What will it mean if Daigo wins the Championship?

[mannynj]

Conrad beat Daigo?
Daigo won all 3 of those battles against Conrad!

[mannynj]

it seems as if were trying to stop a japanese invasion... i dont get what the big deal is. Daigo is a drifter, a damn good one too. it would just mean the better man won this year, nothing more. on the other hand, i love how his driving is causing crowds to go insane aswell as the judges. This is what a action sport should be, hopefully this evolves the approach that all the US teams have adapted in the last few years. Drifting is supposed to be extremely exciting and the edge of your seat exciting.... the past 2 years have just been kinda boring. now its like a soap opera, and i dont even answer my phone while the event is live. i cant get enough of the drama and excitement daigo has tossed in the mix and how judges, crowd and critics are reacting to his skill level and strategies.


This is Action sports at its best right now.

I totally agree! I love how the judges are changing things up to make the driver fallowing attack the lead car and put pressure on it even if it means sacrificing line a little bit.
Daigo is definitely making an impact in FD. He is taking this top drivers out of their confort zone of boring tanden battles. They are not use to somebody constandly attacking them and being unpredictable. He is making this season a lot more exciting to watch, while lowering the V8 % on podium. I think this teams will have to reconcider their engine choice from now on, on try to run more HP out of those V8s risking reliability.

Just my opinion.

[boxmod]

I hope you never judge a drift event.

i understand the difference in proximity, and that judges allowed them to cut line and lower angle to be close.... but that made daigos follow entries so shallow... almost "safe" looking. based on the rules layed out, perhaps he won, but why do we think its ok all of a sudden to short the line/angle so bad just to get close? when daigo leads he had some of the most insane entrys and flicks ever... why not show that in follow position?

btw daigo has been my favorite jp driver for years, i dont hate on him, and i dont care about v8/nonv8 drama... just calling it by the pure spirit of what tandem comps have always been- MIMIC the lead driver, go big with your opponent.

i was also there in person, perhaps stream showed something i didnt see

[my 1 88 u]

i understand the difference in proximity, and that judges allowed them to cut line and lower angle to be close.... but that made daigos follow entries so shallow... almost "safe" looking. based on the rules layed out, perhaps he won, but why do we think its ok all of a sudden to short the line/angle so bad just to get close? when daigo leads he had some of the most insane entrys and flicks ever... why not show that in follow position?

btw daigo has been my favorite jp driver for years, i dont hate on him, and i dont care about v8/nonv8 drama... just calling it by the pure spirit of what tandem comps have always been- MIMIC the lead driver, go big with your opponent.

i was also there in person, perhaps stream showed something i didnt see

Run 1 : Result - One More Time




Run 2 : Result - One More Time

[Bebop]

why not show that in follow position?

Because thats how you end up like JTP.

As a chaser you make the car in front of you become the moving clipping point so you time and adjust your self to put your car in the closest proximity of your opponents.

I was introduced to drifting on this type of format so I understand it is going to be dificult for some who have never watched this style of drifting. But its the most entertaining and should be the most clear cut.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jDr-I_kl0OU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I honestly think that the judges just totally forgot their own judging criteria for this battle (it was one of the first battles of the day i think). Which is kind of understandable this is all new to them as well and I have a odd feeling that they are not the ones who came up with it rather just enforcing it.

As long as the chaser does not understeer or correct I see no issue.

[Conrad G]

I don't feel like going into a vehicle dynamics discussion, but the separation that Daigo and I had after the first turn was from him going very shallow through the first turn. So all that the pictures show is the gap he pulled on me from making up his own line. I was doing this for qualifying and was told to stop doing it as it was the reason for low score I received. Its easy to say that I should have followed him like a moving clipping point in the first turn, but whats the point of defining the line if no one has to follow it?

I can see both sides of the argument, on one side is the guys that say proximity is all that matters and on the other is the line and angle guys. I think that if you have the skill to follow a few inches off someones door you should also have the skill to match angle at all times. Only focusing on proximity opens up a lot of grey area. Such as, how shallow can I go as long as I stay close? I hope you guys can understand that more angle = less grip/speed potential therefore less angle would allow you to keep up easier while on power.

You should also be on a qualifying line when you lead as it keeps the show more exciting since the chase driver isn't trying to play catch up because you shallowed up your line.

All this being said I think Daigo is an amazing talent with out a doubt and it was a lot of fun to run against him, hopefully I can have another chance at him in a couple of weeks.

-Conrad

[Bebop]

@Conrad

From a Spectator Standpoint

Qualifying lines are awsome, I love big angle and wide lines like no other. But they only belong in qualifying IMO.

