Boycott Tsuchiya! Dori has gone to far!!!!!

[Hubert Young]

The incident involving the emergency vehicle was totally avoidable if people working on the track had flags. Also, the drivers of the emergency vehicles could use a little more common sense before just jamming on the track and not park their emergency vehicles right in the middle of the track without looking!

Poor Tsutomu in his Megan Racing S14. His weekend looks gloomy right now... but looks like the damage is fixable. Wish him luck!

[Drift Brick]

Ueno had his soarer and Orido intersingly enough was NOT driving the RS-R/RIDOX Supra but instead was driving a new car..I guess RS-R has a S15 now. I'll try to get up some pictures soon.

awww... poopie. I wanted to see orido's new supra.

In other news Rhys royally thrashed his GTO during practice and is out for this event.

wow. intriguing.

[ArchangelX]

...and they don't even have flags!

I couldn't imagine any motorsports event without flags. That's a huge safety issue...espescially in drifting where spin-outs, etc. are such a common occurence.

Ueno had his soarer and Orido intersingly enough was NOT driving the RS-R/RIDOX Supra but instead was driving a new car..I guess RS-R has a S15 now. I'll try to get up some pictures soon.

Orido smashed the Supra into a mess at the last D1 event. It's totally expected for him not to be driving it. That's for sure.

[kurumakun]

This should clear up the issue why Drift Association is not staffing the D1 this weekend. I've have so much respect for Moto Miwa. Please Read... This was riped from the Club4ag forum but as a Drift Assoc. member I feel you guys should know too.

Moto:
OK, there's a lot of confusion and rumors floating around... So let me clarify things in a short summary:

FACT:
D1 is the greatest collection of drivers and teams bar none, globally and in the USA.

Drift Association had the opportunity to work with them despite many promotional entity changes we have been the only organization to stick to the events for the sake of working with these great teams and drivers.

We have also been recently involved in other events like XDL, Formula D, and our own Drift Day for that matter as partnered with other organizations across the USA to promote and shape these events.

Matters of this D1 Grand Prix event December 14th ~17th:

There have been conflicting matters on methods of our participation for this event. Some of the Officers at D1 have opted seek myself and not the services of Drift Association as a whole. While others inside are asking for a change internally, and have complete understanding of who we are, things have not been very clear to us. (Or, it may have been and I just have not been listening between the lines, in which case, I am to blame as well.)　　

In any case, we began as an entity to serve the needs and interests of drifting community as a whole, really as we see it, and that I seek not any position that may well limit us from operating in other series that also are beneficiary to the sport in my view.

Bottom line though as we all know, is that we, Drift Association LLC comes as a whole, and I seek no position at D1 Grand Prix that will exclude key personnel from my staff, and our abilities to select who is fitting of staffing at any events that we partake. After all, what abilities do I have in operation of anything? As I see only you are all collectively what made me who I am today. If our staff or some of them are deficient in meeting the needs of D1, I can make adjustments for such as that will be a request more in the issues of business and their interest in their idea and quality of the show. But, I will not make adjustments based on the fact that we serve the industry and their cause is to make us exclusive to the series without D1 embracing all that we do, or based on their needs without regard to who I owe my presence in this community.

I'd like to be fair to D1 though in saying that these offers from D1 are not at this point, a collective decision by all of its officers, and that there are still many decisions to be made internally at D1 that may pave way for our inclusion in acceptable ways in the future.

For this event, another entity Drift Buffet was selected by D1 Grand Prix, to which I was selected to oversee as supervisor. I decline though, because I come as a whole of my own staff, and I wish not to depart in any way from our core staff that supported my cause up to this point and turning back the time for the last 8 years...before even Club4AG in many ways. Drift Buffet is our friend too…but I cannot delete from my own plans my own staff to work with outside group with a 5 day notice by D1. I say this with total respect for Drift Buffet and its members, that I am sorry.

At this point though, as D1 embarks on a 3 day Competition here at Irwindale, my wishes go to nothing but a fair and safe event. I wish the best regards to Drift Buffet for their commitments, and D1 for bringing yet another event to the USA for all of us to see at great expense and collaboration of their resources. That part is genuine and I do seek to see a great event for the spectators and media no matter what their goals are with us.

Now from what I said as “limited participation” before, I’d like to clarify this:

This is my support to all the drivers seeking to obtain a spot at D1 competition, those people that have been integral to the success of our causes in the past. This includes the US and the Japanese drivers who also we have come to appreciate. While some are clearly the property of D1, I seek not to cause issues. For those that are not yet though, part of the roster, I seek nothing but successful attempts for them to join the ranks of world’s greatest drifters. Also the supporters and sponsors of Drift Day, I will make myself present to them to help them seek their own goals at this event.

