Ep12 Stephan Papadakis
About this episode
Stephan Papadakis talks from street-racing roots to building record-setting Honda drag cars, then pivoting into Formula Drift. He credits self-education—textbooks, eBay, and mentorship at engine shops—for becoming “the smartest person in the room,” and shares early mods on a 1991 Civic Si, nitrous street-race tactics, and the moment a rear-drive drag project nearly turned into a cockpit fire. He explains why he shifted from driving to team-building, how Tanner Faust’s feedback and “zone” made their drift success, and why community matters more than EV-era performance numbers.
Sung and Emelia talk with racing legend Stephan Papadakis. Stephan shares how his pursuit of knowledge shaped his journey through the automotive world, moving from drag racing to drifting and earning not only numerous records but an unmatched level of respect among the racing community.
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Honda Civic
"... first car and it was a nineteen ninety one Honda Civic SI. And the reason I chose that one was, you know..."
Chevrolet Camaro
"...e that one was, you know, I wanted a Mustang or a Camaro or something with a bunch of horsepower, but I wa..."
Ford Mustang
"...reason I chose that one was, you know, I wanted a Mustang or a Camaro or something with a bunch of horsepow..."
Honda Prelude
"... only car I've ever cut springs on was on a Honda Prelude, and it destroyed the ride quality entirely. But ..."
Nissan Z Nissan
"...ar drift program. So we built a three point fifty Z Nissan drift car for Tanner, and I was in a two thousand..."
Toyota Supra
"...with Frederick Osbo. Frederick Osbo drives our GR Supra. It's a turbo charged twelve hundred horsepower d..."
Toyota GR Corolla
"...ting machine. And we have a second car which is a GR Corolla that Ryan Turk drives. Both that are a sponsor wi..."
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