The Death Of D1 – The Rise And Fall
Posted by Geki Minihux in Drifting, tags: 180sx, America, D1, D1 Grand Prix, D1 Street Legal, D1GP, Dorikin, FD3S, Geki Kassou Dan, Goodyear, Japan, Keiichi Tsuchiya, Nissan, Nobushige Kumakubo, Nobuteru Taniguchi, RX7, S13, S15, Skyline, SuperMade, Suzuka, Team Geki, Tezuka, Tomohiro Murayama, Yokohama, Yoshida, ZemaD1 Grand Prix the worlds biggest drift competition, where people are made and people are broken, where you get to mix with the worlds best in a sport that demands everything from you as lay rubber across the tarmac at over 180kph only inches from your rival. This world is often seen as the highlight of drifting what real drifting is about, where people who have spent years and countless hard earned dollars to travel around Japan fighting their way through the ranks to finally be given an official D1GP license. Now its time for all those years of dedication and practice to shine through as you face up against some of the biggest names in drifting, you lay everything down for the chance to make a name for yourself and one day be lucky enough to win the D1 Grand Prix.
You done well, you placed in the top 10 at your first D1 event, you have taken wind to some comments saying you might be in line for some tire sponsorship after your efforts. You are in good spirits as you drive to your next D1 event. At the event you manage to lay down perfect runs against your rival Tezuka whose piloting the Goodyear backed Nissan Skyline. You take the long drive back to the start line waiting to hear an outcome. What! Your called back for a re-run, even after your rival made a mistake causing you to lead in the points score, it does not matter the judges want to see a re-run. You know you clearly that you beat him but you head out again for a re-run. The results come in, you just happened to miss out and wont be making it into the top 8. This is your first taste of the real world in D1, as you and your pit crew pack up for the long drive home you cant help but feel some sort of failure.
Your car is all ready, you have paid the ridiculous 70,000 yen entry fee again, the truck is loaded and everything is packed, you just got off the phone to your new tire sponsor, this year Yokohama who are happy to have you on board but did they forget to mention that you will never ever have a chance of wining D1 because of their main tire competitor Goodyear. Goodyear is one of the D1GP’s main sponsors who will always have the last say in who wins, thank the King for the that. You happen to being doing flawless runs but yet the Goodyear backed big guns still manage to score more points then you every run without fail, you can also thank the King for that.
Yoshida from SuperMade in his super gangster S13.
Whose the King you ask, well its none other then Keiichi Tsuchiya also known as Dorikin . The King is the largest icon in drifting, who brought the D1 Grand Prix to all its glory but now he seems to be closing it down event after event with the crazy entry fee costs and his ridiculous judging. Only 2-3 years ago you would find over 100 cars entered into any D1 event around Japan, that was before they decided to up the price from around 25,000 yen to 70,000 yen, and for what? So you had the pleasure of packing up and leaving early because the judges decisions were completely biased. You and the other 40 or so competitors, did I say 40 or so, sorry I meant 100 no actually I didn’t, D1 now struggles to even get entries and have resorted to calling up ex-D1 drivers personally to see if they would like to enter upcoming events. I have seen with my own eyes at the Suzuka 07 D1 event the lengths that Tsuchiya will go to when one of his friends, not mentioning names but he drove a bright pink S15. He did not quite achieve the points needed so they called for a re-run against lesser backed privateer, resulting in the higher profile driver wining. The judging got so bad that they even started brining in guest judges such as Nobushige Kumakubo from Team Orange for the pure fact of just trying to make the judging calls fairer for all participants not just the high profile drivers.
These higher entry prices coupled with the fact the economy is going down the drain is not good for the Smaller privateer drivers who would usually just put everything on the credit card and worry about paying it back another day. Not this year with banks cutting down credit limits in Japan it also means a lot of privateers now have no money to enter D1. Now days you will see most D1 drivers at local events just drifting for the passion and fun of it, before it was taken over by money and sponsors. They are returning into the real drift scene, not this Pamela Anderson version of drift, with new improved bits and pieces but the price to pay is getting Hep C, turning green and losing your hair.
Good friend Tomohiro Murayama from Team Geki in his 550HP SR2.2.
So its clear there is only one way to the top and that’s making it to the Kings table, make it their and your sure in for a win. Do the hard work kiss the right backsides and in no time you will have a spot. But once your there don’t ever think of leaving, leaving the table would result in having all you hair cut off then getting it dyed green upon the Kings request of following the traditions and showing your loyalty. After that process you may never enter a D1 event again unless you make piece with King Tsuchiya. Your now a free man with a name, where do you go? You go to America where the grass is greener, the money flows like water and your fans line up in dozens just to get a glance at you. If you done all of these things you would sound just like Nobuteru Taniguchi also known as NOB, a very smart man who seen the light and happens to be one of the best drivers in drifting or grip to date and whose making a killing for himself in America the land of opportunity.