To that end, I will not be present as Operations manager of the event, but for whatever I can help to lend a hand at drivers seeking to do their best, and for those that are expending resources for that cause. You won’t see me with D1 Shirt on this time… but running about with many of our friends that have their own commitments at this event.

As you can begin to see, it still is my dream to operate and support the greatest drifting show on Earth, but I wanted to do it in a manner that is true to our goals and limited to what I see is still within the scope of what we do as Drift Association LLC, and the goals behind the unit.

Finally, this is NOT a statement of negativity on anyone. Just a statement of how we do things, and values we hold at Drift Association. For the better or for worse, it’s the only way I know.

I ask that all of you with an intention of spectating at D1, to go ahead and buy the tickets! I'm just as delighted to see them here and ready to rock. We all need your cheers for the drivers making the challenges and I too will be there to see to it that they have the resources and supporters to go make our own team driver's best efforts count!


Moto
Webmaster, Club4AG
President, Drift Association LLC



Moto
Webmaster, Club4AG

[MonkeySlide]

*sniff sniff*...the man is a freakin poet..

Mad respect for standing behind your team!

Hey..since you're such a good sport about the whole thing...why dont you help out drift buffet by letting them borrow your FLAGS!!

[Slapshotnerd]

they had flags by midafternoon.

I missed both Rhys and the Megan Racing crashes. But someone told me that the emergency truck was blocking some spectators who had jumped the fence and gotten onto the track to help a disabled car. without the safety truck there, the megan racing car might have hit these spectators, and the scene would have been even worse.

I left before the end of the drivers search. i'm sure i'll hear results shortly...

[Slapshotnerd]

some of my inside sources told me:

- the email was real. My inside source got the email.
- Ueno and Orido showed up just to see if they could get in, and somehow they did. Taniguchi didn't bother to show up because he didn't want to go through the trouble.
- not to post numbers, but the Drift Buffet staff is being paid less than the DA staff was being paid
- the damages to the track truck are being billed to D1 (who will probably end up billing Drift Buffet)

[MonkeySlide]

some of my inside sources told me:

- the email was real. My inside source got the email.
- Ueno and Orido showed up just to see if they could get in, and somehow they did. Taniguchi didn't bother to show up because he didn't want to go through the trouble.
- not to post numbers, but the Drift Buffet staff is being paid less than the DA staff was being paid
- the damages to the track truck are being billed to D1 (who will probably end up billing Drift Buffet)

So Drift Buffet is being paid less than DA on top of having the truck damages being taken out of their paycheck as well?

Psh..they might as well be called "volunteers"

[AllMotorKing]

there's is a reason why all these event producers work w/ Drift Association in the first place. they are professional and their rates are more than reasonable.

i'm writing moto in for governor in the next election. he rules and always looks out for the best interest of the sport of drifting and its participants.

[hachirolla808]

Don't know why Taniguchi never showed up, and I don't know if any of the rumors are true. Taniguchi has missed many a D-1 because he is busy with other engagements(ie. Super Taikyu). Don't let certain circumstances create a reality to something that no one can prove is true.

D-1 drivers are people too. We all have stuff to do, and I know of some other top drivers who aren't going because they are busy.

[hatebbobbarker]

tremendous respect for moto, whatever happened to them making his wikipedia entry!

[akuma S14]

Ah you are correct sir they had absolutely no flags whatsoever...instead they wave their arms like gilligan and the skiper did when they were trying to get off the lsland.

And the guy who was sending out the cars for their runs seriously had an anger management problem I wouldn't be surprized if he ended up getting into a throw down with one of the DA guys.

Does anyone know why drift buffet is working the track instead of Drift Day Assoc.??

monkey slide - To be more precise Drift buffet had flags that were locked in an office @ the track that no one had a key to except one guy(Irwindale Official) who didn't arrive until we had actually went out and bought 5 new sets at about 2pm. I, the starter in question, had many problems with drivers not paying attention to the starter, which can lead to delays, and also a timing problem with cars coming off the track.then there is the Emergency crew truck/Meagan car incident, I sent the Meagan car as the ambulance started towards wreck #1. At that point there was no stopping the meagan car, and the safety crews started pulling into the drivers line, my heart dropped. I know all the DA guys and not 1 of them hasked asked to me to "throw down". LOL.

and as to why Drift Buffet is working D1? We were asked. Drift Buffet did not lobby to take away management, we didn't even asked to do it. We we asked by D1 to handle the event. I was really amazed and left wondering why they would come to us. Drift buffet has never claimed to be Drift Assaciation/Club 4ag or to have their expertise in big venue management, but I have often asked Moto P for advice regarding this huge tasked that has been place upon us at Drift Buffet.

