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D1 GRAND PRIX-Feb 28, 2004-Irwindale Speedway; The ONLY scheduled U.S D1 Grand Prix competition will take place on February 28th at the Irwindale Speedway
For the first time in drifting history, the top teams from the D1 Grand Prix Professional Drift Series in Japan will debut their driving skills on U.S. soil in a series points competition (not an exhibition). The event is the only currently scheduled U.S. D1 Grand Prix drifting competition for 2004 and will be held at Irwindale Speedway near Los Angeles, California. Approximately 30 of the top D1 teams from Japan will compete in the D1 Grand Prix USA for points in the 7 event series. The other 6 events are held in Japan.
The D1 Grand Prix is now produced by D1 Productions Inc.
President: Daijiro Inada
Vice Presidents: Keiichi Tsuchiya, Takeshi Hidesato, Isao Saita, Hideo Tomitaka
Board Members: Manabu Orido and other.
D1 Productions Inc. was formulated in California for administrating U.S. D1 events and it is directly linked with the D1 corporation of Japan.
Text provided by D1 Productions (d1gp.com)
DRIFTING.com is not responsible or liable for typographical errors.
About the D1 GP Drift Series
A Visionary
It was the vision of a car enthusiast and magazine publisher that brought drifting to mainstream motorsports in Japan.
Daijiro Inada (pronounced dye-jee-ro ee-na-da), founder of Option Magazine and the Tokyo Auto Salon, knew drifting and the Drivers Search events represented only a fraction of the potential of drifting to the global motorsport subculture. Daijiro felt a strong need to bring drifting to a professional level. So in 2001, with the help of longtime friend Keiichi Tsuchiya (pronounced kay-ee-chee soo-chee-ya), a professional JGTC (Japan Grand Touring Car Championship-the largest race series in Japan in terms of participants) driver and the person considered to be the father of modern competitive drifting, Daijiro created the D1 Grand Prix. Today, the D1 Grand Prix is so popular in Japan that D1 drivers are recognizable celebrities.
True to Mr. Inada's vision, the D1 Grand Prix represents the highest level of competition in the sport and provides the best-of-the-best to fans throughout Japan, and now in North America. The D1 Grand Prix series has also become the launch pad for a number of professional drifters who have graduated to top level professional racing series such as the JGTC.
Through D1 Drivers Search events, the D1 Grand Prix series and D1 Grand Prix in the USA, and with events planned for Europe and Korea in 2004, the sport of drifting has finally reached global proportions.
Since its humble beginnings only a few years ago, the D1 Grand Prix series events have grown from relatively small events with 50 or so teams and 3,000 to 4,000 spectators to today's events that typically host over 100 teams and by the end of the 2003 season, were attracting upwards of 20,000 spectators.
In addition to the incredible success of the D1 series in Japan, before 2001 there relatively few tuning shops there that specialized in drifting set-ups. With the introduction of a professional drifting series in Japan, the number of drifting specific shops there jumped to over 200 practically spawning a rebirth of the tuning industry in Japan.
Round Date Venue
Pro season match Jan. 17 Odaiba Tokyo, Japan
ROUND 1 Feb. 28 (Sat) Irwindale CA, USA
Exhibition match Apr. 17, 18 (Sat. Sun) Odaiba Tokyo, Japan
ROUND 2 May 4, 5 (Sat. Sun) Sugo Circuit, Japan
ROUND 3 July 24, 25 (Sat. Sun) Ebisu Circuit, Japan
ROUND 4 Aug. 21, 22 (Sat. Sun) Autopolis, Japan
ROUND 5 Sept. 17, 18 (Sat. Sun) Odaiba Tokyo, Japan
ROUND 6 Oct. 23, 24 (Sat. Sun) Ebisu Circuit, Japan
ROUND 7 Nov. 25 (Thur) Tsukaba Circuit, Japan
The Inaugural US D1 Grand Prix Event
The sell-out D1 Grand Prix USA, held August 31, 2003, shattered all attendance records at Irwindale Speedway and firmly established drifting as the hottest new motorsport in the U.S. The previous track attendance record of 8,700 was easily surpassed as approximately 10,000 spectators witnessed the first ever U.S. D1 Grand Prix competition. Not only was this the largest event ever hosted at Irwindale, it was the largest event to date, in terms of spectator attendance, in the history of drifting in both the U.S. and Japan.
The August invitational featured 16 of the top professional D1 teams from Japan and eight American drivers who had qualified at the D1 Driver's Search held earlier in the year on June 15th. The event had all the rounds of exciting drifting action that one would find at a native D1, but this was an exhibition that didn't count toward 2003 series points.
In addition to the drifting competition, there was a car show in which approximately 250 participants vied for more than 52 awards and $2,000 in cash and prizes. There were also more than a hundred automotive after-market manufacturers and retailers exhibiting on the grounds as well as an R/C car drift show and motorcycle stunt demonstrations. The open-access pit area provided fans an up-close look at the cars and drivers. A couple of drivers autograph sessions gave fans an opportunity to meet their heroes and get a photo signed. Beautiful umbrella girls decorated the landscape everywhere one turned.
