Since Tokyo Auto Salon founder Daijiro Inada got together with friend and former GT racer, Keiichi Tsuchiya (a. k. a. the Drift King), to create the D1 Grand Prix professional drift series in 2001, drifting has become arguably the most exciting motorsport in the world.
Now in its ninth full season in Japan, the sideways-sliding action is already underway abroad with veteran Nomuken (a. k. a. Ken Nomura) winning 2009’s initial D1 event at Japan’s Ebisu Circuit in his Skyline ER34. More recently, Youichi Imamura finished first in round two at the Autopolis in Oita Prefecture on Kyushu Island. The D1GP continues to grow at the professional and amateur levels with a spin-off called the D1 Street Legal series. The United Kingdom, New Zealand and Malaysia also host their own satellite series.
As for North America, the very first D1GP professional drift event played to a packed house at Southern Cal’s Irwindale Speedway in 2003. The highly-entertaining demonstration event pitted eight …Â Details
