Chris & Mike Napp

Some Behind the Build episodes are about crazy builds, big horsepower numbers, or wild fabrication. This one was different. This one was about history, family, and two drift cars built with experience behind them.

Chris Napp and his dad Mike Napp aren’t just drivers — Mike is the owner of Englishtown Raceway Park, and both of them have been around drifting since the early days. Long before drifting was what it is today, they were already involved in events, tracks, and building cars. Over the years, they’ve driven with a lot of people in the drift world, including Adam, which made this episode feel more like catching up with old friends than filming a normal car feature.

What made this episode really interesting is that both Chris and Mike built their cars with the exact same mindset:

Simple, reliable, predictable cars that you can drive all day.

Not overbuilt. Not overly complicated. Just cars that work.

  • Hoonigans Compound

Chris Napp – 3UZ Powered IS300

Chris Napp’s car is a Lexus IS300 powered by a Toyota 3UZ V8, and this car really shows how much thought went into building something reliable and consistent.
The suspension setup on this car is almost entirely built around FDF Raceshop components, including:

  • Mega Mantis angle kit
  • Rear traction arms
  • Rear upper control arms
  • Rear toe arms
  • Rear lower control arms

This gives the car a lot of adjustability in the rear suspension and allows the car to be tuned exactly how the driver wants it to feel.
The car runs Feal coilovers, which are known for being very smooth and predictable, making the car easier to drive consistently.
One of the coolest parts of Chris’s build is the drivetrain setup:

  • Drift HQ Bulldog Quick Change Differential
  • Rise Fab quick-change subframe

This allows the car to change gear ratios quickly depending on the track, which makes the car very versatile.
The fuel system is a full Radium Engineering setup, including a Radium fuel cell and surge tank system, which eliminates fuel starvation issues and keeps the car reliable during long drift sessions.
Inside the car, it runs:

  • Drift HQ Compact Hydraulic Handbrake
  • Drift HQ Hydro Line Kit
  • Grip Royal steering wheel
  • Cagekits roll cage

The engine is controlled by a Link ECU G4X XtremeX, giving full standalone control over the 3UZ setup.
Chris’s IS300 is a very well thought out drift car focused on consistency, reliability, and adjustability.

CHRIS NAPP 3UZ Powered IS300

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Drift HQ - Kit de línea hidráulica universal (Wilwood o Stock Caliper)
Drift HQ - Kit de línea hidráulica universal (Wilwood o Stock Caliper)
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Drift HQ - E-BRAKE HIDRÁULICO COMPACTO + WILWOOD MASTER COMBO
Drift HQ - E-BRAKE HIDRÁULICO COMPACTO + WILWOOD MASTER COMBO
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Drift HQ Bulldog XR420-i 1500hp Quick Change Differential
Drift HQ Bulldog XR420-i 1500hp Quick Change Differential
$5,897.37
ENLACE ECU - G4X FuryX (122-4000)
ENLACE ECU - G4X FuryX (122-4000)
$2,395.00
Celda de combustible R10A de Radium Engineering - 10 galones
Celda de combustible R10A de Radium Engineering - 10 galones
$873.95
FDF Raceshop - IS300 / JZX90 / JZX100 Mega Mantis Angle Kit
FDF Raceshop - IS300 / JZX90 / JZX100 Mega Mantis Angle Kit
$1,969.86
Grip Royal - Brute - 350mm - Suede - White TDC - White Stitch
Grip Royal - Brute - 350mm - Suede - White TDC - White Stitch
$200.00
FDF Raceshop - IS300/JZX110 Rear Lower Control Arm
FDF Raceshop - IS300/JZX110 Rear Lower Control Arm
$499.02
DERALE - 12'' High Output Single RAD Pusher/Puller Fan with Standard Mount Kit - 13-1/8''W x 13-1/8''H x 3-1/2''D (16924)
DERALE - 12'' High Output Single RAD Pusher/Puller Fan with Standard Mount Kit - 13-1/8''W x 13-1/8''H x 3-1/2''D (16924)
$251.35
FDF Raceshop - IS300 Rear Toe Arms
FDF Raceshop - IS300 Rear Toe Arms
$210.11
FDF Raceshop - IS300 Rear Traction Arms
FDF Raceshop - IS300 Rear Traction Arms
$302.56
Regulador aeromotor y kit de montaje
Regulador aeromotor y kit de montaje
$300.31