The action on both the track and in the stands was wild right up to the moment the smoke finally cleared late in the evening. If it had gone on, it's doubtful anyone there would have been disappointed, including the drivers, many of whom were visibly emotional in response to the impassioned enthusiasm of the crowd at the awards ceremony.
Based on the response of the fans, the industry participants and the media, the August D1 Grand Prix undoubtedly went down in the annals as one of the most thrilling motorsports events of the year.
Overview of the February D1 Grand Prix
On Saturday February 28, 2004 motorsports history will be made when for the first time in drifting history, the top teams from the D1 Grand Prix Professional Drift Series in Japan will debut their driving skills on U.S. soil in a series points competition (not an exhibition).
Still in the planning stages at the time of this writing, the event will again commence at Irwindale Speedway near Los Angeles, California. Unlike the inaugural D1 Grand Prix USA exhibition, this will be Round 1 of the seven round 2004 D1 Grand Prix series and will count toward series points. Rain or shine, at least 30 of the top teams from Japan will compete and invitations will be extended to those American drivers who qualified and participated in the inaugural U.S. event.
As with the inaugural event, sponsorships will be offered and vendor space allocated. There will also be a car show, merchandising, concessions, open access pits, autograph sessions, umbrella girls and full media coverage, including an event highlight television program.
Once again, this is expected to be the import motorsports event of the year and will undoubtedly attract a sell-out crowd.
What is drifting?
Drifting is a high-skill level motorsport in which drivers control a car while it slides from side to side at high speed through a marked course. It is similar to rally racing, but is done on a closed paved course and judged on execution and style rather than just who finishes the fastest. Drift cars are typically smaller, lightweight, and rear wheel drive. The goal is to apply enough power to the rear wheels to break the tires' traction and initiate a slide, or "drift." Once a drift is initiated, it must be maintained through the turn using a precise balance of power, braking and steering.
To the uninitiated it's a wild and exciting episode of controlled chaos. But when professionally executed, a drifting vehicle is a thing of beauty and grace not unlike figure skating (albeit much faster and louder).
How is drifting judged?
Because professional drifting events are judged on execution and style, it is mandatory that the judges are intimately familiar with the capabilities of the cars and the advanced driving techniques employed by the competitors. D1 Grand Prix judges are highly qualified, usually former professional drifters, and are considered experts in their field.
Speed, angle of attack and vehicle control are the factors D1 judges evaluate. All drivers get solo runs before the Best 16 head-up eliminations start. All participants who make it to the Best 16 run door handle to door handle, with one other car on the circuit at the same time. As fun as the solo runs are, this is where the real excitement starts and brings the crowds to their feet.
Factors like slowing to the point of hindering the other driver, running into another driver's car or spinning out means an automatic loss of the run. Putting pressure on an opponent through a more aggressive drift angle, carrying a higher speed through a corner, and showing good strategy are extremely important tactics used to win an elimination round. Each judge knows what each competitor's car is capable of. The judges will know how much of the car's potential the driver is using, and if the driver is not pushing the car to the limit, they will be eliminated from the round.
History of Drifting
The Japanese towns of Rokkosan, Hakone, Irohazaka, and various hill climbs in Nagano are all steeped in legends of the origins of drifting. No one can really pinpoint the true birthplace but it all started some time around the mid 1960s. Like many forms of professional racing today, the modern interpretation of drifting evolved from a form of illegal street racing held on windy mountain roads called "touge" (pronounced toe-geh). Touge was practiced by extremely dedicated enthusiasts known as "Rolling Zoku" (pronounced zoe-koo) whose only goal was to trim precious milliseconds off of their time between two points.
Eventually, some of these Rolling Zoku began to take notice of driving techniques used by rally drivers, techniques to clear a corner quickly without sacrificing too much momentum. As touge drivers started to emulate these rally driving techniques, they discovered that not only did it improve their driving performance and time but it made the experience much more interesting. From touge, drifting was born.
The Drifting Movement Evolves
About the same time touge transitioned into drifting, some of the Rolling Zoku came off the mountains to bring their new-found sport to the urban jungles of Japan. The urban drifters added their own flavor to the sport with their flamboyant driving style and outrageous vehicles. Eventually word of the spectacle spread and spectators began showing up to witness the talent of these amazing drivers and their machines. But as popular as drifting had become, it's growth was limited by the risk associated with illegal street racing, keeping it relegated to an underground status.
Eventually, the popularity of drifting propelled the sport into the mainstream and competitors started to organize and take their home-grown trials to the track. The gatherings were originally just for fun until the cars and driving skills became so refined that things started to get competitive. From the early organized trials, regional drift competitions known as "Ikaten" (pronounced ee-kah-ten) were spawned and began popping up all over Japan.
