THE LEGEND OF THE OSAKA ONEVIA: Atsushi Kuroi memorial gallery
February 4, 2010 1:56 amI heard a rumour the day before yesterday from a friend who lives down in Kansai that drifting pioneer Atsushi Kuroi had somehow died. I didn’t want to say anything on here just in case it wasn’t true.
Unfortunately, the news was confirmed yesterday on Kuroi’s Mixi (Japanese Facebook) by his wife. He had died from massive injury after a scooter accident.
Rather than just post a single pic with a few standard words of condolence below it, I thought I’d go back through my archives and post up the best Kuroi photos I had as a tribute.
日本の偉大なドライバー黒井敦史さんがなくなりました。とてもざんねんです。ここに彼の思い出を連ねます。ご冥福を祈ります。
The first time I saw Kuroi’s car live was back in 2004 at Ebisu Circuit D1GP.
The RB26 conversion was always an odd thing for a drift car, since not many people were able to find the balance in suspension settings needed to run such a heavy and powerful engine.
Here he is at Sugo in 2006. Smoke was always one of his strong points.
Even though smoke doesn’t count in judging, it didn’t stop him pouring out clouds of the stuff on every run.
He looked like a fairly intimidating driver in tsuiso runs as well.
I think one of the appeal points of his car was that it looked very street.
You could peel off all these stickers and it could have blended in with any number of street drift cars in Osaka.
Of course, not many of them had “RB26” peeking out from the bonnet vents.
The first person I ever saw do a proper “back entry” or “illusion” drift in a D1 competition was Kuroi. I remember shaking my head in disbelief after shooting this sequence.
To put it in perspective, this is what most of the other photos from that spot looked like.
I love how he angled the 180SX headlights to give the car an angry expression.
Anyone with the guts to attack the Fuji Speedway 300R at top speed has my respect.
The legacy of his yellow paint scheme lived on until the end.
Even after he switched from Nissan to Toyota power, the car somehow distinctively sounded like him.
I think it was the fact that the accelerator was always pinned flat.
Number one.
His aggression and surefootedness paid off in the 2007 Fuji D1GP round, where he overtook Masao Suenaga on the inside to win.
Watch a D1 video, and he’s rarely seen without a grin. You wouldn’t expect a guy who looks like a typical Japanese salaryman to be such a badass.
Every drifter dreams of standing on the top of the podium.
To be the winner.
Unfortunately though, you never know when you will have to step down.
And call it a day.
A real drifter will always just be looking for the most aggressive entry.
Pulling maximum angle.
Looking for the next corner.
Keep holding it.
Never lifting off.
Running forever.
Farewell Atsushi Kuroi. We will miss your clouds of smoke.
1969/3/30 – 2010/2/2
Tags: Atsushi Kuroi, Nissan, Onevia, S13Categorised in: D1GP, Profiles プロフィル
This post was written by Alexi
54 Comments
Beatiful words TT_____TT
We will with him some day in heaven doing drifting.
Rest In Peace Kuroi.
On tha real, those last pics and words really had me swelling with emotion. One minute you here, tha next you ain’t. But he lived life at WOT, and that’s what matters. RIP Kuroi.
Awesome memorial, Alexi.
Rest In Peace Kuroi.
Beautifully written Alexi, a deserving tribute to a motorsport legend.
R.I.P.
Heh, that was one of the best blog entries i have ever read… Read this again with Mae- SKyline Drive song and you will almost cry.
Great one Alexi, you’ve got my respect for that.
Rest in peace Kuroi-san.
Aw no!!! He was my favourite driver 🙁
The permanent smile in his face,his outrageously powerful cars (seriously,see any of his car profiles from any D1 season,he always had at least 100hp more than the competition…),his great driving skill…damn,even though I obviously didn’t know him personally,he will be remembered.
Rest In Peace,Kuroi,and may you drift all the way to heaven.
PS: by the way,long time lurker,first time poster…I just had to say something here.
The original yellow was my background for awhile on my home computer. RIP Kuroi
.. altho i never heard of him, RIP Atsushi Kuroi
damn… i know ill be sad for more than a week 🙁
Alexi, can we please get one picture of the last sequence as a wallpaper? any of the 7 will do for me
Great memorial. Rest in peace Kuroi.
RIP
awesome piece alexi 🙂
sorry guys don’t have any words to say, never was good at this stuff.
