by Brad Bannach
Drifting is the segment of car culture that has seen the most growth over the last 25 years. But long before drifting became its own distinct racing category, it started as an inventive racing technique. In Japan during the late 1960s, Kunimitsu Takahashi essentially invented drifting as a way to oversteer into turns, so he could come out of the turns faster than his competition.
Then, in the late 1970s, Keiichi Tsuchiya – who is widely considered the father of modern-day drift, and the OG “Drift King” – put together a series of racing videos of drivers drifting through the mountainous countryside outside of Tokyo. The videotapes were ordered to be destroyed by the Japanese government due to the illegal nature of drifting on public roads. However, “Touge Drifting” – the art of drifting through the S-curves of mountain roads – was born and spread globally. Tsuchiya would temporarily lose his license as a result of his racing activity, but his videos inspired a whole new segment of car culture.
The first official drift event in Japan was held in 1986. In the 1990s, Tsuchiya and Daijiro Inada hosted several amateur and professional drift events before creating the first professional drifting league: the D1 Grand Prix. During that time, these gentlemen also made their way to the United States, to help organize what is believed to be the first drift event held outside of Japan, at a packed Willow Springs Raceway in Willow Springs, California.
This was just the beginning.
Meanwhile, a manga-turned-anime called Initial D enticed Japanese youth to try their hands at drifting. Through the art of animation, a storyline that drew comparisons to Tsuchiya’s upbringing, and the depiction of actual cars with full specs and realistic sounds, Initial D inspired drift culture for decades. Some of the most popular drift cars of today were featured in the show, including the Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno and the Mazda RX-7.
In 2003, the Formula DRIFT racing league was formed in the United States, as the enthusiasm surrounding this Japanese racing subculture hit mainstream America. Hollywood wasn’t far behind, as the third installment of the Fast & Furious franchise saw a new cast of characters take to the streets of Tokyo in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2006. Tsuchiya, the Drift King himself, has a cameo in the movie as a fisherman who says, “You call that drifting?” in Japanese while the protagonist is learning to drift.
Drifting has since become a full-blown motorsport. There are professional drift series in more than a dozen countries across four continents. Many of these leagues follow the rules of Formula DRIFT and the D1 Grand Prix, where vehicles race in tandem: one vehicle is the lead car and one vehicle is the chase car, and then they reverse the roles, in a series of “chases” or “passes.” An increased gap between the lead car and chase car earns points for the lead car; a gap maintained or decreased between the cars earns points for the chase car.
At the grassroots level, amateur drifting enthusiasts bring everything from bone-stock vehicles to pro-ready race cars to the track to practice the art of drifting. (Some even attend “drift schools” where novice drivers can learn from seasoned instructors.) The vehicles they drive tend to reflect what’s available in the domestic market, with increased demand for front-engine/rear-wheel-drive (FR) vehicles – especially those that have appeared in the Initial D and Fast & Furious franchises. But the core elements and techniques that make a good drift car always seem to hold true whether you’re in the United States, Japan, Europe, Australia, or beyond.
Are you following the action in any professional drift racing series? Share your favorites in the comments – best drivers, memorable events, you name it.
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