The most famous of the Ikaten was the Drivers Search which, essentially, was a traveling professionally judged drifting contest open to the public. The Drivers Search events provided local competitors of all backgrounds with an opportunity to show off their skills and compete with each other to determine who had the most skill. For awhile, Drivers Search events satisfied the thirst of drifting fans and drivers but as skill levels and techniques improved and manufacturers started producing drifting-specific components allowing drifters to run specialized drifting set-ups in their vehicles, it was clearly time to raise the bar.
Inaugural Event Media Coverage
Through the efforts of Slipstream Global Marketing, public relations agency Rogers and Associates and 2003 event sponsor Yokohama Tire Corporation, so much press was created for the inaugural U.S. D1 Grand Prix that the event, and professional drifting in general, has been the subject of local, national and international news in both the print media and television. It is estimated that this media coverage reached a total audience of over 100,000,000 individuals.
Below is a sampling of magazines, newspapers, television stations and web sites that covered the inaugural U.S. D1 Grand Prix:
12 Volt Street News
Access Unlimited Magazine
Autocar Magazine UK
Automotive News
AutoWeek Magazine
B Scene Magazine
BrandWeek
C-16 Magazine
Del Mar Times
Driving Sports Magazine
ETTV
Grassroots Motorsports Magazine
HCI Magazine
Import Racer Magazine
Import Tuner Magazine
KABC News
KCAL 9 TV
KNBC News
LA Auto Guide
Los Angeles Times
Modified Magazine
Nopi Street Performance Compact Magazine
Option Video/Option Magazine/ Option2 Magazine Orange County Register
Pasadena Star
Performance Auto & Sound Magazine
Popular Mechanics
Racer Magazine
Road & Track Magazine
San Gabriel Valley News
SEMA News
Speed Channel
Sport Compact Car Magazine
SportsCar Magazine
Super Street Magazine
Today's Sports Magazine
Turbo Magazine
USA Today
Wall Street Journal
Whittier Daily
Wired Magazine
drifting.com
urbanracer.com
speedoptions.com
carandmodel.com
2004 Event Television/Video Coverage
Of the seven 2004 D1 Grand Prix events, only one will be televised and that will be the Round 1 U.S. event. The broadcasting of D1 Grand Prix events is very restricted in Japan due to potential conflicts with the sales of the series own Video Option DVDs. However, Sunpros Co., Ltd has granted permission to allow the U.S. D1 Grand Prix to be televised in the U.S., providing a truly unique and rare opportunity for television networks, race teams and sponsors.
Current television plans are in discussion and a deal is expected to materialize soon. A news release will be issued when this is finalized.
A number of local television stations will also be invited to cover the event as was done in the inaugural event.
In addition to television coverage in the U.S., Video Option will cover the event with their magazine format video which is extremely popular and widely distributed in Japan. Approximately 120,000 copies of Video Option are distributed monthly.
2004 Event Print Media Coverage
An extensive list of invited print media guests will be on-hand to witness and report on this exciting drifting competition. At least as much print coverage as was received in the inaugural U.S. event is expected with the 2004 event. A media orientation, drifting introduction, demonstration, ride-alongs and driver interviews are planned for the Friday preceding the event.
Sponsorship Programs
This D1 Grand Prix event will undoubtedly provide companies from all sorts of markets a unique and dynamic opportunity to reach a slice of the somewhat evasive but very lucrative $200 billion Gen-Y market. Between the targeted demographics of the enthusiast spectators, the media coverage in the automotive print segment, mainstream and lifestyle print segments, newspapers, internet sites and the television coverage and Option Video DVD sales, this event will provide an opportunity to reach well over 100 million enthusiasts and consumers. For companies offering import automotive products or services, this will be the most important event of the year. For companies not endemic to the automotive indusrty, this event offers a unique opportunity to brand your product and/or service to a very targeted and influential demographic.
Sponsorship opportunities will be limited in an effort to keep sponsors in the spotlight as much as possible, giving each one an excellent value for their investment. The proposed sponsorship opportunities are as follows:
This area is currently under construction.
Vendor Row
Energy and excitement will be the order of the day at Vendor Row. Located between the grandstand and the open-access pit area, and adjacent to the car show area, your product, brand and/or service will be exposed to hoards of hard-core drifting and motorsports enthusiasts. Due to the space constraints of the Irwindale Speedway property, booth availability will be limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact us to reserve your space as soon as possible.
Booth space sizes available with pricing:
10'x10' 20'x20'
10'x20' 20'x30'
10'x30' 20'x40'
Larger spaces may be available. Contact D1 Productions for more information.
D1 Rules and Regulations
Safety Modifications and Guidelines:
- Anything that compromises the safety of the vehicle in a collision may not be removed with the exception of air bags and or factory collision reinforcement bars.
- Each car must be equipped with a six-point or better roll cage.
- Roll cage must be welded or securely bolted and anchored. If roll cage is bolted then its must be securely reinforced with an anchor plate and backing plate sandwich on each side of the floor pan.
- Roll cage may be placed in front or through the dashboard.
