D1 Drivers Search (FEEDBACK)

[Driftday]

"...by the way who set up that course!?"

It was Keiichi himself that designed the course.

Naoki

[CRASHDRIVE]

Worth to post

I cut and paste this from Club4ag forum. They are also discussing D1DS and this is what a Japanese driver though of it.
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quote:
2004.8.22
Ato suubigo desu kedo chotto nanka iitai koto ga arimasu. Mimi o karite mo kamaimasen ka?

USA no D1 wa mada mada ne... Gate de haitekara shogo ni deta made tada "Mada mada" te kanji ga shima****a. Shigansha de service o ita****eru to wa dame ne (minna wa kekko mayotteru rashii datta). Kore ni kan ****e mou chotto hayaku yoi ****a hou ga ii to omoimasu. Kankyaku wa $15 de event ni hairu kara motto soshiki shinakereba ikemasen. SCCA no AutoX to kurabetara kankyaku wa nanmo harattenai noni onaji service wa moraimasu yo ne.

Demo Moto-P san no iu doori de saikin drift wa netsu no kanji de fuetemasu... honto ni honto ni. Tatoeba Cali ni (SoCal no hen) dokodemo donna shop demo "Drift, drift, drift!" da yo ne. Mou korede akichau yo ne. Kihonteki ni drift wa driver/team to kankyaku de level ya utsukushisa o takaku suru shi---nde Sponsor ya Mass Commi wa ato ni kuru hazu sou sho? Kono hou wa Japan no 15 nen mae datta desho. Shikashi USA wa gyaku nandayo ne... Sponsor/Mass Commi de driver o hakken suru. Suunengo mada tsuzekeru ka na te omotte... kono mama de. Maa, honto no drifter wa itsudemo dokodemo drift yaru kara betsuni desu ne.

Maa, asetteru to machigae ga detekite shimaimasu. Dakara yukkuri jya naku te gaman ****e nakama to soudan suru to daitai drift no shorai wa akaruku narimasu to omoimasu. Club4AG no minna, Moto-P mo ganbatte kudasai. Korekara yoroshiku onegaiitashimasu.

-Mashoe (Optionman)

turbomamoru@aol.com


Option!(^_^)
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I will do my best to translate what he said into English as I feel his comments are worth translating.....

He feels that most everything has been said about the D1 already, but wants to add that the D1 production here in America was not well organized. He felt that the workers needed to be better prepared to handle the event as it was apparent to him upon entering the gate that everyone seemed kinda lost. His comment is that if we charge spectators $15 to get into the event we have to do a little better preparation because people can get the same kind of service for free and a SCCA AutoX.

He goes on to say that like Moto said, drifting in America is really taking off. Where ever you look, for example in Southern California, drifting is everywhere. He feels that at this pace, drifting will go out of style very quickly. Drifting basically starts with the drivers/teams and spectators and as the level of drifting and events gets better, then the sponsors and media should come. This is the way it was in Japan 15 years ago. But America is doing it completely opposite. Here, the media and sponsors are in it from the very beginning and pushing the level of the sport ahead of it's time (and the level of drift ability here in the US). He wonders if it stays like this, will drifting continue mainstream in the USA after a few more years. But of course the real drifters will remain to drift anytime and anyplace.

Finally, he says that we shouldn't try to be in such a hurry to make something big out of this or else we will make mistakes. While we don't necessarily have to go slow, we need to talk and learn from our friends in the drifting world (I assume the Japanese) and drifting will most likely have a very bright future here in the US. He tells us all here at Club4ag to work hard and do our best and looks forward to a good future with us.


I have done my best. Sorry if it isn't exactly right. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.


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www.driftfox.com

Paul
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Thanks to Paul for translating it for us all.

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[hatebbobbarker]

it would have made a lot more sense if they had a few heats of elimination
at least down to 20 and then down to 5(8).

whatever... all the drivers i had high hopes for suffered car issues.

[Slonie]

Well, they went from ~80 to 13 to 8 to 5. I guess people would have been happier if they had gone from 80 to 30 or something first.

