vegas, Arizona, Fresno, and Texas (I’m sure I’m missing some others) came out to make this event even more special.
Why A Matsuri instead of some kind of comp?
RawFew had decided they wanted to make sure EVERYONE could come out and have a great time. With any Matsuri event, it gives the most time to drive and get doors with your friends. It’s ALWAYS about everyone driving and hanging out together. Beginners, Intermediates, and Experts alike. This was the goal, and that’s really what was accomplished. it was great to see so many new faces and people just getting into RC Drift.
RawFew also had a Best Body Contest and one man’s work stood out above the rest. Jeremy Meyer has always come up with some creative work over the years. His latest creations are just so clean and creative, he was the clear winner for this contest! Congrats Jeremy, Owner of Driftwell Drift Arena in Fresno, and also the Captain and lead driver of Team Driftwell.
I want to give a huge thank you to RawFew Drift Team for hosting this amazing event! There is no way we could have pulled it off without you. And to everyone who came out to support and celebrate our reopening! It truly made this weekend a memorable one. Most of all, everyone in the RC Drift Community, without you guys, Super-G would not exist. This is one fact we are always mindful of and the driving force to keep us pushing forward.