Carlos Santos: Against All Odds!

  To start, I want to preface this by saying what an honor it was to work side by side with this man for his inaugural race season in Pro-am.

   Carlos came to me during the build process of his new chassis for the 2024 Season, the S13 Coupe that he won as a shell from GoonSquadDriftDealz (Shout out to them and their waffles), and asked if I would like to take on the role as Crew Chief and  Spotter for the season. Being the humble man he is, he naturally followed that ask by, “Are you sure there isn’t a more qualified driver that may want your help?”. It was at that moment that I knew that I’d made the right choice on who to work with for the season. 

   At first, it was just Carlos and I completing the car, after iFab Racing completed the fabrication for some of the roll cage updates as well as the tumble rear, bash bars, fuel cell installation, rear mounting the radiator, and creating the rear ducting on the radiator as well. 

   Once, the car arrived at the shop, Carlos and I started addressing things on the car when he received a message from another driver, offering his help for the year. that message was from, none other than our second teammate, Bobby Powell. The Santos team was now coming together. By this time, it was getting closer to the deadline for the completion of the car, and with all of our schedules being as full as can be, Carlos, Bobby, and I had to make a huge push on the car to try to get it completed before bringing it back to his house before the season. We plumbed the car as well as finishing it up as much as possible then it was off to his house where he’d then recruit the help of our “unofficial official” teammates Daniel Aiuto, and Zach H. As well as our newest teammate, and team mechanic, Spencer Coble. Also, our overwatch daddy Ernest Hughes, as well as our tuning support, our favourite Canadian Trevor Couture(TCtuned), and back-up keyboard hooker Mike Amerson(Turbo Mike Tuning).

 

  Within less that 3 short months, this man had single handedly assembled the Avengers to make his dream of driving a competition series a reality. But the Avengers still had a fight ahead of them…

   Fast forward to the night before US Drift Circuit: Formula Drift Pro-Am Round 1, Inverness, Florida. The team still had to fix the final items left on the punch lists. Align the car, adjust the suspension, finish welding the cage in its crucial points that the previous owner did not pay attention to, and anything else we would go to notice.  We were fortunate enough to be able to operate out of Daniel Aiuto’s Father’s woodworking shop at his home and worked through the night. With the finishing touches completed, we loaded up in the morning and arrived late to the track, at almost 12:00, missing first practice. Carlos immediately unloaded then drove to tech only to have a few minor things that needed to be fixed, but once tech was passed, an oil leak arose from a line fitting on the oil filter sandwich plate. That’s when disaster struck, Bobby, Spencer and I not only had to change a multitude of fittings that kept leaking/failing, but after hunting down the proper fittings and hose from other teams there, had eventually found he proper material to make a completely new line, for the second time that day. The car was back, and Carlos headed to second practice, only to get 2 laps in, in a car he’s never driven, directly before seeding.

   With seeding bracket up, Carlos did what he could to get more lap time in, ultimately to get knocked out in top 32.  With the confusion in Seeding Bracket vs Qualifying, we thought our day was over… but it had just begun… 

   Carlos was up against Alex Puig, aka. Pandamonium Drift, in the top 32! They both were fighting not ownly each other but their cars having issues, but Carlos, with only 6 laps in his car ever, was able to secure the win, and onto top 16, but not before hugging it out with Alex right off track for a great battle! 

   Heading into top 16, there was a call made at the line for oil on track and the officials had thought fault was from his opponent, Sascha Di Prospero, and they called the driver’s to pit to look for the leak. When Carlos’ car pitted, we noticed the alternator wire was smoked and tried to fix it thinking we didn’t have to call a comp time out since we were pitted and not found at fault, as well as to prevent a fire, but ultimately that was the teams demise for the round.

   With Round 1 done and the car home, Carlos notice there was still coolant in the oil, a problem that had arose at the track on his brand new 416 Stroker LS3. After a long and deep diagnostic, we ultimately concluded that the sleeve in the block was leaking at the bottom of the sleeve seat due to improper machining and installation from the engine builder. With a little under a month and a half until round 2, Carlos and Spencer had to completely rebuild the entire engine as well as fix some minor updates from data on round one. He also upgraded his engine management to the new Haltech Rebel LS system and the Haltech IC7 Digital Dash. 

  For the rest of the season, the new engine would go on to be a strong and competitive power plant. Carlos Cares Automotive rebuilt a unit of an LS3 Stroker!

   That perseverance would carry out all season long with Carlos to show how much this man is dedicated to the love of this sport. 

   But with all of that going on, He is still a United States Navy Active-Duty Service Member, runs an Auto Shop named Carlos Cares Automotive where Carlos and Spencer fix clients cars at a rate that people can actually afford, he’s an amazing father to children, a devoted Husband, Street Chiropractor, Race Car Driver, and a solid friend to everyone he meets. 

I could go on for hour’s about this season, and also how he’s a solid unit. But it’s better left up to you to hear directly from him in this Q & A below:

Q & A

 

Q) What got you first genuinely interested in motorsports?

 

A) I have always liked cars. Things really started to take off when I went to a car meet once and this guy gave me a ridealong when I was 15 in a Best Buy parking lot. I got hooked to the feeling I got from it. Then I saved my pennies and bought an S13 Hatch when they were $500 bucks for a complete manual shell. I learned how to work on cars by doing hundreds of hours of reasearch on NicoCLub and Zilvia, learned how the market worked, went to CFRC and started my drifting endeavors on 15in used tires lol. Fast forward to today and you can see that personal growth has happened as a car is a personal reflection of its owner.

