This month "Ask the Experts" sat down with Samuel “The Crazy Swede” Hübinette, to talk about the end of the Formula Drift season, how he started racing and what his plans are after the season concludes this month at the final race in Irwindale, Calif.

Tell us a little bit about the 2007 season and what your plans are for the final face at Irwindale on October 13th.

“Well we are really getting pumped up for the finals and my team has been working really hard to make the car as fast as it can be. We have been working with Mopar and BFGoodrich to get more traction on the rear; thus we have switched to a larger tire size, 335/30ZR18 BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW. With the combination of more traction on the rear with the new tire size and more horsepower in the Hemi^®, the car should be ready for Irwindale, which is one of the faster tracks in the circuit.”

What are your plans after the season wraps?

“After the season wraps this month I will be competing in D1 on November 24th - 25th at Irwindale once again. I may also be traveling to Hawaii for a few drift demos as well. Other than that, I plan on continuing to shoot commercials as a stunt driver (Samuel is currently in Aspen shooting an ad). I also plan to support my wife, Stina, as she has just signed on to film a reality show with Speed Channel titled “Set-up.” She will be busy shooting in October and November so I want to take some time out to help her with the program.”

What brought you into the world of professional drift racing?

“I have been a professional stunt driver, racecar driver and test driver since ’92 and also participated in several years of racing Sweden. I’ve always enjoyed going over the edge and driving sideways. So in 2003 I had heard that they were having a driver search for D1 and my friends and I went there and I managed to qualify #1 with my rental car. The rest is pretty much history!”

What would you recommend to someone who wants to get into the sport of drifting?

“For someone looking to get into the sport of drifting, I would recommend they first get their own rear-wheel drive car with some decent horsepower. My main advice would be to get as much seat time as possible. Drifting is like any other sport where every second spent practicing behind the wheel counts. I would also recommend going to Amateur Drift Days and asking for help from other drivers.”

Being that you were born and raised in Sweden, what brought you to the states?

“I was actually working as a test stunt driver in Sweden and loved every minute of it, but I wanted to explore opportunities here in the United States as well. An opportunity came my way and I took a position at Skip Barber Racing School as an instructor.”

In your opinion, is the sport of drifting as big in Sweden as it is quickly becoming here in the United States?

”I would say that drifting is definitely more popular here in the states than it is in Sweden, however it has been getting more popular across Europe through my exposure. Recently I was interview by the largest sports channel in Sweden, Sport Spegeln, and Drifting has been receiving great exposure across Sweden due to that interview.”

How does tire choice help you in competition?

“Tire choice is beneficial in both professional competition and amateur competition. If you have the right tires on your car, which I believe is the BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW tire, the car will perform better all around. In drifting, you are overcooking the tire constantly and need a tire that will not fall apart and lose traction while you are overheating them. I have been competing on KDWs for two seasons now and I can honestly say they are the best performing tire on the market.”

What types of tire sizes work best for drifting?

“My Dodge Charger is equipped with the widest drift tire, a size 335/30ZR18 BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW. Due to the fact that the Charger is a very heavy car, my team decided it would be best to outfit the car with larger tires to provide better traction for more contact patch and the 335 gives a wider, yet shorter contact area than the tire we used previously (295/35ZR19). Drifting is all about speed, line, angle and style. The right tire size is key to achieving these attributes.”

I know the track plays an important role as well in Drifting, what is your favorite track to race on?

“I would have to say my favorite track to race on is Irwindale. It is such a fun, fast track and certainly, in my opinion, one of the most intimidating. When you come into the infield and are approaching the wall and you make one wrong adjustment....SMACK! I also love that spectators get a full view of the track from the stands. The fans in L.A. are also great and come out in full force to provide such great support and fill the stands at the races.”

How did you get the name "The Crazy Swede"?

“The name came out pretty quickly when I was getting so close to the wall at Irwindale. My signature 360s I pulled in driver introductions probably added to that name as well.”