Mike Napp – LS Powered S13

Mike’s car is a 240SX S13 with an LS engine, and the build really revolves around suspension, steering, and driver control more than anything else.
Up front, the car runs the FDF Raceshop Nissan S-Chassis Mega Mantis Angle Kit, which gives the car a ton of steering angle while still keeping the steering smooth and predictable. In the rear, the car runs the FDF Rear Grip Kit, which helps control rear suspension geometry and keeps the car stable during transitions and faster driving.
Suspension is handled by BC Racing BR Series coilovers, which are a very proven setup for S-chassis drift cars. Adjustable, reliable, and easy to set up.
Inside the car, everything is built around driver control:

  • Drift HQ Compact Hydraulic Handbrake
  • Drift HQ Universal Hydro Line Kit
  • Grip Royal steering wheel
  • Cagekits FD Spec roll cage

For engine management, the car runs a Holley Terminator X ECU, along with an Aeromotive regulator and fuel setup, which makes the LS engine simple, reliable, and easy to maintain.
Mike’s S13 is a great example of a well-sorted LS drift car built around good suspension geometry and driver feel instead of just horsepower numbers.

MIKE NAPP LS Powered S13

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Drift HQ - Kit de línea hidráulica universal (Wilwood o Stock Caliper)
Drift HQ - Kit de línea hidráulica universal (Wilwood o Stock Caliper)
$163.99
Drift HQ - E-BRAKE HIDRÁULICO COMPACTO + WILWOOD MASTER COMBO
Drift HQ - E-BRAKE HIDRÁULICO COMPACTO + WILWOOD MASTER COMBO
$270.39
BC Racing Coilovers - Coilover de la serie BR para 89-94 Nissan 240SX S13 (D-12-BR)
BC Racing Coilovers - Coilover de la serie BR para 89-94 Nissan 240SX S13 (D-12-BR)
$1,195.00
FDF Raceshop - NISSAN S-CHASSIS MEGA MANTIS ANGLE KIT
FDF Raceshop - NISSAN S-CHASSIS MEGA MANTIS ANGLE KIT
$1,891.07
FDF Raceshop - Nissan S-Chassis, R-Chassis, Z32 Rear Grip Kit
FDF Raceshop - Nissan S-Chassis, R-Chassis, Z32 Rear Grip Kit
$2,269.29
Regulador aeromotor y kit de montaje
Regulador aeromotor y kit de montaje
$300.31
CAGEKITS - NISSAN SILVIA S13 FD Spec Roll Cage - Non-Gutted Doors
CAGEKITS - NISSAN SILVIA S13 FD Spec Roll Cage - Non-Gutted Doors
$1,925.00
Holley - TERMINATOR X 58X/4X EV6 LS MPFI KIT - SIN MANO DE 3.5"
Holley - TERMINATOR X 58X/4X EV6 LS MPFI KIT - SIN MANO DE 3.5"
$1,399.95
Grip Royal - Classic - 350mm
Grip Royal - Classic - 350mm
$200.00

MORE THAN JUST TWO CARS

What made this Behind the Build episode special wasn’t just the cars — it was the story behind them.
A father who owns a racetrack and helped drifting grow in the early days, and a son who grew up around it and built his own drift car — and now they’re both out there driving together. That’s a pretty cool full-circle story.

Both cars are very different, but they were built with the same philosophy:
Build something reliable. Build something predictable. Build something you actually want to drive.

And that’s really what Behind the Build is all about.