Watching two guys try to match each others qualifying lines with a 5 car gap is faaaar from entertaining. I think your battle with JTP at Wall last year was the most boring finale at a FD event ever, and I hope to never seen anything like that ever again in FD.

I love this revamped style of tandem that FD displayed over the weekend. Most entertaining battles I have ever seen under the FD banner. I hope they keep it up!

[boxmod]

pictures dont do it justice. its simply my opinion that shorting the line as much as daigo did on lead and follow just didnt gel well with the drifting FD has always represented. Yes it is 100% exciting to see them wheel to door, but i agree that you should do it by mimicing more than just 'getting there' and then mimicing.

i just dont want to see drifting turn into a fight over speed more than angle and line.

[my 1 88 u]

I keep hearing American pros claiming that following at close proximity throughout the entire course is not that difficult then why aren't they all doing it? JR is one of the rare top drivers to dare do it and he gets tripped up for his troubles because it's hard and s#$%. Daigo Saito comes in doing it right and all of these excuses start flying, "he isn't matching angle" or "he looks twitchy".

Conrad you are one of my favorite drifters but if you followed Daigo with the same proximity with less angle then I would have supported the OMTs. If you followed him as close as he followed you while matching angle then you would have deserved the win.

[Conrad G]

@Bebop

So your fine with running the low line in the bank at Irwindale in the name of trying to run away from the chase driver? Or one car having almost no angle entering turn one at Atlanta while the lead car is at 90 degrees? If Forsberg short cut the course by going shallow on his lead run so Diago couldn't keep up, would you still have the same opinion about wide lines and big angle?

The drivers have always known that proximity is extremely important but should it be everything?

As far as Wall last year, lets just say that chasing an ASD car last year wasn't as easy as it looks!

-Conrad

[Bebop]

JR is one of the only drivers existing in the series with major D1 tandem experience.

Fors and Rhys got some as well. So did Sam and Tanner but they are gone with the wind.

Yoshioka got the skills but is in the wrong car.

[Bebop]

@Bebop

So your fine with running the low line in the bank at Irwindale in the name of trying to run away from the chase driver? Or one car having almost no angle entering turn one at Atlanta while the lead car is at 90 degrees? If Forsberg short cut the course by going shallow on his lead run so Diago couldn't keep up, would you still have the same opinion about wide lines and big angle?

The drivers have always known that proximity is extremely important but should it be everything?

As far as Wall last year, lets just say that chasing an ASD car last year wasn't as easy as it looks!

-Conrad

Back in the day when D1 went to Irwindale all drivers except for the corolla guys had to run high up on the bank during tandem. But there were penetration zones in the inner oval that really decided the battles. I'm 100% OK with that.

And yes if Fors cut in shallow to gain the best proximity I will have the same oppinion.

I wish someone would upload Ryan Sage's talk about the course before the top 16.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/T233Cbkfj4U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Foward to like 5:23:25

Even though he describes JR's qual run as the ideal line he does state the the lead driver dictates the line and the chase driver mimics everything the lead driver does.

I think Maintaining proximity while staying in drift without understeering or correcting is ideal for tandem competion. I feel big angle and wide line is a big risk in a game of proximity.

[stedriftward]

Simple fact of the matter is obviously it is hard to match angle and stay within inches of the lead driver.....@ Conrad...That's why most of you are so far from each other in tandem....Too concerned with angle during tandem and you lose proximity which equals BORING for spectators. Conrad is a skilled driver with a grip background first and foremost so being technical is his main concern......But being technical and two cars behind is just BORING.....The problem with American drifters is they are so concerned with line and angle that they sacrafice excitement in tandem. The crowd is not full of tekie race car drivers....We could care less about your line.....We want excitement!!!!! More excitement....More fans....More fans.....More revenue coming in to support FD.

Just my .02

[BigGameHit]

Many valid points here but the difference is Japanese do it for Love.. not fame and other *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored* *Censored**Censored**Censored* they are not built that way. I been in this country almost 5 years and know/drifted with alot of the pros they do it for love man. They will go out of their way to help and respect me alot for driving in D1 as a foreigner/military member as they know it cost me alot much more to play.

I started dirfting in America and learned how to drift in Japan... the knowledge is high the seat time is endless which is why he adapts easily and not taking anything away form the american guys.. but You got the aussies also who are very good drivers. Americans in general just need to get over that we are the best by default attitude.

[vvtisupra]

Don't forget daigos chase run against Chris forseberg. Redic