Event>> D1-gp Round 1 – Odaiba – Part2

After checking out some action from Odaiba in the previous post it's time now to take a look behind the scenes at what helps make D1 the spectacle it has become. Organizers did a great job this year of bridging the action together with demonstration runs out on track and various shows which included some singing from up-and-coming artists as well as tons of entertainment in the paddock. The pit walk remains the most popular part of the day as fans can get closer to the cars, take pictures and grab autographs from their favorite drivers. For me it was Team Orange's show that really grabbed my attention, you really can't beat skimpily dressed women dancing around drifting cars! Kuma, in the picture above, even had his own pole-dace show going on on the back of the Silvia cabriolet!

The Dunlop girls were the ones attracting most of the attention. Here they are looking very happy as Imamura takes the first win for Dunlop in 2010 after switching over from Bridgestone.

The pits are where I like to spend a lot of time during the first rounds of the year, nosing around cars and checking out the new modifications. Hibino's AE86 looks so good when sitting in the pits but when in action it always seems to lift the front end under power giving it that rally-car stance a few of you were complaining about. 

The fully built 4AG pushes out 370 HP thanks to a hell of a lot of nitrous oxide. There are no less than three tanks in his car, two behind the front seats and one in the corner of the trunk. He had no problem keeping up with Saito's monster powered JZX100, so the little 4AG is still up to the job!

Here is Takahiro Imamura, aka Drift Samurai, checking over his FC before the first round of qualifying got going early in the morning. I love how all of his 13B has been painted black, as well as the intercooler and intake plenum.

The Japanese love their souvenirs and there was definitely no shortage of apparel shops in the paddock. I stopped over at the Team Orange booth to see if I could find something but as ever sizes in Japan are a little on the small side. Depressed I couldn't find anything I made my way over…

…to the stage area where a few girls were dancing to some para-para type music. This cheered me up in no time!

Finally managed to get a good look at the TE37V on display over at Rays, loving this silver example with diamond cut lip. Can't wait to see these fitted to more vintage JDM machinery.

But it has to be these brand new Weds SA-66M split-6 spoke wheels that grabbed my attention the most. I can already see a nice set of these matte black ones fitted to my Legacy wagon. 19-inch would sit so well! They are not on sale yet though…

The lack of FR cars from Nissan and Toyota has led to people taking matters into their own hands. The Hyundai Genesis Coupe is now being imported into Japan by the guys at Genesis Japan. The red car on display next to the Doriten and G-Works stands was attracting a massive amount of attention!

I didn't manage to find out the price of the car as there are so many options available, but lots of tuning shops are participating and cars will be available through places like Kazama Auto and Top Secret.

Over in the Yokohama area I spotted Forrest Wang playing jan-ken-pon, or rock-paper-scissors, with the crowd, a cool way to give presents away I thought.

Check out the stack of Option and Doriten DVDs for sale in the D1 tent…

…but the coolest gadget I saw was the RE-Amemiya iPhone cover!

Colorful girls!

All teams have to bolt on downward facing exhaust outlets for Odaiba, but Droo-P took this one step further by welding a titanium add-on to the existing exhaust. Nice, however I seriously doubt this style will catch on for the street, I hardly see any RE-Amemiya dolphin-tail mufflers fitted to RX-7s any more.

To end the Saturday Round 1 coverage let's revisit Kuroi's memorial area where some stuff of his was on display like his glasses, his Zippo lighter and his favorite Lark smokes…

…along with his OMP driving shoes…

 …and the award he received last year for coming 9th in the 2009 championship. 

Coming up next is a look at Sunday's All Star match where the turn out was just as impressive, with probably more extreme action than during the Round 1 competition. All in the name of entertainment as they say!

Odaiba D1 Preview

Odaiba D1 Part 1

-Dino Dalle Carbonare

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1

soooo will formula d be having pole dancing / drift combo teams?

2

Dino, did i see the rear of a blue S30Z next to the Genesis Coupe? Want to see that please ^__^

3

Great coverage Dino; like the shots of the girls although I think you could've gotten some more. lol

I liked the article although the last few pics left me a little depressed...oh well.

And btw, the Works you were talking about were split SIX-spoke, not five; which in my opinion would look SOOO much better, but the six-spokes still look good.

4

Great post! Can't wait to see the next one! We don't get enough coverage to D1 over here.



btw, could you hook us up with a desktop for the first pic? I don't think I've ever seen anything hotter in my life. o_0

5

This post was mentioned on Twitter by linhbergh: Stripper pole on a drift car. STRIPPER. POLE. ON. DRIFT. CAR. http://bit.ly/aolbYx

6

I second Chase G.'s motion!



Drift + Pole Dancing = WIN!!!

7

Yea, a stripper pole on a drift car. She's actually dancing while he's drifting. Now my life's complete!

8

My life is not complete yet, as I have not seen it in front of me. Someone make it happen at Long Beach.

9

dino i want pictures of the brunette para-para dancer!

here is the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVbnKF5dxxc

10

Drifting + pole dancing = My head it totally 'SLPODED!!!!shift1!!!juan!!1!!

11

Haha, stripper pole the next big thing for jdm's???

12

Chase G. said: soooo will formula d be having pole dancing / drift combo teams?

.

This seems like the next logical step, so yes!....I hope anyway. lol

13

I love what Lingbergh wrote on his twitter "linhbergh : Stripper pole on a drift car. STRIPPER. POLE. ON. DRIFT. CAR."

14

WALLPAPER OF KUMA'S STRIPPER POLE DRIFT CAR PLEASE~!!!



It truly encompasses two passions of my life: fast cars and hot women.



If only it were an FC...

15

@The lack of FR cars from Nissan



There is no lack, they have the skyline 370GT and 370Z. Only the Japanese are stuck in the past drifting old platforms.

16

the stripper pole in a drift car is definitely a YO DAWG piece :D

17

i still cant get over almost 400 hp from a 4age holy !@#* just imagine that in a kp61

18

OOOO My BuDDAh, im in love with those WEDS SA66Ms!!!

19

Yea those Weds SA-66M look absolutely awesome.

20

girls in Yellow hmmm?? i like.. Pole dancing on a drift car LOL - its just entertainment.. that Genesis looks like it could be a serious car.. so great and interesting pics here especially the Kuroi's memorial bits.. keep it up.. i wonder if those TE37V's would look any 'good' on an old VW[?]

21

Why they have to bolt a down pointing muffler fr this stage?

22

It might not have been a proper competition with points, but boy did the action from Sunday's D1

23

It might not have been a proper competition with points, but boy did the action from Sunday's D1

24

@ Danyutz



So the exhaust doesn't go up into the crowd. Makes very little sense to me. Thats the official reason.

25

i see the Drift Tengoku R32 next to that Genesis...



Hopefully you got some more shots of that.

26

Look at the j drivers' faces behind Forrest Wang. Okachan in particular. Dudes look like Wang shot their dogs.

27

yah looks like thos drivers dont line forrest much. hahahahah

28

that jan-ken-pon pic of forest wang loks funny. check out the D1 guys give out some weird looks. looks like they are not having fun. :P

29

You may remember that last year saw the first ever G1 Grand Prix held during the Sunday afternoon of

30

You may remember that last year saw the first ever G1 Grand Prix held during the Sunday afternoon of

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