![]() ![]() ![]() By 1989 Tsuchiya himself co-created Video Option Ikaten, the first officially sanctioned drifting event (although Carboy had them beat with the first event in 1986). His official credibility and street cred made him a hero to many on both sides. This caught up to him eventually and his racing license was suspended, although not for long. Although he continued to dominate in official racing events for decades, the streets continued to call to him.Įven while competing in sanctioned events, Tsuchiya returned to the world of “hashiriya” aka illegal street racing, even documenting this in the short film ‘Pluspy’. He officially emerged in the 1977 Fuji Freshman race before moving up to the All Japan Touring Car Championship. Tsuchiya leveled up from the streets to the track quickly. This is where the ‘Dorikin’ aka ‘Drift King’ was born. Illegally tearing down the winding mountain roads of Japan in the dead of night from point A to point B, Tsuchiya and his trusty 1986 Toyota Sprinter were setting records of a less official kind. Takahashi may have created the drift, but Keiichi Tsuchiya took it to another level. It also inspired a legion of illegal street racers which is where it really took off. His special way of rounding corners blew everyone’s minds and brought him multiple wins. Takashi was a force to be reckoned with on four wheels and the world took notice in the 1977 Japanese Grand Prix. Riding for Honda, he was the first Japanese motorcycle racer to win a Grand Prix in 1961, with three more wins over the next few years.īut after a devastating crash in the Isle of Man TT, he switched to racing cars. Takahashi was a pro-racer of legendary status. ![]() If one man can be credited with inventing the drift it’s Kunimitsu Takahashi.Īnd he started on two wheels, not four. Let’s trace drifting to its roots and back to find out why we love it so much. Drifting, according to Wikipedia, is defined as: “A driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, with loss of traction in the rear wheels or tires, while maintaining control and driving the car through the entirety of a corner.”īut that doesn’t account for the history, the emotion, the feeling that drifting inspires in all us car enthusiasts. ![]()
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