Back in the day, Speedhunters was one of the first media outlets to cover the mayhem that occurs three times a year up at Ebisu Circuit in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture.
During ‘Drift Matsuri’ weekends, people are free to drift from 6:00am on Saturday morning right through until 4:00pm on Sunday afternoon on any of the tracks within the Ebisu compound. For those that enjoy a bit of sideways action it’s nothing short of drift heaven.
The first couple of times I covered the event the atmosphere was electrifying. You’d get all sorts of people too, from young kids starting off in naturally aspirated S13s to D1 drivers bringing their fully-prepped practice cars to hit Minami over and over again.
To experience the full impact of the event I used to sleep at the track. I’d fold my Legacy wagon’s rear seat down and lay across the trunk, wrap myself up in a futon and allow the squealing of tires and limiter bashing put me to sleep. Of course I never got much shut eye, there was just too much happening for that.
The countless opportunities for awesome shots and the camaraderie I witnessed really made the event special, but one aspect quickly became apparent. The whole idea behind the Matsuri is practice, lots of it, and often pushing beyond the limits that most would not test at a regular track day or competition.
To do this, some participants got themselves behind the wheels of cheap cars and proceeded to tap walls and other friends’ cars, and by the end of the weekend – if they made it that far – they were left with nothing more than an unsalvageable wreck. And so the ‘missile’ was born; a practice car you don’t mind destroying for the pure exhilaration of doing stuff you wouldn’t dare with your regular drift car.
It was cool seeing these beat up cars the first time and the second time too, but then it struck a nerve. These guys were destroying chassis that held high demand in the drift community and were quickly becoming scarce through age alone, so the more I saw it happening the more it seemed wrong. And that’s before you even start thinking about safety.
I haven’t been alone in this thinking, and now it’s come to the point that Ebisu Circuit together with Powervehicles – who make it possible for so many foreigners to participate in the Matsuris and the Gaijin ‘G1′ Grand Prix, have collectively said enough’s enough.
Essentially, Ebisu won’t have it any more. They will no longer accept missiles.
Small dings and accidents happen all the time, and that’s okay, but whether or not cars will be allowed back on the tracks at Ebisu will now depend on how well they’re repaired after an incident. If a car is not repaired to an acceptable safety level as determined by Ebisu officials, it’s game over.
This will force people to drive with more care, be more respectful of others, and most importantly, take safety more seriously. As Andy of Powervehicles told us, “When cars are like a crushed beer can they won’t hold up in a big wreck. People are faster these days, tires deliver good grip, you are really moving so your car needs to be safe.”
Then of course there’s the image of the sport. Ebisu prides itself on being the home of drifting, a place drifters all around the world dream to drive at, so allowing semi-destroyed cars on track only tarnishes the reputation.
It’s a controversial topic, but the question is: where do you stand?
A practice car is a practice car, and therefore it’s expendable and should be used to test the limit, right? But where are those limits? I’ve seen Daigo Saito drive at Drift Matsuris over and over again, and despite his practice cars taking some serious hits, they were always fixed and safe. He’d never put anyone else on track in danger.
I personally think the guys at Ebisu and Powervehicles are doing the right thing. Do you?
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: speedhunters_dino
dino@speedhunters.com
Thanks to Andrew at Powervehicles.com for the additional images
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Personally, I think this is a very good move.
1) Promotes safety. Sometimes I look at missiles and it scares me to see sharp angles and parts around the cars.
2) Make drivers to drive with care. Which means there will be less smashed up cars, that as said in the article, that are getting scarce and are now highly-sought after.
3) Proper practice can be had. I know some people who just smashes up cars just for fun, using the "missiles are meant to be trashed" statement as an excuse.
But then this move only applies to Ebisu. People might just move to other circuits that does not have such restriction and continue smashing up their cars.
destroying classic cars is wrong, destroying sought-after jdm cars are a sin
Safety should be paramount. When I went to Matsuri there I saw a lot of beat up cars but none really seemed "unsafe" to me. I guess it will depend on what they classify has safe.
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Honestly, it's about time and it finally removes that weak argument people in Europe use of 'they do it like this in Japan.' People need to take pride in their cars. Yes, shit happens but some of the absolute wrecks that pass for drift cars in Europe is shocking.