Another good friend and fellow Team Geki member, Zema in his RX7 along with his bright green D1 Street Legal 180sx below.
So there it is D1 is dying, prices have doubled and entrants have been cut by at least 50% or more. You cant really run a D1 event with no cars drifting. If you do intend on seeing some drifting in Japan I would be hunting down some MSC events or if you demand on seeing D1, the Ebisu event is always the best one to watch.
All my information has been based on facts and truths, its not just a propaganda rag out on the D1 Grand Prix even if it does sound a bit far fetched. My close relationship with a few good friends who happen to be ex-D1 drivers for all the reasons mentioned above have always brought up some great stories about D1 and the trouble it has caused.
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Like i said on driftworks, very interesting article!
Who drives the green 180?
good write up mate, its very interesting to read.
well written, yet another great read ………. keep them coming “the price to pay is getting Hep C, turning green and losing your hair.” I LOL’D
Daniel
very well written and heart felt piece. really enjoying you blog so far. keep up the good work!
… that’s drifting. Hear the same shit here in Australia after every event too.
wow, what an awesome article, really put things into perspective for me, now i see why the japanese drivers are going to america. nice work on the blog too, just found it a couple of days ago & i am loving it. another aussie doing us proud in the land of the rising sun. keep it up!
it has been known for awhile, it will be sad to see it go. But it will probably be better for the sport in some respects
I never would of picked it about Keiichi Tsuchiya, but then again I dont know what’s being said on the D1 vids
Well written
This isn’t exactly new information, but I suppose it reconfirms what many already new. D1 has always been a competition of favourites. Everyone knows that if you don’t grovel to the ‘king’ you don’t get sh!t. A fact of life in anything to do with Sunpros (ie Option).
They are doing a good job at shooting themselves in the foot and trying to bleed to death.
Interesting and well written article. Cheers
hopefully with the recent change of ownership of DA things will get better.
any chance of getting that first pic of the orange S14 as a wallpaper? awesome shot
Do you not think you may be exaggerating? Even slightly? You’re obviously much (much) closer to it than I, but I’ve watched plenty of Option videos and only seen a few really dodgy calls. They don’t show the full qualifying on those however. I’m sure even the Japanese drivers are not immune to sour grapes from time to time…….. Prices going up recently may be a reflection of circuit hire prices rising etc, Grade 1 FIA tracks like Fuji and Suzuka can’t be cheap to hire, especially as they may be losing sponsors as advertising budgets are chopped. Perhaps they are trying to weed out the lower budgets in an effort to create a clear difference between them and MSC? All conjecture on my part obviously and you may be proven right, but perhaps you are over-empahsising one element of a larger picture?
Hey guys, some replies to your comments.
nice write up man, was well worth the read.
very interesting article, we have heard similar stories from other sponsors and drivers participating in D1 as well. Along the same lines as the tires is that you must run the DG-5 suspension. This is the Kings brand as well.
its a bit “word of mouth” and “ooh my feelings have been hurt” but it does touch on some interesting points. As for D1 being dead, well i guess you buy dori-ten every month…
your in japan, you know the culture, but your trying to justify your words in a western way. Its a difficult thing to deal with, i’ve had the dream of driving D1 in japan for years, but i know its not going to happen unless you are sat at the magical table. Even more so, we are gaijin, we are tolerated, but you know as well as i do that in japan we are not considered to be “real people” – more like cavemen that do stupid things to amuse the more intellegent japanese people… Being in japan could send you crazy, especially when you know the reason for being there will never come to fruition, and yet we are still here, still drifting and still enjoying our lower rank in life.
if you want to make a difference id say work harder, build a better car, win so hard that they have to might make the right call. everybody hurts when they take a punch in the face, even giants.
The reason I stopped buying option/doriten DVD’s a few years ago and just follow MSC instead now
Nice article, but a Spellcheck/Grammar check would have helped
you missed my point a little dude, i meant that as japanese its bad enough, as gaijin its a no hope job. also, gaijin would be safe enough to talk to in that respect, we are not likely to have any contacts or get them in trouble.
regarding goodyear, i know tezuka personally, see him every week near as dammit. he’s a cool guy, but whats he to do? he has sponsors, he has roles he must forefill, he has to follow the rules, as do many D1 drivers, infact all, bar NOB and Orido, to whom drifting is of little consequence. but they have the might and the connections to form MSC… look where Kazama, Miki, NOB, Orido and to an extend Ueno are now. Im pretty sure thats the fall out from Tsuchiya, but its backfiring and these guys arent fading away.
Im in an unusal position, having worked for D1 and sunpros, so i know exactly what happened to cause MSC to come about and this situation to happen. but thats not for the general public, its our job to make sure drifting is cool, fun and entertaining… whatever else happens is to do with men in suits.
how can you see everything around you if you have blinkers on? If your friends feel hard done by and yet they are still trying, maybe they need to look to themselves for the problem. its fine being bitter, its fine to try harder, but to what goal? the square peg is never going to fit in the round hole.
you have to adapt, and as gaijin, you are more used to that than most japanese people you meet. have that influence on your friends, make movies, show the world what you got. the only problem with D1 is that its the goal at the wrong end of the field.
alot of drift fans find it really hard to think of the king as a bad guy after all hes the one who taught alot of people some skills (drift bible) and hes the face that brought drifting to the world made it a popular sport, its been pretty obvious that theres been a favoritism towards certain drivers in D1 for along time dunno how many times ive seen nomuken win a battle he clearly shouldn’t have, i was watching the round 1 ebisu from last year and there as a battle between someone and fukuda i have nfi how fukuda lost there was no way he did from the footage shown.
its unfortunate really because tsuchiya is a great driver and a great character same with nomuken funny as little guy on camera bring back the old drift tengoku days wen nomuken went out to togue’s an had fun with the locals and tsyuchiya thrashed monsters on the BMI togue and leave behind all the D1 BS i say
on the topic tho i wonder how much of this is Daijiro’s doin as he is the face behind it all and we all no kazama must of crossed the kings man at some point coz who the hell no’s where he is these days
making a big post here too but ive seen many a blog mention how MSC is where its at now yet none(that i no) follow it event by event yet weird lol
having attended MSC, the format doesnt match up to D1 battles. if MSC had battles it would rule.
Tsuchiya is without doubt the most influencial person drifting has ever seen. I think a lot of it is trying too hard to be taken seriously and professionally, rather than just letting the drivers speak for themselves by thier actions.
Thanks for the comments everyone, its nice to mixed views but its good to see we are all on the same page.
Hi Geki,
You’re probably right, after all these sorts of rumours have been floating around for ages. However to clarify my point about the circuits, the hiring of expensive venues like Fuji and Suzuka would have to have been at least partially covered by sponsorship money as 25,000 yen aint that much, money which may not have be so forthcoming over the last season or so. Combined with falling entries, the price would have to go up to maintain the championship at the levels it (and the teams’ existing sponsors) is now accustomed to. In your post you make it seem as if they are just being greedy! Even they can’t be that stupid. Or can they? Haha. A minor point compared to the main thrust of your post I know, but this is the internet so I can be as pedantic as I want…..
Mad Mike wil attent some sessions @ the new season of D1 right? would be very interessting to see how he will score, although i think it will be more af promo stunt really.
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Finally someone is bringing this out in the open. Next someone in America will start calling out Formula Drift for their biased judging and their decisions on issuing pro licenses based on “friendship” or “potential sponsorship”. Its time that drifting becomes a true sport again and not a money $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ driven clown fest. It will never be considered a true motorsport until the flaws and the people causing them are driven out of the system.
[...] some d1 japan backlash… Posted by sal campo In auto, à la carte 27Mar 09 http://hashiriyaexports.com/blog/ [...]
d1 backlash?
this news is like 3 years old plus
its nothing new
im surprised most you guys didnt know this. i guess havent seen much of it in person
dvds obviously cut out a lot of stuff
Wow powerful statement.. this article is flowing all over every board and blog right now (TougeKing, NICO, 4AGclub, Rx7club, forzamotorsports, and many others
and you are true 100%
Geki, thanks for dropping by my blog. Keep up the good work!
dousan yeah it is true it is old news but its news that needs to be known there is a reason this article is flying all over blogs and boards
I am so glad I read this.
One of the most important articles I think I have ever read.
Thank you for sharing this.
…1st off pat yourself on the back for this write-up! This has been my exact thought for the past 3 year near! I think if i’d to describe it in one word it wouldwith out doubt be “commercialised”.I dont believe its only D1GP either! I do find myself enjoying every PD event but with that said the judgeing is clearly bi-est to certain drivers who happen to be spomsored by big investor tyr companys ???? HANKOOK to name 1 ! I am a drifting enthusiast with an 86 for enjoymeant drifting and do not compete so i have a spectating point of view! Yes MSC is the only real competeing events i follow what with the “from the streets drivers” with BADical cars running slly offsets/camber/ride heights etc to make there cars as kick-ass as they are! “Team Mouse,MotorFIX,Magician,326power” to name a randon selected few? very different styled individually but all are so right and an idea of how things appeal to a die-hard drifting enthusiast such as myself! grass-roots FTMFW
I am somehow grateful that drifting is not as big sport in Norway as it is in other countries that have D1 championships.
Up here we only have Powerdrift, which is quite similar to D1 as it only contains drifting, but it’s nothing in size compared to D1GP.
To sign up for an event there is just a track fee, which is about 350 NOK (”5500 JPY” & “57 USD”).
It is a big shame that they do this to the sport, a sport that in my opinion has got to be the best motorsport ever.
Anyways, this was a very interesting read to be fair, really great information, lots of things here I did not know about.
We would love it if foreigners could show up with their cars and give us a proper show!
Come to Norway and drift with us!
Keep the sport alive people