- Roll cage tubing must be at a minimum of 2.25 inches in diameter
- Drivers seat must be equipped with a four-point or better racing type safety harness of nylon web, at least 3 inches in diameter, with a metal buckle. Shoulder harness must be an H type not Y type harness. Safety Harness must be securely bolted to the frame.
- Drivers must be fitted with Snell Foundation (SA) approved safety helmets with 1995 Snell Foundation (95SA) or later safety sticker of approval displayed inside; head and neck restraints systems are optional and must also be Snell Foundation (SA) approved. Face shields are strongly recommended.
- Drivers must wear driving suits made of approved fire resistance material (Nomex, Kynol, etc.) in single or double layers. Socks and full length underwear must also be fire resistance.
- Drivers must wear fire resistance gloves with no holes composed of Nomex or leather. Shoes must be of fire resistant materials or leather on top. Racing shoes are strongly recommended.
- Catch tanks must be securely fastened. Radiator catch tanks must have a minimum capacity of 1 qt. each. Oil catch tanks may also be installed on engine oil breathers where practical. NO FLUID LEAKS OF ANY KIND WILL BE TOLERATED.
- It is highly recommended that all cars be equipped with at least a 2 lb. 10 BC fire extinguisher securely mounted in the cockpit. An onboard halon type fire system is strongly recommended.
- Master electrical cut-off switches are highly recommended and should clearly be marked if fitted outside the vehicle.
- Fuel cells are strongly recommended.
- Fuel filler caps must be securely fastened so as not to open on impact.
- All hoods and deck lids must be adequately and securely fastened.
- All drain plugs must be securely fastened.
- Batteries must be securely fastened down, positive terminals well insulated and if located in the cockpit must be covered or have leak proof caps.
- All cars must have at least one working rear brake light.
- Brake systems including brakes, lines, fluid and pedals must be in good shape and working condition. Dual master cylinders are recommended.
Authorized Modifications:
- Each car must maintain the OEM unibody.
- Must maintain tempered front windshield.
- Every car must maintain a complete exhaust system with a factory or aftermarket catalytic converter.
- Any tires that are within public accessibility may be used.
- The front passenger seat, rear seats air-conditioning, radio, wiper blades and original seatbelts also may be removed and/or replaced.
- Aftermarket body panels, bumper covers and wings are permitted
- Seam welding the unibody is permitted.
- Suspension upgrades are open.
- Factory wheels may be replaced with aftermarket wheels.
- Any grade of automotive gasoline may be used for fuel.
- Engines are open for modification.
- Other than what is listed above cars are open for modification.
Qualification Guidelines:
- D1 series point holders from previous series are exempt from qualifying.
- Top ten ranking drivers are exempt from qualifying.
- Qualified drivers
- Any drivers who hold previous D1 series experience.
- Any drivers who have been qualified by an official judge during Drivers Search within the last 12 months.
TENTATIVE D1 Grand Prix U.S.A Event Schedule (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Friday February 27, 2004 - Trade set-up, Drivers Search and Media Day
Trade set-up and Media Day (CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC)
Please download PDF at the bottom of this page for Friday's schedule
Saturday February 28, 2004 - Main event
6:00am Vendor set-up, car show set-up, course inspection
6:30am Vendor set-up, car show set-up, cont. Tech inspection
7:00am Vendor set-up, car show set-up, cont. Tech inspection, cont.
7:30am Vendor set-up finish, car show set-up finish, Tech inspection, cont.
8:00am Gates open to public, Tech inspection, cont.
8:30am First Practice Run
9:00am Practice Run
9:30am Practice Run
10:00am Car Show judging begins, Practice Run
10:30am Driver autograph session/media interview in Vendor Row
11:00am Driver autograph session/media interview in Vendor Row, National anthem, D1 competition, Round-1
11:30pm Driver autograph session/media interview in Vendor Row, D1 competition, Round-1
12:00pm D1 competition, Round-1
12:30pm D1 competition, Round-1
1:00pm D1 competition, Round-1
1:30pm D1 competition, Round-1
2:00pm D1 competition, Round-1
2:30pm Car Show awards announced, D1 competition, Best-16
3:00pm Car Show Awards Ceremony
3:30pm
4:00pm D1 competition, Best-8
4:30pm D1 competition, Best-8
5:00pm
5:30pm
6:00pm D1 competition, Semi-Final 4
6:30pm D1 competition, Semi-Final 4
7:00pm
7:30pm D1 competition, Final
8:00pm D1 competition, Final
8:30pm
9:00pm Formation Run
9:30pm Awards Ceremony, event ends
10:00pm Vendor booth tear down, Shut down the P.A. system
10:30pm
11:00pm All vendors move out by 11:00pm
Detailed event schedule for Drivers/Teams, Vendors/Sponsors and Car Show Entrants may be downloaded here:
http://drifting.com/d1gp_complete_sch.pdf
http://drifting.com/d1_grand_prix.php
D1 GRAND PRIX-Feb 28, 2004-Irwindale Speedway; The ONLY scheduled U.S D1 Grand Prix competition will take place on February 28th at the Irwindale Speedway
For the first time in drifting history, the top teams from the D1 Grand Prix Professional Drift Series in Japan will debut their driving skills on U.S. soil in a series points competition (not an exhibition). The event is the only currently scheduled U.S. D1 Grand Prix drifting competition for 2004 and will be held at Irwindale Speedway near Los Angeles, California. Approximately 30 of the top D1 teams from Japan will compete in the D1 Grand Prix USA for points in the 7 event series. The other 6 events are held in Japan.