The whole missile car movement has been fun and really important in the drifting culture, but it was going to end anyway sooner or later.
The cars used as missiles platforms are becoming more and more requested and their prices are going to become too high in a matter of years to justify buying that sort of car for the sole purpose of destroying it.
At the same time there aren't newer cars that can be used in the same ways, they're too expensive, it's too hard to find cheap parts or it's just too difficult to tune and mantain them. So you can agree or not but there isn't really a choice, its just the natural evolution of things.
If you buy a somewhat good condition jdm car and make it a missile you are an evil person, but if it is trashed when you buy it I see no problem in thrashing it further, especially if you are learning to drift. Then instead of destroying a good condition car you are only risking damaging a car already on the brink of being unrepairable
It really hurts to see these cars with huge wrecks, especially its chassis involved... Think about someone who's dreaming to own an FR JDM car, even the young ones! ...like me... T_T
Dino, sounds okay to ban wrecked car for drifting on Ebisu. But eventually they will find other places to drift those cars. And to try new sh*t out there for the firs time in a cheap car. Hopefully not on the street.
They are doing right thing. proper drift capable or even RWD car are getting thin on ground.
i truly support this decision. Fun is nice and all but safety is still number 1.
Its about time this decision was made, you wouldn't be allowed to do it in any other professional race series so why should drifting be any different. It'll hopefully preserve a few more cars that we're being eyed up as missiles.
I'm pretty damn sure this has something to do with the drift car accident that occured recently and got national news coverage all over japan... Basically a drift car lost a wheel and that wheel ended up hitting a spectator who got badly banged up. In typical japanese news coverage way, they heavily overdid it and that brought people to be "scared" of drifting... sucks..
http://www.sankei.com/affairs/news/161120/afr1611200011-n1.html
That was in Nikko circuit...
Nothing tastes better than almost lose what you love most at every turn ... I never understood the meaning of rich kids missile in US...
After ayrton senna no one else can die in an automotive sport, this made losing all the fun of the sport... group B, formula 1.. rally group B. now missiles.. We will all have electric cars and homesexual children in the next 20 years
What? This has nothing to do with Ayrton Senna. It's a matter of a track trying to ensure it and it's patrons' safety.
It certainly makes sense to have a threshold of, "okay that is not safe." Though I hope the officials do not take it too far and become overly strict. I think non structural damage should be allowed (cosmetic only) It's hard to compare the grassroots guys to Daigo who you say always has a nicely repaired car. With a full shop and large budget at his disposal I'd certainly hope so.
Also, do you want cars to be extremely unsafe
well done Ebisu circuit and powervehicles!
Driftland here in the UK implemented the same ruling a while back, it was the right thing to do.
Pretty sure they would still do a Missile only type event every now and then, but there would still be standards that had to be adheared to.
Not just the safety aspect to bear in mind, i'd be pretty pissed if some shitbox BMW was hammering the door in on my Supra...!
happy as hell to hear this - but of course it's probably 3-5 years late
I think its a good thing. Look at it from an event organizers standpoint. If you are scouting a new site and talking with property owner about how the events go, what you do to run a safe event and do, etc. They go online and start looking at what a drift event looks like and they come across a video of a bunch of "missiles" bashing into one another, they are likely to turn the organizer down. Why? Because if the drivers don't respect their own property or the property of their fellow participants, what are they going to do to my lot?
As a former event organizer, it's very hard to convince a property owner to let you throw a legit event. Even if that place is already a motorsports dedicated facility. They don't want a bunch of people out there tearing up their site for little profit. They want an event that leaves the facility as nice as before the event started. Missiles will lead people down the wrong pass about what drifting is really about.
danilloforti Well if this is true, hopefully the world will also be free of bigots like yourself.
jay8393 Most of the other circuits are stricter...
abezzegh87 Amen!
DinoSawr Well if it doesn't have the structural integrity to hold up to a big shunt for starters. Will be interesting to see how they enforce it.
Paddy McGrath Another Amen right here!
importfan Well they are killing off supplies, the end isn't too far if they keep at it like this
greenroadster Yeah hopefully on the street, but I don't think there are any other tracks in Japan that would allow people smashing up missiles...
Flavien Vidal Yeah the Magician car. But that's a properly maintained drift car during a drift soukoukai, not a missile being abused during a Matsuri. Same form of motorsport, totally different scenario... but then again the media is good at generalizing
danilloforti You'll have to elaborate on that mate, doesn't sound quite right not remotely about the topic at hand.
danilloforti i'd be extremely happy with an electric car that goes like the current Tesla S..
So glad this is finally happening. It's a bit sad seeing pics from all the aussies on facebook of their completely destroyed cars after every matsuri.
lachapsnl8 It never was nicely repaired, it was a piece of shit with bits missing all over the place but mechanically sound and able to sustain a big hit and give some safety to the driver. Some of the missiles you see towards the end of a Matsuri weekend resemble crushed cars that don't track straight, barely staying in one piece
speedhunters_dino Flavien Vidal Yeah, but I'm sure they just auto-censored themselves, trying to bring back some sort of credibility to drifting... I love Japan, but this is a rather typical behavior that does get on nerve from time to time haha... Something went bad and brought spots onto an certain activity: "Let's castrate it and prove everyone how serious and safe we are!!"
i am personally against this. people should be free to drift in whatever car they please. there shouldn't be restrictions on what you can and can't drive. personally, fuck those people who always bitch about how there are more and more of these desirable drift cars being used as missiles. if you're complaining so much, why not buy one yourself and drive it the way you would? i would take a cheap beater drift car and just beat the living shit out of it.
Just adding to the whole debate... A huge majority of those drift missiles in Japan have no papers... A car without its papers cannot be re-registered and is bound to be abandonned in this country. This is the very reason why you have so many cars rotting away. These cars have been given an extra life. Yes, they are destroyed, but they often never were going to make it again on the roads anyway. They were going on those pictures of abadonned japanese cars you see everywhere on internet.
Also most of those cars ARE safe. Full roll cage and so on. They look like shit, but that's about it.
There are no reason not to let them be on track at all other than reputation for the track owners toward japanese medias following Nikko circuit's accident.
Aside from the obvious safety implications, I'm conflicted on this.
I can totally see that, in order for the perception of professional drifting to change in the eyes of Joe Public, corporations, sponsors, official bodies and so on that missile drifting needs to be swept well under the rug. The danger is that, to someone who doesn't know much about drifting, they can take one look at missile drifting and assume that drifting = banger racing. That might be enough to sway them from getting more involved, be it as a fan, spectator, bypasser or, even worse, sponsor or investor.
On the flip side, almost every sport has this side to it. People still use jumpers for goalposts if they play football in the park, basketball is enjoyed by many in gritty, urban playgrounds, far from the polished appearance of their professional counterparts. The difference is that when we look at those sports we can see that the two can co-exist, and it's necessary that they do to provide both an entry point into the niche and to keep it relatable to those who want to enjoy it as a pastime.
I do think 'professional' drifting has found a bit of a scapegoat in missiles. It's a niche that's struggling to pull itself out of the shadows in many cultures, but rather than blaming the amateur/enthusiast side of the sport, maybe it should be looking at how to elevate professional drifting high enough above it that there's no mistaking one for the other.
One final note, and one thing that I think many drifters miss out on is 'dressing for the occasion'. If you're attending an event whereby there might be media, or if you're practicing at a new, important or prestigious venue then prepare your car accordingly. I read a very good analogy online a few days ago – 'what you wear to McDonalds is fine for McDonalds. But you wouldn't wear it to The Ritz'. That sums it up pretty well. For as long as people don't know missiles from pro, your appearance, car, behaviour and attitude represents drifting as a whole in these situations.
speedhunters_dino greenroadster i think you missed a "not" there dino
danilloforti Keep your homophobia out of this please. It has no place in the comments section here.
This can only be a good thing imo, there is a big difference between learning the limits and deliberately smashing a car up...
awesomefearwave Just as much as you believe you should be entitled to drive what you want, how you want, another person is just as entitled to not allow you to do it on his or her property.
I think that this was bound to happen. There are a lot of complaints about how it makes it harder to get into drifting if you can't get a cheap missile car to beat on, but I highly doubt people in Japan and other places in the world would use these cars if they knew how much the prices on them had gone through the roof. There are collectors all over the world who would love to get ahold of the car and that would allow the seller to afford a nicer car to drift in. Also, in regards to safety, it's not just the cars that are the issue. These drivers are blasting into other people on the track who are drifting in a completely safe manner in cars that are worth a lot more. It's f**king rude. Everyone complains about safety regulations being to strict but if people had some common sense and didn't do this kind of bullshit, there would be less regulation.
I agree.. you can still push your limit without having to destroy, put others or yourself in danger.I love drifting, but in that case its getting a little too crazy. And giving the wrong impression..
I agree as well.
I agree , although some people probably wouldn't be happy because it will cost more to have fun .
Seriously though , drift missile are sorta like sideways demolition derby if the car is nothing but wreckage .
"Keep Drifting Fun" not everybody has the money or time to have the car repaired properly after each event.
awesomefearwave : and that give you the right to kill someone else by smashing it because your "drift missile" had become an uncontrolable piece of crap?
They don't make that only for the look but also for safety reasons. There are beaten drfit missiles and piece of junk with wheels and a motor. The difficulty is to set the limit between the two.
It would be great if America was pretty hard on this as well.
This was already being talked about before the nikko accident.
Flavien Vidal speedhunters_dino
This past event, someone did get hurt. I'm pretty sure that was the final straw. Driver with an open face helmet hit the steering wheel and the passenger sustained the typical 3 point seat-belt bruises. They got off lucky. Andy really cares for the people that are out there and I'm sure he just wants to make sure no one gets hurt like that again. With the cars being so powerful not like the article states, safety too has to increase. It's the right move. Nothing will be lost. Ebisu will still be absolute heaven.
I don't see the problem, he kept it total neutral about electric cars and homosexual people. It was just his prediction for the future, so it's up to you to find it good or bad. If that was already to rude, you should ged rid of the comment section.
People are so touchy about those themes that we aren't even able to discuss them properly.
To the topic on top; I think it's good as long it keeps the sport cheap for beginners wile teaching people respect from others people's health and possessions.
How about, "keep drifting safe"? What good is keeping it fun if somebody loses a limb or their ability to walk. If drifting is to be taken seriously, the sport needs to look to other disciplines to see that safety comes first, then speed.
If you want to destroy cars, stick with Forza.
Missle car and broken haggard piece of shit is two different things. Their not saying you can't have a missile.... their saying you can't have a dangerous piece of shit on the track because they know you're just going to try and wreck it/other people with your "no care" attitude... you can still buy a jalopy and door bang or whatever
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speedhunters_dino Flavien Vidal I would think that a wheel coming off in an accident is something that can't be completely controlled, but where a track allows spectators and media IS...therefore the Nikko incident (imo!) has more to do with track safety, and the track's policies.
It doesn't say you cannot have a cheap car - I mean if your intention was to limp a wreck in there that was falling apart anyway and drift it then no, I guess that wouldn't work...
A certain amount of preparation and time spent on something reasonably priced, then try and not repeatedly smash the shit out of it - that sounds alright doesn't it??
If you're into destroying cars as a way of having fun, then you have a certain amount of disposable income anyway...
I feel this has been a long time in coming. Whether it's the reputation Powervehicles and Drift Matsuris have for destroying cars (there is debate in there), or the obvious safety considerations, or even just TIME, missiles maybe needed to happen but also needed to go. In this day and age, you simply can't just let obvious wrecks (even if the still somewhat move under their own power) fly around at 40-90mph, purposely close and semi-out of control, it's merely a matter of time before someone dies and it'll ALL come to a screeching halt.
I'm sure for those that got to play, it was incredible and fun. They truly got to push cars to their breaking points and beyond. Freely! I think it ushered in many new drifters and garnered a lot of attention for the sport. But again, it couldn't continue indefinitely. I know it would be unthinkable to allow the Drift Matsuris (as Ebisu has run them) in the USA. No track would allow vehicles in that state to even come off a trailer, much less get parked for the winter, allowed to rust to shit, then only started again to throw at walls with a driver that looks it over for 10 minutes after arriving from the airport hyped to the gills. