A pair of S14s catches up to JR and starts to tail the Mustang in full lock drifts. Instead of conceding the challenge, JR pedals it and the supercharged V-8 springs to life, its tell-tale whine reverberating off the circuit's walls. Accelerating into the last corner before the front straight, JR's huge Ford is entering dangerously hot for the small course. He's going to eat it-and he's going to do so right in front of the two Nissans already transitioning into a slide. But then it happens. Small at first, JR's two squealing rear tires start to emit tufts of smoke. Front wheels in countersteer, the puffs turn to full-on horizontal plumes. We. Have. Drift.
The S14s follow suit and the three cars, now in perfect harmony, pass the pits of where I'm standing, the sonorous V-8 roar followed by the tenor of the two turbocharged four-cylinders. And like that, the gaijin Mustang looked right at home.
Day 3
Osaka, Japan
After a long first two days, the third day's itinerary is more relaxed. The only thing on the agenda is a drive up to Mizunami in Gifu prefecture for a DVD filming the following day. That gave the crew some much-needed downtime and an opportunity to ask JR what he thinks about the trip so far.
"This is crazy" JR replies. "Eight years ago, I was fucking around in a parking lot and now I'm here in Japan, with a crew of 12, filming and providing support, drifting with some of my icons, and getting to experience all of this. I never thought this would've happened in a million years."
After taking in the sights of Ame-mura-the fashionable Harajuku of Osaka-it's starting to get dark. We decide to break for Gifu Prefecture, a 200-kilo drive northeast of us to the heart of Honshu Island. JR and Andy hop in the blue supercharged Mustang, and Kenta and I in the stock red one, with me behind the wheel.
An hour out of Osaka, we pull into one of the service areas that dot the highway. After a quick bathroom break and vending machine raid, JR pulls up while I'm filling up on petrol.
"When we hit some open road, I'm going to signal you. When I do, pull up beside me. When I give you the signal, let's drop it into Third and punch it. I want to see how fast the supercharger pulls."
Maneuvering past the scores of trucks, we find a long and dark stretch of highway. JR blinks his hazards. We slow to about 50 kph and from the faint light of his instrument cluster, I make out JR holding a thumbs-up. I throw the gearbox into Third and both cars lunge forward. My pedal is on the proverbial metal, yet the supercharged Mustang takes off like we're standing still.
"Oh shit, that's fast!" gasps Kenta.
A statement followed by words I thought I would never utter: "Man-I really want to drive that Mustang."
Drift Race?
Inclement weather has the Hot Version crew switching from tandem battle to a drift race. How bad was the rain? Three of the greatest drifters lost it during their runs.
Day 4
GIFU, Japan
It's pouring rain in Gifu prefecture. Similar to Bihoku, YZ Circuit is in the mountains above a small city with a tiny, treacherous road leading up to it. The whole drifting thing, and how Japan's the country credited with discovering it? After four close calls with freight trucks coming around narrow bends, it totally makes sense.
Being that 2&4 Motoring (of Best Motoring fame) is filming a Hot Version video, the venue is filled with camera men, support crew, equipment, and of course, drivers. Akira Iida, Manabu Orido, Nobuteru Taniguchi and Keiichi Tsuchiya are all on hand to put up their drifting skills. But because of the weather, in lieu of tandem drift battles, the Hot Version staff decides to change the event to a drift race-yes, an oxymoron if I've ever heard one-due to the sheer volume of water falling from the sky. When Orido, Taniguchi and Tsuchiya are spinning out every lap of their practice session, you know head-to-head battle is out of the question.
By Carter Jung
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