By Tommy
Two of my lifelong goals were to live in Japan and compete in a drift event. Fortunately, I got to do both. I’ve been living in Japan for over 10 years now and finally this year, I got to drift at my first event, Winds Auto Driving Event at the Nikko Circuit in Tochigi Prefecture, beginner class.
I found a car last year that I could enter drift events and I bought it. It is a 1983 Toyota Sprinter Trueno, also known as an AE86. It was sold in the states as a Toyota Corolla GT-S. It’s the same car as the protagonist of Initial D manga series. To say it was in rough shape would be a understatement. I have a small used car lot in Japan but this was the first time I did extensive body work and paint by myself. It turned out pretty well. After getting the car running and looking good, I actually passed the Shaken, the Japanese safety inspection for cars, which is very strict.
A few days after I passed inspection, I went to the drift event. Drifting is not racing. The goal is to control slides around turns at full throttle. An apt comparison has been drifting is more figure staking than it is like speed skating. You get judged on speed, angle of attack and style. Drifting is really hard on the car. Fortunately in organized events, drivers have fared better but there is some danger involved.
I didn’t do so well in my first couple of rounds and almost hit a wall. Everyone in my beginner division went together for 12 minute rounds. I started doing a little better. By the fourth round, I thought I was doing ok and then I blew my rear main seal and it was over for me. I got disqualified for leaking oil on the track, an automatic disqualification. What was funny and humbling is a 6th grader ended up winning the beginner division.
So, while I didn’t win and the car needs a lot of repair, it was a great experience and I’m excited for my next try.
