Daniel Shidler
Daniel is one of those drivers that you love to see out there on the track! I’ve watched him drive at a few local events this year and have thoroughly enjoyed it! He has a very welcoming personality and a car that is very hard to miss in the crowd! I’ll let him tell you all about it!
Who are you and where are you from?
I'm Daniel Shidler and I'm from Memphis, TN
What do you do for work?
I'm the Director of St. George's Competitive Tennis Academy and Assistant Coach of St. George's Tennis.
How long have you been driving?
I've been driving/working on cars since 2012. I started with a 1984 Supra and got into Mustangs in the drift world later on. My current car is a 2000 Mustang with Coyote engine making around 400hp. Cobra Independent rear with fully tubed front end.
what got you into cars?
I was making my way onto the professional circuit for tennis and injured my shoulder to a point I could not continue my career. I have always been too busy competing/training for professional sports that I could not have cars as a hobby but always wanted to. Once I hurt my should, I bought a 1984 Supra with a hurt engine and swapped it as my first project. I began learning to flip multiple vehicles and eventually got into drifting at Memphis International Speedway through the guys at Traction Optional. I owe a lot of my success to getting on the track to my good friend Derek Thompson and continued support from my good friend Scotty Davis (better known as Scotty D).
What has been your favorite event/track?
Road America Gridlife was by far the most fun even I have attended. I did not drive but was a crew member. Gridlife is an amazing experience.
What’s been your favorite build?
My current car. It's taken years to make it a reality and I keep learning new nuances to make it better and more creative. It is also inspired by my family. My son (blue) and my daughter (pink) work on my car and even helped with the paint splatter design in the engine bay and wheels.
What’s your take on the car community?
I learned a lot from the beginning of the drift community. The encouragement and understanding that if someone gets better, then the rest of the drivers will progress. I, now, use that in my teaching on court with tennis.
What’s next for you?
I plan to drive more fun events with friends. If I can compete at some fun local grassroots events I will, but this is all about family and friends at this point. It's my getaway from reality to learn and enjoy a new skill.