RIP Kuroi..
I got goosebumps reading this Alexi…it depresses me knowing that we will never see his insanity ever again…truly one of the most entertaining drivers in D1…foot pinned…all day…every day
RIP Atsushi Kuroi 🙁
Very unfortunate, was lucky enough to have seen the guy in the flesh with you alexi at D1sl last yr at Maze. R.I.P.
Very well written memorial Alexi.
We will miss the sound of the inline 6 bouncing off the rev limiter as a huge cloud of smoke follow the back entries of your’s, Kuroi-San.
RIP.
I’ve watched Kuroi drive for the last ten years, he may be gone, but i will never forget his time here.
I’ve always admired Kuroi. He was always ON TOP as the Tansou Master, and while he wasn’t always on perfect form for tsuiso, I know I’d crap myself if I was ever pinned up against him. Really, the only thing that pinned him down for tsuiso was the fact that he was going WAY faster than his opponents, and he’d always have to mess up his balance to adjust to their speed. (2008 Rd. 2, Fuji, Kuroi vs. Hirota. He seriously dived into Hirota until he had to slow it all down when Hirota got hung up on the corner apex.)
That pic of him with his fists pumping in the air is the perfect memorial pic, and I’m glad you caught it, Alexi.
RIP to the Tansou King.
he will be truly missed, always great fun to watch Kuroi drift. May him rest in peace.
RIP Kuroi. Will miss your massive angles. =(
Great post Alexi!
Great tribute to Kuroi San, R.I.P, legend!
Very well written and pictured, A fitting tribute to one hell of a driver.
RIP Kuroi
R.I.P…
Well said, son.
Very nice summary of the high points you were able to see in his career.
He will greatly be missed
respect.
Awesome work Alexi!
Such an awesome guy and amazing skill.
Just picked this one up that Laurence did a while back too, full throttle or no throttle… RIP Kuroi San
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58O_IGZXeas
i always loved the fact he was like leaning forward eveytime he drifted
like he wanted the nose ON THE CLIPPING POINT
always facinated me. because some drivers sit low and back but he was always foward and ready
nice write up
he will be missed. greatly!
RIP
very fitting tribute alexi nicely said
kuroi was always one to watch in the single runs and usually got unstuck in the tsuiso due to speed difference but it honed it in latley the last vid i saw of him in a tsuiso he cained it
RIP KUROI
:\
wish i’d known more about the fellow
no words can bring him back and i wish his family get through this 🙁 RIP Atsushi Kuroi
Sad, but his legend will live on.
Any chance of wallpapers alexi?
Awesome driver, and a shame that hes gone.
Its a sad day to see such a legend of drifting pass away.
You will always be remembered.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUiuBqkzm7Q
R.I.P
sad to hear.
The words are very touching, to me it’s something he would definetly like to hear.. /
Rest in Peace, Atsushi Kuroi.
Here here, good tribute to a awesome unique D1 artist. His car is one of my favourites in the D1GP Game 😀
Rest in piece Kuroi!
Kuroi-san is easily one of the best. It’s sad that he had to leave this earth so soon. My condolences to his family.
Excellent piece, Alexi.
Lovely story Alexi, Respect for that.
R.I.P.
Rest in peace Kuroi.
RIP Kuroi. Will be sadly missed, awesome driver and seemed like an awesome fella too 🙁
what a great drifter. i’m sorry to hear of his death. r.i.p.
Take care Kuroi. Your an inspiration to the British drifitng community.
great farewell the one here on noryaro. your words actually made my eyes wet T_T very good pictures,
“never lifting” “running forever” … just beautiful. i reconfirm u have loads of talent ALEXI . NORIYARO for eva!
Rest. In. Peace…
I have admired his progress as a driver for years and have felt nothing but joy watching Kuroi San drive.
He has inspired me improving driving style and the entire build of my car.
Rest in Paradise brother
Sad story..
Can we have some Hi res wallpaper images added so I can pay respect via my desktop!
Best tribute I’ve read, Alexi. Desktop any of the last series? I am not trying to be disrespectful at all – amazing driver and your images captured it beautifully.
Rest in peace, Kuroi.
This makes me sad. I loved watching Kuroi drift.
Good piece Alexi
RIP Kuroi
RIP Atsushi Kuroi ( kool roy )
R.I.P. Kuroi san from Russian drifters….
Well done, like everyone else before has said, he will be missed.