The D1 Grand Prix is now produced by D1 Productions Inc.
President: Daijiro Inada
Vice Presidents: Keiichi Tsuchiya, Takeshi Hidesato, Isao Saita, Hideo Tomitaka
Board Members: Manabu Orido and other.
D1 Productions Inc. was formulated in California for administrating U.S. D1 events and it is directly linked with the D1 corporation of Japan.
Text provided by D1 Productions (d1gp.com)
DRIFTING.com is not responsible or liable for typographical errors.
About the D1 GP Drift Series
A Visionary
It was the vision of a car enthusiast and magazine publisher that brought drifting to mainstream motorsports in Japan.
Daijiro Inada (pronounced dye-jee-ro ee-na-da), founder of Option Magazine and the Tokyo Auto Salon, knew drifting and the Drivers Search events represented only a fraction of the potential of drifting to the global motorsport subculture. Daijiro felt a strong need to bring drifting to a professional level. So in 2001, with the help of longtime friend Keiichi Tsuchiya (pronounced kay-ee-chee soo-chee-ya), a professional JGTC (Japan Grand Touring Car Championship-the largest race series in Japan in terms of participants) driver and the person considered to be the father of modern competitive drifting, Daijiro created the D1 Grand Prix. Today, the D1 Grand Prix is so popular in Japan that D1 drivers are recognizable celebrities.
True to Mr. Inada's vision, the D1 Grand Prix represents the highest level of competition in the sport and provides the best-of-the-best to fans throughout Japan, and now in North America. The D1 Grand Prix series has also become the launch pad for a number of professional drifters who have graduated to top level professional racing series such as the JGTC.
Through D1 Drivers Search events, the D1 Grand Prix series and D1 Grand Prix in the USA, and with events planned for Europe and Korea in 2004, the sport of drifting has finally reached global proportions.
Since its humble beginnings only a few years ago, the D1 Grand Prix series events have grown from relatively small events with 50 or so teams and 3,000 to 4,000 spectators to today's events that typically host over 100 teams and by the end of the 2003 season, were attracting upwards of 20,000 spectators.
In addition to the incredible success of the D1 series in Japan, before 2001 there relatively few tuning shops there that specialized in drifting set-ups. With the introduction of a professional drifting series in Japan, the number of drifting specific shops there jumped to over 200 practically spawning a rebirth of the tuning industry in Japan.
Round Date Venue
Pro season match Jan. 17 Odaiba Tokyo, Japan
ROUND 1 Feb. 28 (Sat) Irwindale CA, USA
Exhibition match Apr. 17, 18 (Sat. Sun) Odaiba Tokyo, Japan
ROUND 2 May 4, 5 (Sat. Sun) Sugo Circuit, Japan
ROUND 3 July 24, 25 (Sat. Sun) Ebisu Circuit, Japan
ROUND 4 Aug. 21, 22 (Sat. Sun) Autopolis, Japan
ROUND 5 Sept. 17, 18 (Sat. Sun) Odaiba Tokyo, Japan
ROUND 6 Oct. 23, 24 (Sat. Sun) Ebisu Circuit, Japan
ROUND 7 Nov. 25 (Thur) Tsukaba Circuit, Japan
The Inaugural US D1 Grand Prix Event
The sell-out D1 Grand Prix USA, held August 31, 2003, shattered all attendance records at Irwindale Speedway and firmly established drifting as the hottest new motorsport in the U.S. The previous track attendance record of 8,700 was easily surpassed as approximately 10,000 spectators witnessed the first ever U.S. D1 Grand Prix competition. Not only was this the largest event ever hosted at Irwindale, it was the largest event to date, in terms of spectator attendance, in the history of drifting in both the U.S. and Japan.
The August invitational featured 16 of the top professional D1 teams from Japan and eight American drivers who had qualified at the D1 Driver's Search held earlier in the year on June 15th. The event had all the rounds of exciting drifting action that one would find at a native D1, but this was an exhibition that didn't count toward 2003 series points.
In addition to the drifting competition, there was a car show in which approximately 250 participants vied for more than 52 awards and $2,000 in cash and prizes. There were also more than a hundred automotive after-market manufacturers and retailers exhibiting on the grounds as well as an R/C car drift show and motorcycle stunt demonstrations. The open-access pit area provided fans an up-close look at the cars and drivers. A couple of drivers autograph sessions gave fans an opportunity to meet their heroes and get a photo signed. Beautiful umbrella girls decorated the landscape everywhere one turned.
