This is the Statt Mann Baby. It’s time to Scatt a little bit.

After the Formula Drift opener at Long Beach I said BMW drifter Michael Essa is a driver worth watching and he’d get his first win soon.

Well soon came Saturday night in Round 3 at Palm Beach. Essa won beating defending champion Daigo Saito, Formula Drift points leader and one of the best drifters in the world. He’s finished on the podium nine of the ten rounds he’s done in Formula Drift.

The win leaves Essa third in season points with four rounds to go.

Michael makes his living building championship winning Porsches for sportsmen drivers. But for himself, he’s drifting a BMW M3 Sedan. The last two seasons he tried to make a Z4 Roadster work. That went so well, he benched the chassis, put most of the parts in the M3 and he hasn’t looked back.

Saturday night he told me he’s still developing the sedan. In fact he learned some changes in Palm Beach and will put them into play before the next round in Wall, New Jersey in three weeks.

He told me he’s never had the time or resources to take the car out for a basic test session away from a competition weekend.

I love it when a plan comes together. And Michael Essa’s 2013 plans are coming together nicely.

Peace.