SPRING DRIFT MATSURI 2010: G1 Grand Prix

May 7, 2010 8:18 pm Published by

It’s Drift Matsuri time again! Once again, unfortunately for you guys, I spent more time messing around behind the wheel than I did holding a camera.

I guess that makes these pictures all the more special.

This time around, the G1 Grand Prix event was held on the Friday rather than the end of the event on Sunday, so I left for Fukushima on Thursday afternoon. First though, it was into the local Super Autobacs for some foaming window cleaner and a spare exhaust gasket.

Then, just like last time, to Don Quixote for junk food and other silly things.

Just before the expressway, it was a mantan (full tank) fill-up with haioku (high octane) paid with genkin (cash).

Learn those three words, and you’ll always be set for gas stations in Japan.

I spotted this R34 on the expressway on the way up. This picture doesn’t make it look anywhere as neat and low as it looked in real life though.

The next day at Ebisu, and it was overrun with other Australians!

They’d already been out on the track the previous day, and just like every other time someone has been too keen to start drifting in a new car, the loom on this Soarer had a length chomped out of it.

Yep, lots of electrical tape and swearing.

The queue for this the next day was over an hour long, so I took advantage of it while I could.

Shane and his yankee 180SX.

Shane likes using truck PCD wheels, because they’re low offset and practically free.

I suppose I should actually start talking about the competition here!

The G1 Grand Prix is going to be held the day before every Drift Matsuri this year, and is a whole-day event on one of the courses at Ebisu open only to foreigner drifters. This time, it was on Minami Course.

Naturally, the judges for the competition were Kumakubo and Naoto Suenaga.

The pole-dancer Sileighty Silvia convertible was there too.

Stu shows Luke from We Are Drift the size of his filler nozzle.

One neato part of the event were these window banners that Kumakubo had made up! Here, Luke helps Emily from Powervehicles stick one on her 180SX.

Nice eh? They were designed my MS-R too! Proper D1-spec there.

Unfortunately, that’s where my photos end for the day. I’m sure Dino from Speedhunters will post up his coverage of the event pretty soon.

As far as results go, I qualified third and placed third, just like last time. Weird. Andy from Powervehicles placed first, and fellow Aussie Chris DeJager came second.

However, here’s the best part.

I earned a D1 Street Legal licence for placing.

More to come from the Spring Drift Matsuri.

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This post was written by Alexi

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