The action on both the track and in the stands was wild right up to the moment the smoke finally cleared late in the evening. If it had gone on, it's doubtful anyone there would have been disappointed, including the drivers, many of whom were visibly emotional in response to the impassioned enthusiasm of the crowd at the awards ceremony.
Based on the response of the fans, the industry participants and the media, the August D1 Grand Prix undoubtedly went down in the annals as one of the most thrilling motorsports events of the year.
Overview of the February D1 Grand Prix
On Saturday February 28, 2004 motorsports history will be made when for the first time in drifting history, the top teams from the D1 Grand Prix Professional Drift Series in Japan will debut their driving skills on U.S. soil in a series points competition (not an exhibition).
Still in the planning stages at the time of this writing, the event will again commence at Irwindale Speedway near Los Angeles, California. Unlike the inaugural D1 Grand Prix USA exhibition, this will be Round 1 of the seven round 2004 D1 Grand Prix series and will count toward series points. Rain or shine, at least 30 of the top teams from Japan will compete and invitations will be extended to those American drivers who qualified and participated in the inaugural U.S. event.
As with the inaugural event, sponsorships will be offered and vendor space allocated. There will also be a car show, merchandising, concessions, open access pits, autograph sessions, umbrella girls and full media coverage, including an event highlight television program.
Once again, this is expected to be the import motorsports event of the year and will undoubtedly attract a sell-out crowd.
What is drifting?
Drifting is a high-skill level motorsport in which drivers control a car while it slides from side to side at high speed through a marked course. It is similar to rally racing, but is done on a closed paved course and judged on execution and style rather than just who finishes the fastest. Drift cars are typically smaller, lightweight, and rear wheel drive. The goal is to apply enough power to the rear wheels to break the tires' traction and initiate a slide, or "drift." Once a drift is initiated, it must be maintained through the turn using a precise balance of power, braking and steering.
To the uninitiated it's a wild and exciting episode of controlled chaos. But when professionally executed, a drifting vehicle is a thing of beauty and grace not unlike figure skating (albeit much faster and louder).
How is drifting judged?
Because professional drifting events are judged on execution and style, it is mandatory that the judges are intimately familiar with the capabilities of the cars and the advanced driving techniques employed by the competitors. D1 Grand Prix judges are highly qualified, usually former professional drifters, and are considered experts in their field.
Speed, angle of attack and vehicle control are the factors D1 judges evaluate. All drivers get solo runs before the Best 16 head-up eliminations start. All participants who make it to the Best 16 run door handle to door handle, with one other car on the circuit at the same time. As fun as the solo runs are, this is where the real excitement starts and brings the crowds to their feet.
Factors like slowing to the point of hindering the other driver, running into another driver's car or spinning out means an automatic loss of the run. Putting pressure on an opponent through a more aggressive drift angle, carrying a higher speed through a corner, and showing good strategy are extremely important tactics used to win an elimination round. Each judge knows what each competitor's car is capable of. The judges will know how much of the car's potential the driver is using, and if the driver is not pushing the car to the limit, they will be eliminated from the round.
History of Drifting
The Japanese towns of Rokkosan, Hakone, Irohazaka, and various hill climbs in Nagano are all steeped in legends of the origins of drifting. No one can really pinpoint the true birthplace but it all started some time around the mid 1960s. Like many forms of professional racing today, the modern interpretation of drifting evolved from a form of illegal street racing held on windy mountain roads called "touge" (pronounced toe-geh). Touge was practiced by extremely dedicated enthusiasts known as "Rolling Zoku" (pronounced zoe-koo) whose only goal was to trim precious milliseconds off of their time between two points.
Eventually, some of these Rolling Zoku began to take notice of driving techniques used by rally drivers, techniques to clear a corner quickly without sacrificing too much momentum. As touge drivers started to emulate these rally driving techniques, they discovered that not only did it improve their driving performance and time but it made the experience much more interesting. From touge, drifting was born.
The Drifting Movement Evolves
About the same time touge transitioned into drifting, some of the Rolling Zoku came off the mountains to bring their new-found sport to the urban jungles of Japan. The urban drifters added their own flavor to the sport with their flamboyant driving style and outrageous vehicles. Eventually word of the spectacle spread and spectators began showing up to witness the talent of these amazing drivers and their machines. But as popular as drifting had become, it's growth was limited by the risk associated with illegal street racing, keeping it relegated to an underground status.
Eventually, the popularity of drifting propelled the sport into the mainstream and competitors started to organize and take their home-grown trials to the track. The gatherings were originally just for fun until the cars and driving skills became so refined that things started to get competitive. From the early organized trials, regional drift competitions known as "Ikaten" (pronounced ee-kah-ten) were spawned and began popping up all over Japan.
