It is amazing to think that this whole thing was started with a simple sideways slide of a car. The sideways sliding technique created by Kunimitsu Takahashi as he raced the circuits in Japan. This technique later adopted by Keiichi Tsuchiya, who adapted it to his own style of racing and practiced it on the mountain roads of Japan. The rest as they say, is history.
Drifting today is a global sport. Top drifting drivers today not only come from Japan, but have emerged from many parts of the world such as the United States, Norway, Lithuania, Ireland, and Korea just to name a few. Today this sport is a force to be reckoned with as it continues to grow with events held around the world. The globalization of drifting has spread to create huge events such as the D1 Grand Prix in Japan, European Drift AllStars, as well as many others. Formula D, which was held this weekend, has proven to be one of the elite events in the game.
Formula D at Irwindale Raceway did not disappoint the fans who had come out to watch their favorite drivers and teams go head to head. As good as drifting battles were, there were other aspects of the weekend that should also have an honorable mention. The weekend had a great mix of everything for all car enthusiasts and the overall atmosphere was great both on and off the track. There was an accessibility set around the drivers and their crews, plenty of sponsors and booths, tons of cars on display, and to top it all off, there was an epic Forsberg vs Aasabo matchup. The top two drivers of the season entered the final round of the series a mere 26 points from one another and it was this final round that decided the 2014 championship winner.
As evening approached, it had appeared that Frederic Aasabo and Chris Forsberg were on their way to battle one another. They both fought through the rounds eventually meeting each on the Top 4. Aasabo needed to win 1st place in the final round to beat out Chris Forsberg’s 26 points to secure the 2014 championship. In a close battle between the two, Aasabo took the win and was within one final win from securing the championship. The final round of the night was between Daigo Saito and Fredric Aasabo and although it was a very heated contest, Saito edged out Aasabo and received 1st place honors for the night giving Chris Forsberg the 2014 Formula D Championship.
What a weekend this was for everyone involved with the sport and most importantly everyone that is a car enthusiast. From show, to drag racing, time attacks and circuit racing, drifting has become bigger than ever. The misconception that drifting is an “Asian thing” is very far the truth. The 10,000 in attendance were as diverse as ever. Today’s drivers come from many different countries and the cars are not just Nissans and Toyotas but they are also a blend of imports and domestics. The mixture of all these ingredients will continue to grow the popularity of drifting. The future is bright for the sport and anything that is associated with it as it becomes recognizable throughout the world. The globalization of drifting is happening now and by the looks of the excitement and diversity this weekend, the sky’s the limit. – Michael Verceles #fdirw #motolyric #driftstuff
