The Japanese have the propensity to get overly excited over the simplest of things so when it comes to what they consider as ‘monumental achievements’, you can be sure that they’re exhilaration would go through the roof.
In a recent drift session in Japan, a Nissan RPS13 that was being driven by one M. Kawabata performed an eye-popping reverse-entry slide, drifting the car around a corner with the car’s rear end turning first while maintaining that position for the duration of the turn amidst all the smoking tires. Some people are calling the move ‘the best drift ever’ and justifiably so, it was as beautiful as any drift you’ll ever see with your own two eyes.
As far as the Japanese folks who were commentating on the event? Well, they’re reactions were just as priceless.
Unfortunately Top Speed couldn’t spare a good man, or woman, to attend the third round of the D1GP USA competition in Chicago at the beginning of the month, but thanks to the top notch team at D1 we have quite a few photos to show you that will definitely make you feel as if you were amongst the thousands in attendance.
We already gave you the low down on what went on in Chicago with Team Orange and the D1GP official this past August 1st, but aside from that scandal the only thing different about round 3 of the D1GP USA tour is that member of the great American racing family, Adam Andretti has been replaced by former NOPI Drifter Rob Flemming in the judging booth and will stay on for the final round in New Jersey that will take place on September 5th. A couple of the cars ended up on their roofs but all the drivers walked away OK. Rhys Millen’s former Formula D winning Pontaic GTO was also in attendance, but it unfortunately didn’t make it into the finals.
Speaking of the D1GP USA’s national diversity with everyone from Japanese professionals to Finnish prospects competing, it was Canadian drifter Pat Cyr who qualified in the top spot for the competition. However the real story is about the upcoming American driver Forest Wang who looks like he could be competing in Japan next year if everything goes right.
Thank you to Jeremy Cliff for the video.
Check the leader boards and gallery after the jump.
There was quite a bit of controversy at the third round of the D1GP USA tour in Chicago back on August 1st, apparently there was a bit of confusion between Team Orange’s driver Kazuhiro Tanaka who was beaten by the rising American star Forest Wang. The Japanese professional drifter thought that a One More Time was in order but the judges felt otherwise. The worst part of all is that a lack of communication between the driver and the D1 official at the starting line, most likely due to a translation issue.
In a sport where the prize money in no way justifies the competition, the majority of these extreme athletes are out there on the track because they have something more important than money pushing them forward, their egos. The last thing that a professional athlete traveling across the Pacific wants is to be defeated by an amateur, especially if they are an American. By standing in the way of the man from Japan, the course worker should have known that no matter how many all access passes he is wearing around his neck the man in front of him is in one of the most professional cars in the event, and he didn’t get in that ride overnight.
Tanaka was apparently revving the engine of his Subaru and gently nudging the track official out of the way with the orange car’s front bumper. During the protest from the official one of the Team Orange mechanics attempted to lower the man’s hands for him and in coming into contact with the D1 representative Tanaka was disqualified.
See PRESS RELEASE below for details on fine
Continued after the jump with press release and video.
It was overcast that Saturday that wet South Florida summer day, when the professional drifters of the D1 Professional Drifting league finally made their way down to Dade county. Perfect for drifting, the wet asphalt lets the tires break free easier and saves rubber, sure you don’t get the big smoke, but it is still just as fun.
The rain was annoying, but not enough to cry about, besides, it immediately led me into the same tent as the professionals from Japan. I found myself staring at Takahiro Ueno, the guy with the bright red Vertex Toyota Soarer. Watching Nomuken, the “monkey man” puff on a cigarette. This was a different kind of motor sports experience, the drivers were so accessible, its almost like they knew the fans were everything, I wonder if this is what racing used to be like.
Top Speed recently had the opportunity to attend the second round of the D1GP USA. The experience was unforgettable to say the least. The event gave almost 100 drifting hopefuls the opportunity to compete alongside seasoned veterans and even last year’s champion from the professional drifting series. In the end it came down to a Green S14 from Finland, the four door Skyline of Nomuken and last year’s D1GP champion Daigo Saito standing atop the podium.
This clip comes from the semi final round when Daigo Saito was applying the pressure in his grey Toyota Chaser to Tanaka’s Team Orange Impreza.
D1 is an amazing thing. It can make literally stop the aging process. Now we don’t know if it’s the fan friendly atmosphere or pure senselessness of wasting so much wide rubber, but this professional drift phenomenon has the ability to turn 35 year old men with their children into kids again, getting autographs from the professional men themselves, or just losing your hearing while watching the exotic machines idle in the pit. Seasoned veterans, there since the beginning like Nomuken and Ueno sit proudly next to their Skyline and Soarer.
Laughing with their crew, taking photographs with fans, even taking a smoke break. These are two 40+ year old men who are having the times of their lives. Earning a living traveling the world, doing what most people are arrested for and are adored. They are showmen, but unlike the tired traveling salesmen, these middle aged men look younger than some of those guys with their kids. It’s the fountain youth in a cloud of tire smoke, or is professional drifting possibly the best midlife crisis ever?
The D1 organizers have finally gotten there act together and after years of anticipation, they have found the good sense to come down to sunny South Florida. Round 2 of the 2009 D1GP USA series is rolling into Gulfstream Park this for one day only. It will be an entire day filled with sideways antics of the Japanese D1 professionals, stunt riding from the Adrenaline Crew, the finest that South Beach has to offer strutting their stuff at the bikini show and the start of the Roadstar car show. The only thing that could spoil the party is the rain, but it will just make the drifting that much better.
So, head on down to 901 S Federal Highway in Hallandale Beach this Saturday for an unforgettable automotive experience, just remember to bring a raincoat.
Don’t forget to enter Top Speed’s ticket giveaway for your chance to take home some tickets to a D1 event near you.
Just a reminder to all of the drifting fans out there in cyberspace. Round 2 of the D1GP USA tour is taking place at Gulfstream Park just north of Miami, here in sunny South Florida on May 30th. Last year’s D1 Champion, Daigo Saito already scored a win in Anaheim, and American hopeful Forrest Wang managed to sneak up onto the podium.
So don’t miss out on your chance to see Nomuken’s new paint job and Kumakubo drifting the classic Team Orange Impreza. If you miss this one, you will only have two more opportunities to see the stars of the Japanese drifting series strut there stuff here in the U.S. Round 3 will take place in Philadelphia on July 18th, and the final round of D1GP USA action will be held at Soldier Field in Chicago on August 1st.
Check out the link above to enter Top Speed’s D1GP USA ticket giveaway, for the chance to win your way in to a D1 event near you.
The second round of D1GP USA action was supposed to take place at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. Well the venue has been changed, but not to worry, the new location is only about 7 miles to the east, 15 minutes closer to the beach, to the Gulfstream Raceway Park. The racetrack typically reserved for horses is located at 901 S Federal Hwy in Hallandale Beach. So if you up where the Dolphins do their thing on May 30th you’ll probably be all alone, so don’t forget: D1GP USA round 2 Miami at the Gulfstream Park Race Track.
Well round 1 of the D1GP USA tour has come and gone, and to no surprise left two of the six competing Japanese drivers atop the podium. Last year’s champion Daigo Saito came in first place with Nobushige Kumakubo coming is second. But the real news comes from the American drifter Forrest Wang showing the rest of the field how it’s done drifting his way to a third place finish in Anaheim.
The next round of D1GP USA action will take place at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida at the end of the month on May 30. Don’t miss out.
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