The most famous of the Ikaten was the Drivers Search which, essentially, was a traveling professionally judged drifting contest open to the public. The Drivers Search events provided local competitors of all backgrounds with an opportunity to show off their skills and compete with each other to determine who had the most skill. For awhile, Drivers Search events satisfied the thirst of drifting fans and drivers but as skill levels and techniques improved and manufacturers started producing drifting-specific components allowing drifters to run specialized drifting set-ups in their vehicles, it was clearly time to raise the bar.
Inaugural Event Media Coverage
Through the efforts of Slipstream Global Marketing, public relations agency Rogers and Associates and 2003 event sponsor Yokohama Tire Corporation, so much press was created for the inaugural U.S. D1 Grand Prix that the event, and professional drifting in general, has been the subject of local, national and international news in both the print media and television. It is estimated that this media coverage reached a total audience of over 100,000,000 individuals.
Below is a sampling of magazines, newspapers, television stations and web sites that covered the inaugural U.S. D1 Grand Prix:
12 Volt Street News
Access Unlimited Magazine
Autocar Magazine UK
Automotive News
AutoWeek Magazine
B Scene Magazine
BrandWeek
C-16 Magazine
Del Mar Times
Driving Sports Magazine
ETTV
Grassroots Motorsports Magazine
HCI Magazine
Import Racer Magazine
Import Tuner Magazine
KABC News
KCAL 9 TV
KNBC News
LA Auto Guide
Los Angeles Times
Modified Magazine
Nopi Street Performance Compact Magazine
Option Video/Option Magazine/ Option2 Magazine Orange County Register
Pasadena Star
Performance Auto & Sound Magazine
Popular Mechanics
Racer Magazine
Road & Track Magazine
San Gabriel Valley News
SEMA News
Speed Channel
Sport Compact Car Magazine
SportsCar Magazine
Super Street Magazine
Today's Sports Magazine
Turbo Magazine
USA Today
Wall Street Journal
Whittier Daily
Wired Magazine
drifting.com
urbanracer.com
speedoptions.com
carandmodel.com
2004 Event Television/Video Coverage
Of the seven 2004 D1 Grand Prix events, only one will be televised and that will be the Round 1 U.S. event. The broadcasting of D1 Grand Prix events is very restricted in Japan due to potential conflicts with the sales of the series own Video Option DVDs. However, Sunpros Co., Ltd has granted permission to allow the U.S. D1 Grand Prix to be televised in the U.S., providing a truly unique and rare opportunity for television networks, race teams and sponsors.
Current television plans are in discussion and a deal is expected to materialize soon. A news release will be issued when this is finalized.
A number of local television stations will also be invited to cover the event as was done in the inaugural event.
In addition to television coverage in the U.S., Video Option will cover the event with their magazine format video which is extremely popular and widely distributed in Japan. Approximately 120,000 copies of Video Option are distributed monthly.
2004 Event Print Media Coverage
An extensive list of invited print media guests will be on-hand to witness and report on this exciting drifting competition. At least as much print coverage as was received in the inaugural U.S. event is expected with the 2004 event. A media orientation, drifting introduction, demonstration, ride-alongs and driver interviews are planned for the Friday preceding the event.
Sponsorship Programs
This D1 Grand Prix event will undoubtedly provide companies from all sorts of markets a unique and dynamic opportunity to reach a slice of the somewhat evasive but very lucrative $200 billion Gen-Y market. Between the targeted demographics of the enthusiast spectators, the media coverage in the automotive print segment, mainstream and lifestyle print segments, newspapers, internet sites and the television coverage and Option Video DVD sales, this event will provide an opportunity to reach well over 100 million enthusiasts and consumers. For companies offering import automotive products or services, this will be the most important event of the year. For companies not endemic to the automotive indusrty, this event offers a unique opportunity to brand your product and/or service to a very targeted and influential demographic.
Sponsorship opportunities will be limited in an effort to keep sponsors in the spotlight as much as possible, giving each one an excellent value for their investment. The proposed sponsorship opportunities are as follows:
This area is currently under construction.
Vendor Row
Energy and excitement will be the order of the day at Vendor Row. Located between the grandstand and the open-access pit area, and adjacent to the car show area, your product, brand and/or service will be exposed to hoards of hard-core drifting and motorsports enthusiasts. Due to the space constraints of the Irwindale Speedway property, booth availability will be limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact us to reserve your space as soon as possible.
Booth space sizes available with pricing:
10'x10' 20'x20'
10'x20' 20'x30'
10'x30' 20'x40'
Larger spaces may be available. Contact D1 Productions for more information.
D1 Rules and Regulations
Safety Modifications and Guidelines:
- Anything that compromises the safety of the vehicle in a collision may not be removed with the exception of air bags and or factory collision reinforcement bars.
- Each car must be equipped with a six-point or better roll cage.
- Roll cage must be welded or securely bolted and anchored. If roll cage is bolted then its must be securely reinforced with an anchor plate and backing plate sandwich on each side of the floor pan.
- Roll cage may be placed in front or through the dashboard.
