GP Elite Drift Racecar Seat

The following is printed with permission. It's written by Doug Van Der Brink of D'Vanz Motorsports based out of Cornelius, North Carolina.

When I travel the country going to different track and drifting events I inevitably get ask, "What should I do first to make my car handle better?"

Whether it be for grip or for drifting, my answer is always the same, "Before you do anything else, go out a get you a good seat that will:

• a) protect you and
• b) hold you in the car and not let you fly around inside it."

Usually in response they quip, “no-no, I want to make my car work better. How do I make it do that?” I then do my best to explain that if they’re bracing themselves with the steering wheel or by jamming their feet into the corners of the floor for support, chances are their seat isn’t up for the task. Not to mention where inside their car they’re going to end up should they ever wreck it. I explain to them that they need to be locked into their car so they can move their feet and their arms at will and being locked-in will also “connect them” to their car so they can truly get that “seat of the pants” feel that is so vital to good, fast and precise driving.

Once they get “in touch” with their car through a good seat, they will then be able to really feel a difference in their car when they begin to make mechanical changes like springs, shocks, LSD’s, etc. If after all of that, if I still have their attention I begin to tell them of the advantages of my GP Elite Drift Seat from The Joie of Seating. You “sit into” this seat like no other I’ve ever had. I have all the mobility that I could ever want yet I more protected for an impact than any seat I’ve used. The folks at TJS are super helpfully and truly car about getting you the best product for your particular application and if you need something a little bit out of the ordinary, they can custom make anything your mind can dream up.

Most drivers new to the performance world are a bit surprised when you start talking about seats that are on the top side of $500. My point to them is that a good seat actually will make your car faster. As I said, it gives you the support you need so you stay centrally located in your car through corners, under acceleration and down deep into the braking zones. The GP Elite seat is also about half the weight of a comparably priced fiberglass seat and we all know what lighter parts do for a cars speed.

Bottom-line is this: you can go out and start modifying-up your cars suspension or driveline and do you best to “hold yourself in” as you go sliding around corners doing your best to tell if you’ve really made your car any better at all. OR, you can first start with a good seat that makes you a part of the car itself (like a LaJoie racing seat) and know after the very first corner exactly how your latest change has effected it and what to do next.

» read OCT 2007 Press Release about the Joie of Seating & Drift Car Racing Seats

see Doug & the LaJoie Drift Race Seat in Action!

IMPORTANT: When ordering a Drift Racing Seat, please provide us with ALL 6 measurements required by emailing them to » « along with your name, a photo of each your 6 measurements, plus the date you ordered your seat.

» Click Here for our Race Seat Measurement Guide