I hope maybe this may clear things up for you guys before you hate us for the wrong reasons. I am very sadened by the mis-haps of todays drivers search, and I am ready to get a few hours sleep before the qualifying session tommorow.
Terry
Terry@driftbuffet.com

[cfrost]

what kinda name is XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX anyway?

[Mute]

Having once worked within the D1 office and been involved within certain aspects of the said "politics", heres my take, even if that email was crap, maybe it will help some of you who may be a little off with your perceptions of the Japanese side of things.

"Boycotting" Tsuchiya is the most ignorant and foolish thing I have ever heard, especially from that email. If you had a clue about the fact that it's not a bunch of happy go-lucky japanese people skipping hand in hand drifting their cars around corners, you'd be a little more respected in your comments. But it seems that you think they are seriously doing it because they have nothing better to do. IT IS A BUSINESS, your competitor dollars, your spectator dollars, sponsor dollars, booth dollars, D1 concession dollars, all go towards making money.

How does this apply to the Tsuchiya email?

Well, say, you drive for Yokohama, they invest money in you, feature you on their largest promotional material that circulates all throughout your country, making you a star overnight, and then you turn around and rock some Coopers. Would Yokohama give you a high five or kick your *Censored**Censored**Censored* out? You better believe you'd be 86'd.

D1 was started greatly in conjunction with Option Magazine, started by the respected Daijiro Inada, who also created, Video Option, Option 2, Drift Tengoku, and JDM Option not to mention some other more elitist magazines. Anyways, Option covered the up and coming drifters of the time which included the likes of Nomuken, Kazama, and sure enough Taniguchi as well as many others. If it wasnt for Dai Chan organizing these events, and covering them both in Video Option and the Magazines there wouldnt be much mainstream hype the likes of how it is today, and likewise, there wouldnt be the superstars that some of you look up to like Taniguchi, not to say he wouldnt still be a great driver, he just wouldnt be such an icon. It's all business, after so much invested you would never expect your investment to turn and go somewhere else, every move is approved or rejected and anything deviating from that system is met with a very cold and swift negative outcome.

Hate it, love it, kiss my *Censored**Censored**Censored*, its the way it is, now with all that said, that whole email could be full of sh!t, but its also very likely to be true. Just shut up and go drift. Tell D1 what you think about their practices when you get on top of the winners podium, till then just make friends and leave the politics to the a$$holes, there are enough of them out there to deal.

And yeah Moto is a great guy, lots of love for the sport, and he knows what's up more than he lets on.

[MonkeySlide]

monkey slide - To be more precise Drift buffet had flags that were locked in an office @ the track that no one had a key to except one guy(Irwindale Official) who didn't arrive until we had actually went out and bought 5 new sets at about 2pm. I, the starter in question, had many problems with drivers not paying attention to the starter, which can lead to delays, and also a timing problem with cars coming off the track.then there is the Emergency crew truck/Meagan car incident, I sent the Meagan car as the ambulance started towards wreck #1. At that point there was no stopping the meagan car, and the safety crews started pulling into the drivers line, my heart dropped. I know all the DA guys and not 1 of them hasked asked to me to "throw down". LOL.

and as to why Drift Buffet is working D1? We were asked. Drift Buffet did not lobby to take away management, we didn't even asked to do it. We we asked by D1 to handle the event. I was really amazed and left wondering why they would come to us. Drift buffet has never claimed to be Drift Assaciation/Club 4ag or to have their expertise in big venue management, but I have often asked Moto P for advice regarding this huge tasked that has been place upon us at Drift Buffet.

I hope maybe this may clear things up for you guys before you hate us for the wrong reasons. I am very sadened by the mis-haps of todays drivers search, and I am ready to get a few hours sleep before the qualifying session tommorow.
Terry
Terry@driftbuffet.com

Alright well the emergency truck thing was an accident thats obvious..but I think everyone's gripe is that it really seems like something that could have been very easily avoided and only happend because someone wasn't paying attention.

Going by what you said I can't really tell if it was you who wasn't paying attention or the truck driver who wasn't.

Now if that rumor about D1 billing you guys for the damages to the truck is true then that would mean that they think its your fault. However thats just a rumor we dont even know if thats true so if you could clear it up that would be cool..if not then thats your business.

As far as how you guys got the gig..if they came to you then they came to you thats cool..but seriously.... nothing personal but the way you worded it, you sort of make it seem like you were unprepaired to do the job and you're just sort of playing it by ear...I dont think thats the case...well I sincerely hope not anyway.

They came to you guys and you guys were ready to step up right?