- Roll cage tubing must be at a minimum of 2.25 inches in diameter
- Drivers seat must be equipped with a four-point or better racing type safety harness of nylon web, at least 3 inches in diameter, with a metal buckle. Shoulder harness must be an H type not Y type harness. Safety Harness must be securely bolted to the frame.
- Drivers must be fitted with Snell Foundation (SA) approved safety helmets with 1995 Snell Foundation (95SA) or later safety sticker of approval displayed inside; head and neck restraints systems are optional and must also be Snell Foundation (SA) approved. Face shields are strongly recommended.
- Drivers must wear driving suits made of approved fire resistance material (Nomex, Kynol, etc.) in single or double layers. Socks and full length underwear must also be fire resistance.
- Drivers must wear fire resistance gloves with no holes composed of Nomex or leather. Shoes must be of fire resistant materials or leather on top. Racing shoes are strongly recommended.
- Catch tanks must be securely fastened. Radiator catch tanks must have a minimum capacity of 1 qt. each. Oil catch tanks may also be installed on engine oil breathers where practical. NO FLUID LEAKS OF ANY KIND WILL BE TOLERATED.
- It is highly recommended that all cars be equipped with at least a 2 lb. 10 BC fire extinguisher securely mounted in the cockpit. An onboard halon type fire system is strongly recommended.
- Master electrical cut-off switches are highly recommended and should clearly be marked if fitted outside the vehicle.
- Fuel cells are strongly recommended.
- Fuel filler caps must be securely fastened so as not to open on impact.
- All hoods and deck lids must be adequately and securely fastened.
- All drain plugs must be securely fastened.
- Batteries must be securely fastened down, positive terminals well insulated and if located in the cockpit must be covered or have leak proof caps.
- All cars must have at least one working rear brake light.
- Brake systems including brakes, lines, fluid and pedals must be in good shape and working condition. Dual master cylinders are recommended.
Authorized Modifications:
- Each car must maintain the OEM unibody.
- Must maintain tempered front windshield.
- Every car must maintain a complete exhaust system with a factory or aftermarket catalytic converter.
- Any tires that are within public accessibility may be used.
- The front passenger seat, rear seats air-conditioning, radio, wiper blades and original seatbelts also may be removed and/or replaced.
- Aftermarket body panels, bumper covers and wings are permitted
- Seam welding the unibody is permitted.
- Suspension upgrades are open.
- Factory wheels may be replaced with aftermarket wheels.
- Any grade of automotive gasoline may be used for fuel.
- Engines are open for modification.
- Other than what is listed above cars are open for modification.
Qualification Guidelines:
- D1 series point holders from previous series are exempt from qualifying.
- Top ten ranking drivers are exempt from qualifying.
- Qualified drivers
- Any drivers who hold previous D1 series experience.
- Any drivers who have been qualified by an official judge during Drivers Search within the last 12 months.
TENTATIVE D1 Grand Prix U.S.A Event Schedule (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Friday February 27, 2004 - Trade set-up, Drivers Search and Media Day
Trade set-up and Media Day (CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC)
Please download PDF at the bottom of this page for Friday's schedule
Saturday February 28, 2004 - Main event
6:00am Vendor set-up, car show set-up, course inspection
6:30am Vendor set-up, car show set-up, cont. Tech inspection
7:00am Vendor set-up, car show set-up, cont. Tech inspection, cont.
7:30am Vendor set-up finish, car show set-up finish, Tech inspection, cont.
8:00am Gates open to public, Tech inspection, cont.
8:30am First Practice Run
9:00am Practice Run
9:30am Practice Run
10:00am Car Show judging begins, Practice Run
10:30am Driver autograph session/media interview in Vendor Row
11:00am Driver autograph session/media interview in Vendor Row, National anthem, D1 competition, Round-1
11:30pm Driver autograph session/media interview in Vendor Row, D1 competition, Round-1
12:00pm D1 competition, Round-1
12:30pm D1 competition, Round-1
1:00pm D1 competition, Round-1
1:30pm D1 competition, Round-1
2:00pm D1 competition, Round-1
2:30pm Car Show awards announced, D1 competition, Best-16
3:00pm Car Show Awards Ceremony
3:30pm
4:00pm D1 competition, Best-8
4:30pm D1 competition, Best-8
5:00pm
5:30pm
6:00pm D1 competition, Semi-Final 4
6:30pm D1 competition, Semi-Final 4
7:00pm
7:30pm D1 competition, Final
8:00pm D1 competition, Final
8:30pm
9:00pm Formation Run
9:30pm Awards Ceremony, event ends
10:00pm Vendor booth tear down, Shut down the P.A. system
10:30pm
11:00pm All vendors move out by 11:00pm
Detailed event schedule for Drivers/Teams, Vendors/Sponsors and Car Show Entrants may be downloaded here:
http://drifting.com/d1gp_complete_sch.pdf
http://drifting.com/d1_grand_prix.php
I already preordered my tickets so im going.
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