Gallery>> D1 Exhibition @ Fuji

Following the action packed D1 final in Fuji Speedway the other Saturday, Sunday was to provide even more entertainment with the exhibition round D1 organizers had planned. 

Drivers were out to impress with their driving skills even though no points or prizes were up for the take. 

The layout of the competition was slightly changed with the top 24 drivers going head to head in judged tsuiso battles. This was done to provide the crowds with even more action and really give a chance to the drivers to show how far they could push their driving styles without fear of losing precious championship points.

Due to some engine trouble Thai-drifter Kiki Opt, in his Red Bull S15, didn't have a chance to get a proper run in the previous day during the final round, but was back out on Sunday morning for the qualifying session.

The car was far from 100% so he didn't make it into the Best 24 cut. His widebody Silvia is one impressive looking ride and a welcome addition to the usual cars we have been used to seeing this season.

Yes that is a T04Z sitting next to that SR20!

The car is also fitted with a sequential transmission.

Kiki is know in Thailand as the Drift King…

…it's just too bad that mechanical problems hindered him from showing us all what he is capable of. We hope he will be back in 2011!

Sunday wasn't all about drifting, something I realized early in the morning when I arrived at the parking lot. On the far side an RX-7 and RX-8 meeting was beginning to develop with a ton of modified rotaries neatly lining up.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity of taking a quick stroll to check out some of the cars, which even included the green RE-Amemiya FD which won the 2009 Hot Version Touge battles.

Tamon Design kitted FD…

…a car that I keep bumping into at RX7 gatherings.

How about a GT300 widebody kit from Amemiya?

And on top of the impressive selection of FDs…

…the FC crew had no intention to disappoint.

Amemiya-san cycled all the way down to the parking lot form the pits to check out the turn out.

Next to the rotaries the 1JZ guys had their own little meeting going with an equally mouthwatering selection of cars like this Altezza…

…sporting a very clean 1JZ swap.

The sticker on the side says it all!

Pretty much all the big Toyota sedans looked like they were built to go sideways… 

…except maybe for this very cool black-on black Crown Athlete.

Like a JDM police car on steroids!

When the pits are assaulted by crowds of autograph-hunting fans, I usually make a quick exit and grab a bite to eat, but I stayed on a little longer to grab a few pictures…

…of the race queens…

…who are getting harder to find and shoot at D1 events! No need to be shy girls! Stop hiding!

The Best 24 session in the afternoon started off with a bang, literally, as Tokita during his warm up session cut the corner leading down into the main judged area a little tight and hit a small video camera that had been positioned on the grass. You can see fragments fly up in the air and the tripod being ripped apart. The Crown's front bumper and headlight was also damaged but nothing a bit of white tape didn't fix.

The action continued…

…as drivers pushed harder and harder! Check out the angles Robbie Nishida was getting. But it wasn't long before the action was suspended, as drivers felt there was oil on the track.

Maybe it came from Tokita's Crown after the impact with the video camera, or from one of the cars that followed, but it looked like a thin layer of oil had been sprayed all down the section of track leading into the main hairpin. Tsuchiya himself came down from the judge's booth to walk the track and check out how far the oil had been spread.

Powder was generously spread over the spill…

…and for the next hour drivers were asked to drive over the powder to help spread it out.

No, crazy demon camber hasn't become fashionable in D1! While out to check if the oil had been soaked up by the powder, Utsumi's Onevia snapped a rear top arm. Luckily, with the track still closed his team had all the time they needed to fix it.

Eventually the action started again….

…about an hour behind schedule which made for some cool sunset pictures. The final was against Saito and Nomuken with Nomuken taking the win for the final D1 event of the year. 

At the same time as the D1 was going down, HKS organized a drag meet on the main Fuji straight, and seeing this month is dedicated to the art of acceleration, I couldn't pass on covering it. The post is coming soon so don't miss it.

-Dino Dalle Carbonare

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1

Great writeup Dino. Is that a Gulf racing themed FC next to the 1JZ Altezza? I'd like to see some pictures of that.

2

Did you get any shots of the Nomuken win? I'm glad he finally won an event, been a long time coming!

3

thanks for the nice coverage dino

4

NO WAY!! Go Kiki! We used to drift with him when drifting was in its infancy in the UK.

5

niiiiiiiiice pans!!!

6

Great to hear Nomuken won!

7

Wallpaper of Kiki's S15 please!

8

that doesnt look like tsuchiya...

9

@Devon



Im positive that it is a A70 Supra due to the mirrors and bodyline, which does have a simaler bodyline/hatch design to a FC so it is easily mistaken. That also explains why its in the 1JZ meets, as those cars were equipt with the 1JZ in the latter years of production.



But I would like to see more pics aswell, those RX7s are beautiful!!!

10

Devon, that looks more like a JZA70 Supra to me

11

looks amazing! some of the cars in the parking lot look cool too. - some well turned out Mazda's there too - you should never be short of content on Speedhunters, seems to me its just a matter of tracking owners down!

12

Saito is THE man!

13

MMmmm, red FC... Candy =)

14

if thats tsuchy then hes getting old :(

15

Hope to see you again Kiki :)

16

That RX-7 meeting in the parking lot... ohh, I envy you man!



Great coverage as always!

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