Paul Bonnett on Grassroots Drifting, 350Z Builds & Getting Started | Ep 339

Paul Bonnett joins Hard Parking for a deep dive into real grassroots drifting. The 33-year-old runs a 2007 Nissan 350Z at tracks like Thompson Speedway and Riverside in New Hampshire. He walks through his path from dirt bikes and a serious back injury into stunt riding, the disaster first BMW E46, and why the 350Z plus a simple drift sim finally clicked. You’ll hear what drifting actually feels like, how he practices chase proximity, the smartest way to start if you’re brand new, and where he wants to take it next.Late news: Nevada approved full robotaxi permits — Tesla up to 5,000 vehicles and Waymo up to 1,000 in the Las Vegas area.Follow Paul on Instagram: @popuppolly617Timestamps:00:00 – Intro & Nevada Robotaxi News02:45 – Meet Paul Bonnett04:00 – Dirt Bikes, Back Injury & Path to Drifting06:00 – BMW E46 Disaster07:30 – 350Z + Drift Sim09:00 – What Drifting Feels Like12:00 – Chase Practice & Sim Training16:00 – How to Get Started20:00 – Tracks & Two-Year Goals25:00 – What He’d Change + ClosingContact Email: [email protected]: www.hardparking.comPatreon: http://www.patreon.com/hardparkingpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardparkingpod/YouTube: youtube.com/@HardParkingTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hard.parking.jhaeMain Show Sponsors:Right Honda: https://righthonda.com/Right Toyota: https://www.righttoyota.com/Arcus Foundry: https://arcusfoundry.comAutocannon Official Gear: https://shop.autocannon.com/The Warehouse AZ: https://thewarehouseaz.com/