“Evvvvverybody’s talking bout the good old days, the good old days…” With the next round of the D1 Grand Prix USA series coming up this weekend in New Jersey, I can’t help but think back to “the good old days” of D1 events in the USA. It was just so exciting back then. It was so exciting to watch the D1 drivers from Japan drifting with their high end competition cars; and you got to hear the awesome mixture of turbo sounds and screeching tires. D1 was not plagued with the V8 blaaaaap blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap blap blaaaaaap that is now becoming the norm in American drifting events.
Even though Formula D was still strong even back then, what the D1 events brought to its American fans was a taste of Japanese drifting culture… it was so exciting. I really hope the new people who throw D1 events in the USA can build the series back to its former glory. It just used to be so epic.
Just look at this photo of Atsushi Kuroi from Osaka based drift team Tinker… his car is so bad ass! As is he! I miss the old days.
:: Motor Mavens
that’s alright, but i want MSC USA ^^
Yeah man, the old D1s here were so cool.
2003 and 2004 kinda stuff….
great snap. a big piece of me died when i attended D1GP-USA.
@BH: yeah you said it. i loved those events!
@koopa: i dunno man. the whole point of MSC is its grassroots nature. it’s all about the OG japanese drifting culture, not this “professional motorsports” style that american drifting has turned into.
don’t get me wrong though. i think drifting as a professional motorsport is also exciting, cause i like seeing how drifting can grow with leaps and bounds here in the usa and abroad. people need to support professional drifting too.
but the thing that’s missing is the FEELING of excitement on the morning of D1 when everyone was walking around the pits checking out the japanese drift cars, all giddy because they couldn’t wait to see them run. ahh, those were the days.
going to d1 was like meeting celebrities. you sat around all the time watchin em on the computer seein how the drivers acted, watched how damn good looking the cars were on screen. and then when you got to irwindale, there they were, right in front of you in flesh, blood, metal, and paint.
haha yeah, cars backed up all the way to the 605 EXIT a HALF hour before the Irwindale gates even opened.
That’s how it WAS back then. CRAZY.
It was so cool, too.
yea exactly. ‘the good ol days.’ i like going to formula d and all seeing matt powers, mike essa, and the random stuff going on in the paddock/vendor spot. it just doesnt feel the same though. and for some reason, i may be alone on this, but irwindale beats em all.
@BH: yeahhhh man I remember how cars would get backed up ON the 605 freeway, cause everyone was trying to exit on Live Oak to get to Irwindale Speedway! Just to see the D1 Grand Prix cars, and this was super early in the morning! BAD ASS.
qualifying was where it was at, some of the raddest drivers/cars wrecked and didnt even make it to the top 32 etc.
That was cool and that car is hot
All I gots to say is
Fukuda RPS13 180sx
My favorite old days D1 car
I miss Drift Showoff too…Koguchi in the red 180sx with 5Zigen Typhoons
Can it be that it was all so simple then…
Awesome shot Dax!
I love D1, I went to the D1GP this weekend and had a blast. I’m from NYC but I do know what you’re talking about. I’m such a huge fan of D1 that I flew to Cali just to attend a D1GP event. I was in attendance when JR first won the D1 USA event, was that ’05? I couldn’t believe that he beat Kazama and Imamura! I do miss the good ole days too.
This weekend was great tho, even tho only 4 drivers were there it was still such an amazing experience to see them here again. Daigo is a beast! but at the same time the coolest dude you’ll ever meet. Someone kill the D1 MC’s and bring Toshi back please, thanks.
I’m down with Formula D too but D1 is where my heart is. I’ve flown to Japan just to watch D1, lol.