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different about round 3 of the D1GP USA tour is that member of the great American racing family, Adam Andretti has been replaced by former NOPI Drifter Rob Flemming in the judging booth and will stay on for the final round in New Jersey that will take place on September 5th.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.