 

 

Q) What was your first introduction to competition drifting?

 

A) My first introduction to competitive drifting would be my one and only round of KlutchKickers when it was hosted at The Freedom Factory. My first battle was a David vs Goliath style battle against Alec Hohnadell. After that battle, I knew I wasnt ready mentally and the car was not ready either. But, I was surely hooked to the atmosphere of having a team, and having come from a competitive mindset in gaming, it was exillerating.

 

 

Q) Why do you put yourself through all of the stress and headaches of driving a competition series?

 

A) There has to be something in the DSM-5 about loving the "Tom Brady in the last minute of the 4th quater down by 7" type pressure that does something for you. So truthfully, I have this idea that since I am a visual learner, maybe putting myself in the competitive environment will enable an adaptation to it like Broly does in Dragonball Super against Goku. I want to be good at something and I like to FEEL like I am relatively in control of my environment. What better way to show self control than to keepo your car as close to someone whose driving you have no control over. If that makes sense.

 

 

Q) What is the hardest lesson you’ve ever had to learn when it comes to drifting and the community, and what was your biggest take away from it?

 

A) The hardest lesson I had to learn is that I am not going to be able to afford seat time as much as other more financial blessed drivers. This car costs money to drive and if it wasnt for the handful of sponsors that made monetary contributions to our team in support of the 2024 USDC ProAm Season, this probably wouldnt have happened.

 

 

Q) How do you balance a full time military career, a marriage, being a father, running a shop, and still somehow have time to compete?

 

A) No matter how much effort I put into anything I do, I have to give my wife her flowers. She can be a pain in the ass, and most men can understand that part, and she doesnt have to be at all the events cheering me on or anything, because I know she shows her support by taking good care of our kids, our home, and of me. Military life when you're on shore duty is easy to manage because I have weekends off and the vacation time or "leave" that builds up when unused. Just gotta make sure you plan these events out atleast 2 weeks in advance. As far as marriage goes, you have to have to have to make sure your wife has something to keep herself busy and isnt just feeling like robot maid at home. Mine has her own hobby that she makes pretty good money doing as of this year where she reconditions vintage Coach purses and handbags. My navy pay wouldnt cover the kinds of expenses that are needed for this level of drifting and working on cars does take time away from your family so I try and make sure that we have family outings as much as possible as well as involving my son in my activities more and more. This year I brought my son out for two of the ProAm events and he really enjoyed it. All in all, its a balancing act and a man has isn't going to be perfect at managing his time vs desires, but he can show his character by doing the best he can and being as selfless as possible in doing that.

 

 

Q) How did you single handedly go from being a one-man show to putting together such a comprehensive team for the 2024 season?

 

A) It's definitely not something I completed single handedly. God, aka the series of events that allow the things that exist to exist over time did that. From how I met everyone, to them having the freedom and desire to support me in my drifting endeavors, everything had to line up perfectly for the kind of connections that were made to be made. Then when the team came together, I had no idea that there would be so much chemistry between everyone. It took a little getting used to having a team, taking advice from people who actually care about you, and making sure everyone was comfortable to the best of your abilities. I always beat myself up because I wish I was rich so I could get them a hotel that has a hot tub that actually stays open at night, can spoil them with steak dinners and pay them for their troubles. It makes me feel small as a man but they all made due with what I was able to offer and I am forever grateful.

 

 

Q) What was your biggest highlight of the 2024 Pro-Am Season?

 

A) I think my biggest highlight of the 2024 season was simply making it to the end of the season. This season was a rollercoaster and we battled so many problems I didnt plan for.  We made so many changes, updates, revisions, and recieved a considerable amount of constructive criticism from "partners from afar" that the car is better now than it was at the beginning. I even had to learn how to build an engine on the fly mid season because I was too poor to have someone fix someone else's mistake and that brought redefined my capabilities as a man. Oh and bringing my son out to the events for him to cheer me up when I failed was priceless.

 

 

Q) What was your biggest letdown of the 2024 Pro-Am Season?

 

A) My biggest let down was probably not driving more aggressively and with as much confidence as I should. Also, I had two top 16 battles that I literally took myself out in. I made ito the line and never got to even battle. It was quite rough to overcome the disappointment.

 

 

Q) Going into 2025, with all of the data that you’ve accumulated from this season and with the community you’ve built, what’s the biggest goal you have?

 

A) Probably going to say the same as everyone else and that a podium finish. I want to drive harder now that I am getting more comfortable in the car.

 

 

Q) Some people have called you, “The most genuine driver of 2024 USDC Formula Drift Pro-Am”, what do you have to say about that?

 

A) That is very sweet to hear. In this community, people try to wear their hearts on their sleeves and unfortunately, there are quite a number of opportunistic people out here ready to get what they can from you. It is a known phenomenon, so people are a part of cliques and sometimes, you just don't make it in their. Sometimes its ego, sometimes its a defense mechanism to avoid being taken advantage of. I take great pride in knowing that people felt so comfortable and welcomed to my pitting areas at various tracks on schedule to come over and shoot the shit. I think the scene would be so much more enjoyable if drivers who are skilled would open up more to those not as experienced, not as cool, not as rich, not as connected, and embrace them as much as they do cameras and attention and popularity. Don't shoot the messenger, its just an opinion.

 

Bonus question:

 

Q) What’s the best life advice you could give to your younger-self when you first got into this sport?

 

A) Carlos, this shit is expensive. So what I am going to need you to do is learn math, become an engineer, and figure out how to weld so you can make more happen and depend on people less.