Don’t let the picture above fool you, the night drifting session at Drift Matsuri was dark. Very dark! The few floodlights scattered around the Minami course did little to illuminate the track, but it sure didn’t stop people from going at it throughout the night.
The action began to pick up around 11pm with a constant flow of cars entering the Minami course.
Teams began to drift in tandem putting on a show for those looking from behind the wall.
Here is one way to get noticed out on track, a pair of red reflectors illuminating the front wheel arches of the bull-bar-equipped S13 we saw in Part 1.
Here it is again in action, all lights blasting and a rear tire showing signs of, ehm, heavy use!
Long exposure shots are a great way to see how lines vary from driver to driver. Most seemed to come in much wider than the usual D1 line, getting close to the pit wall much later than the pros do it.
This is the top of Minami where the cars build up speed ready for the roller-coaster drop into the pit straight.
It was strange seeing people working and fixing up their cars in the middle of the night…
…the lights around the paddock never seemed to turn off as there was always something to do.
When not out on track drivers got some shut eye in their tents or make-shift sleeping quarters in their cars (BTW, I found out the Legacy Wagon transforms into a rather comfortable capsule hotel!)
It all looks so peaceful with soft light highlighting the contours of the hazy Fukushima mountains, the full moon casting a warm glow onto the track. Oh, how misleading this shot is!
The scream of redlined engines and abused tires echoed through the night…
…not to mention the occasional pop from blown tires. The MarkII above killed both rear tires a few minutes after I took this shot!
It’s just as well that Ebisu circuit offers the use of a tire changer, a machine that was under heavy demand throughout the week-end.
These two Run Free AE86 headed out a couple of times and were probably the best driven cars on Minami.
As long as there was gas and tires people just didn’t stop, but I did! I headed back into the pits at Minami, hallucinating from lack of sleep and from inhaling way too much vaporized rubber.
More action to come from Ebisu soon, so make sure you check back!
Dino Dalle Carbonare
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Awesome...I have made it my lifetime goal to go to Japan and slide my USDM S13 Hatch with a built KA-T around on any of the Japanese tracks with some beautiful Japanese cars and their skilled drivers, and this post has made me want to do it RIGHT NOW!
I realy love speedhunters its my favorite site, but i got to say 7tune covered this event much better.
it's like a dream!
nice shoot at night, i love the picture and the car
lol i feel ya S13Kid...
night drifting at Ebisu Minami course - a must do.
@STJ: Just take both put them together and you have an even better coverage. Both sites did an awesome job covering this event in my opinion
I wish I could get wallpaper of all these pics, but I don't have that many pc's or monitors T__T
Wallpaper on opening pic PLZ ^__^v
Very nice shots Dino. The clarity is unreal. Just posted a night minami run on you tube. Can't wait to go back again!
Adam
first and last track pic would make great desktop!
love night photography
incredible stuff!!! def. gonna need some wallpapers
This are some nice pic's
awesome coverage.
and also I would like to see the tire changers as a desktop that'd be awesome haha inmy case that is.
Wallpaper SET! We need all the light trail pics as a set!
+1 the light trails are awesome
Yeah, all those bulb pictures are pretty impressive.
BTW, Where is Antonio ? haven't seen him around since a couple months.
Nice shots at night Dino! Especially the track and paddock..Good job!
How great if able to shoot the night scene of all tracks in Ebisu - The Temple of Drift!
I think it can be done only by airplane. >.<
So im totally in love with those Run Free AE86's
That first shot is incredible. The headlights transforming into taillights in that middle hairpin is so epic.
Must... have... high resolution...
Fantastic
I'd love to see what Ebisu looks like from an aerial shot at night.
Would be quite mind blowing I believe.
Looking at those shots makes me wish there're more night drifting action around the world - just imagine what a fantastic show could be the night FD competition!!!
And actually it's closer to the roots of drifting - driving mountain passes hairpins at night with almost no lighting at all...
Dino, I saw you walking around at Hyper Fest in Tsukuba, I should've said hello! We were hanging out with Alexi from NoriYaro.
Fantastic photos, Dino! Love the long exposure shots. Somebody needs to build a facility like Ebisu in North America. Anybody have Don Panoz's phone # handy?
wallpaper of first shot please!!!!
thats me changing tires and my 32 in the backround!! Hey are you guys gnna make a video for this matsuri because the last video you guys made was the sh!t??? You guys are awesome.
Wallpaper of the first shot would be fine!!!!
Son, you have a lot to learn.
1. You don't have a S13
2. This is your first and last comment on this site, because you are not a dedicated reader
3. I just fucked your mother
Awesome stuff and i vould love you forever if you can wallpaper the one you describe as "It all looks so peaceful with soft light highlighting the contours of the hazy Fukushima mountains, the full moon casting a warm glow onto the track. Oh, how misleading this shot is!"
Wallpaper for sure. Light trails!