Metropolis Japan

January 6, 2011

D1 Grand Prix

The world’s top drift racers rev up for the 2011 season

Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2011

Postponed until Jun 4-5. The event will now be held at a special venue near the “Fune no Kagakukan” monorail stn in Koto-ku, Tokyo.

If you have already purchased reserved seat tickets for Mar 26-27, you will be able to use them for the Jun 4-5 dates.
–The Mar 26 event corresponds to the Jun 5 event
–The Mar 27 ticket corresponds to the Jun 6 event
–Seat numbers remain the same

If you want to retain your ticket please advise us with your name. If you would like a refund, please return the refund form that we have sent you. Refund applications will be accepted between Mar 25-Apr 23.
Tokyo Drift will resume selling tickets for the Jun 4-5 events from May 7. Dates are subject to change and fans are advised to check the official D1GP/Metropolis pages for info.

Tokyo Drift wishes to express its deepest condolences to the victims of the Great Tohoku Earthquake. D1GP is committed to holding charitable events to aid the relief effort during the 2011 D1GP Series.

There’s a scene in the 2006 film Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift where the protagonist is challenged to a race. An experienced street driver, he cockily accepts the dare only to discover that the “course” is the narrow, spiraling ramp of a parking garage. His opponent glides effortlessly through the curves, tires spinning, without once scraping against the walls just inches away.

Welcome to the world of drift racing.

This high-octane motorsport was born on the narrow roads and winding mountain passes of Japan. Unlike traditional racing, where drivers must slow down through the curves to avoid a fatal spin, drifters intentionally hit the apex of each turn without slowing then slide through, preserving maximum exit speed. The skill and precision required to take these curves without losing control make drifting one of the world’s most dynamic and acrobatic sports. Add in the smoking tires and almost balletic movements of the vehicles, and it’s also one of the most visually engaging spectacles you’ll ever see.

Drift racing is essentially the only motorsport where winning depends not on how fast you go or how souped-up your car is, but on showing the audience you’re the coolest driver on the track. It’s all about skill and showmanship, as the judges award points based on angle, speed, engine noise and even smoke. In D1 events, drivers compete first in the solo “Tanso” round, where they must follow a set course line. The top 16 then advance to the “Tuiso” stage, comprised of a series of head-to-head races until only one is left standing.

Drifting began to gain recognition when drivers like Kunimitsu Takahashi and “Drift King” Keiichi Tsuchiya started using drift techniques during normal races. In 2000, Tsuchiya, along with Daijiro Inada and Sunpros, organized the first D1 Grand Prix at Fukushima’s Ebisu Circuit. In keeping with the sport’s roots in street racing, that first year nearly all of the drivers competed wearing street clothes and using their own cars. But by 2003, the series was hosting its first international event—an exhibition race in California that drew an unprecedented sell-out crowd. There are now drifting events held in more than 35 countries around the world. Currently heading into its second decade, D1 continues to evolve as a truly global motorsport, with higher-powered cars, more intense angles and ever more excitement.

The D1 series will officially start with Tokyo Drift in Odaiba in March, which features 40 of the top drivers going head-to-head over two days (for Tokyo Drift Odaiba ticket info, click here). But race fans can get a preview of the action at the Kick Off Drift event, held in conjunction with Tokyo Auto Salon on January 14-16 at Makuhari Messe. The annual Auto Salon is Japan’s largest customized tuning car show, and one of the greatest auto expos in the world. Over its three-day run, an average of 230,000 people come to check out the 600 vehicles and displays by nearly 300 manufacturers.

Since its inception four years ago, Kick Off Drift has proved to be one of the most popular events in the Auto Salon lineup. This year will see the Messe parking lot transformed into a high-speed mini-drifting course where top racers show off their moves along the sharp curves. Even better, visitors to Auto Salon will get the chance to snag early tickets for Tokyo Drift (general ticket sales start January 21).

Whether you’re a drift fan, a race fan—or even just looking to check out your first motor event—there’s no sport with more excitement, speed and incredible feats of skill than the D1 Grand Prix.

Tokyo Auto Salon with D1GP Kick Off Drift
Jan 14-16, 9am-6pm, free (with purchase of Auto Salon ticket). Makuhari Messe. Nearest stn: Kaihin-Makuhari.
www.e-autosalon.net

Get an exclusive look at drift racing, pop culture and more with Tokyo Drift Girls, airing Sundays at 1:35am on TV Tokyo, channel 12 and at 12:05am on satellite channel BS Japan.