photo credit : J.Martinez / formulad.com

“There’s no right or wrong in drifting. How you drift is who you are. It’s like fingerprints. Everyone’s different.” Movies, such as Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, popularized it. The Japanese created it and now, the unique drivers of Formula DRIFT are showing us how rear-wheel driving, losing traction, and over-steering is done. For the first time in eight seasons of competition, Formula DRIFT Pro Championship came to Florida for Round 3: Invasion. They had to. There was just too much demand for the sport. And it’s not just the people who recognize drifting. Some of their sponsors include Mazda, NOS Energy Drink, Import Tuner, and Falken Tire (because drifters can never have enough tires).

photo credit : J.Martinez / formulad.com

If you thought drifting looked good before, it’s on a whole other level seeing it for yourself. Tires are screeching, smoke is everywhere, walls are being clipped and as in all sports: the faster, the better. Needless to say, meeting one of these amazing drivers was not an option – it was a necessity. Currently in third place overall in the competition is Daijiro Yoshihara, who was then on his way to judge a Formula DRIFT international event in Singapore. One can probably tell from his name alone that he comes from the land where drifting was born.

Yoshihara explains, “I’ve seen drifting on the canyon roads of Japan and I thought it looked super-fun to do. Once I got my license, I started drifting on the canyon.” So what does one drive on a mountain road? “It was a 1986 Toyota Corolla (known in Japan as the AE86). It was so cheap, $200, and drift-ready! Of course, it was in bad condition, but good enough for me to learn drifting in. That was right before the Anime, Initial D (a cartoon that featured drifting), got popular.

So does drifting have a bright future? Or is it a fad, like the spinning rims?

Probably the first. “We’ve already been doing it worldwide. We have the Formula Drift Asia Series, with four rounds in four different countries. Also, the exhibition events have been held in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Panama.” Who would have thought a creation in the mountains of Japan would gain such fame? With competitions, such as Formula DRIFT, and drivers, such as Daijiro Yoshihara, leading the way, there is a good chance of this sport gaining even more recognition than it has right now. So what is it about drifting that has us wanting more? In the words of Keiichi Tsuchiya, better known the [real] “Drift King”, “I drift not because it is a quicker way around a corner but the most exciting way”. Well, who can argue with that?

Dai Yoshihara Formula Drift 2011 Season (Behind the Smoke on GTChannel.com)