Words can't explain the feeling of watching drifting professionals tearing up the tarmac in 400+ hp cars. Since the late '80s--when the popularity of drifting arose in Japan--I can recall watching legends such as Dai-san, Eiji "Tarzan" Yamada, Nomuken (Mr. Monkey Magic) and many others introduce drifting to the United States. Watching my first Option video as a teenager, I sat there glued to the TV screen in complete disbelief as cars would smoke the tires and screech though a tightly banked apex with the steering wheels in fully locked positions. January 17, 2003, was a historical day for drifters and drifting enthusiasts in the United States. Mainstream Productions, pioneers in the import car show industry, is one of the first to bring competitive drifting to the U.S. After years of research and close contact with Japan, Mainstream Productions made the decision to bring Option Video and Japan's Drifting superstars to Irwindale Raceway in Irwindale Calif.
What constitutes a drift? Speeding down a highway and wildly jerking the steering wheel or periodically yanking the emergency brake? To many, there is a false sense of achievement, thinking they have performed a "drift" by using one of these so-called techniques, but all they've really accomplished is an uncontrolled skid that often leads to a costly accident. What is drifting? It is hard to define and though many will try to explain the subject, the definition will always different, depending on who you ask. The most common answer is going sideways; however, the one thing every drifter can agree on is the importance of being in complete command of the car and performing a controlled slide.
Drifting has become a growing event in Japan. It began more than 15 years ago and has culminated in event competitions called Ika-ten. In Ika-ten, competitors are judged on a points system for style, entry speed, power-to-weight ratio, steering angle during the drift, speed into the turns, drift line and proper technique. The drift culture in the United States is fueled directly from drifting's popularity in Japan. Japanese drifting videos and magazines are readily available in bookstores overseas and the Internet.
Today, drifting is a widely accepted sport in Australia, New Zealand and other countries. What began as an underground event on the streets and on touge (mountains) has become a full competitive sport with the introduction of the D-1 Grand Prix.
At Irwindale Speedway, competition and emotions were running high as drifters felt the pressure to perform at their top level in front of the renowned judges. Dai-san, Tarzan, and Nomuken eagerly anticipated watching some California drifting. They continuously chain-smoked cigarettes only seemed to add to the competitors' nervousness.
Competition began with 45 participants, ranging from the top 15 drifters to beginner-level drivers who were taking their solo runs on the track in hopes of making it to the next level. "Oohing" and "ahhing" emitted from the spectators as each contestant hit the first turn at top speeds in hopes of impressing the judges. A Subaru Impreza managed to break loose and swerve dangerously close to the judges table, bringing Tarzan to his feet and yelling into the camera--thank goodness a lot of the spectators don't speak Japanese. As the first round came to an end, all 45 drifters huddled together, listening for the announcement of the eight names who would advance to the next round of competition.
In between the first-round eliminations and semi-final runs, Nomuken and Tarzan treated the crowd to a few exhibition laps in two Signal Auto cars shipped straight from Japan. During an exhibition run, Nomuken calmly held his hand out the window and waved to the crowd as he effortlessly drifted the turns in a blue 180SX with a S15 front end. I stood there in disbelief thinking to myself "I can't believe I'm seeing this in person...."
Tarzan decided to do his own thing, manhandling a high-powered orange Signal Auto S15 through the cones at high speeds. Meanwhile, Nomuken, playing the comedian, entertained the spectators with dancing and characteristic monkey faces, much to the crowd's enjoyment. Standing besides me was Akira Ida, pro series JTCC driver from Japan who also seemed to get a kick out of the drivers' hilarious antics.
Three drivers made it to the semi-final round as the sun began to set for the day. Andy Yen, Javier "Bosozoku" Paramo and Alex Pfieffer prepared for what was to be the first championship round in United States drifting. Unfortunately for Pfieffer, a blown head gasket in his turbocharged AE86 kept him out of the finals, leaving Yen and Paramo to battle for the title. Both drivers provided nail-biting performances with Andy's AE86 and Javier's '85 Supra coming within inches of each other through each turn. When the smoke and dust finally settled, it was Andy Yen in the Hachiroku who was victorious, taking home the trophy and offering one of the most memorable track runs to date.
Following the event, 2NR interviewed Benson Hsu, one of the drift competitors, to get his thoughts on Option Magazine coming to the U.S. and what it meant to the local drifting community. Benson stated, "It's a huge honor because we all aspire to be able to compete at the same level as in Japan. We've watched them drift throughout the years and in our eyes they're celebrities."
Although the January event was held as a private outing, limiting the number of people to 500, the outcome was considered a complete success. Ken Miyoshi, event coordinator, told 2NR he was very impressed with the local drifters, the outcome of the event, and that the Japanese celebrities were able to put together such a great show. Plans for a much larger drifting event, in conjunction with a full car show, are expected to take shape within the next few months. Of course, more D-1 superstars will make the trip from Japan with their cars, namely Koguchi, Yamamoto and Komatsu.
Is drifting here to stay in the U.S.? With an increased number of events planned for this year and large manufacturers becoming heavily involved in the sport--A'PEXi, BFGoodrich, Blitz, Bridgestone, Cusco, GReddy, HKS, Falken, Signal Auto, and Yokohama, to name a few--you can be sure drifting enthusiasts will not be keeping their fingers crossed in vain.