Of course I don't know how the spectator could have known what was going on...Most people I talked to didn't even know they had knocked it down to 5 in the end.

[CRASHDRIVE]

This is just out of speculations and I did not go to D1DS.

But, maybe the judges only saw 5 drivers out of 80 that actually stands out and has the potential to go tandem with the Japanese D1 drivers?

It's not just that. Remember theres already a SEED position for Alex P, Andy Y, Sam H. etc. maybe they just needed 5 more drivers to compete for the US vs Jap challenge.

Every though of that?

Im pretty sure there's an explanation for all of it.

Now about the contraversial "Japanese Drivers should not enter a US D1DS", I think it's like saying that an athlete cannot represent a different country in the olympics just because they are not native to that country.
I've been watching the Olympics (kind of) and I see Athletes from other countries representing a different country, so why is this so different from that? Remember olympics is the best of the best in the whole entire world.

Besides, they get a US License, They have to enter a D1DS again for the Jap License (i think).

Either way, they get a D1 License (lucky bastards!)

[swifty949]

i think the issue about the japan drivers is they just came here to qualify for Japan D1 series. They don't live in the US, they have no connections to the US, other than the team that provided a car for them to drive.

[CRASHDRIVE]

Originally posted by swifty949
i think the issue about the japan drivers is they just came here to qualify for Japan D1 series. They don't live in the US, they have no connections to the US, other than the team that provided a car for them to drive.

I think driving a US car is good enough reason to represent the US.

Besides, we need it the help we can get anyways

[hatebbobbarker]

Originally posted by CRASHDRIVE
I think driving a US car is good enough reason to represent the US.

Besides, we need it the help we can get anyways

you are missing the point.

[swifty949]

What im saying is, they might not even drive for the US.
For example, Imamura has the right to be a US driver...since there is a Apexi USA (same company as the one in Japan). Yet he is representing Japan.

[nissanguy_24]

I seriously doubt these japanese gentlemen will be driving FOR the US in the US vs JP meet.However as was mentioned earlier by LAPD d1 driver searches are open to all, Its like a open casting call. If the casting guys feel your good enough they will give you a spot (d1 license) wether or not they have already filled the position there holding the casting call for.

It is more difficult to get a license in japan at the moment, so those who think they can make it enough to spend the cash to come to america are welcomne to try, in fact i didnt see signs anywhere saying who can not enter. Aside from ethical concerns think of it this way.

Ken Gushi is a Japanese American. If im not mistaken he can speak japanese and lived in japan for a while correct? He recieved a D1 license already. End of story, If he wishes to repersent the "American team" im sure he will be welcomed.

Now as for the event, yeah it was organized horribly for the supporters out there cheering there favorite drivers and such. the arguement is it was a driver search not an exhibition true, but then you shouldnt charge 15 bucks to watch.

Remember in D1, for better or worse Keichi Tsuchya isnt just called the drift king, he is the drift king. If he desides some bum on the side of the road has what it takes to be in the d1 he will let them drive. If he feels a person, even a popular driver such as kazama or whoever (japanese names = hard to remember) is unsafe to drive then he will not let them drive. Simple as that.

[Slonie]

Keep in mind that qualifying from this event and the other DS events gets you into the Driver's Search Championship, which will be the "second half" of the Irwindale Driver's Search, on December 11th.

Here, the qualifiers will face against the seed drivers. (the list is on D1GP.com). There are only a couple guys seeded for the USA vs. Japan event already, I believe just Rhys and Samuel from making top 16 within the last year at D1 in February.

The top guys from the Driver's Search Championship event will be in the US vs. Japan championship the following weekend (December 19th).

Is it confusing enough for you yet? (how the Driver's Search Irwindale and DS Championship are gong to take place on the same day has not been explained anywhere yet, to my knowledge)

[Feint]

They finish up the D1 drivers search,and out of those qualified US drivers,they go into another qualifying for the US vs Japan event later in the afternoon.Of course,there won't be no need for another qualifying,they'll just take the best 15 in the drivers search,then send them to the slaughter on the 19th.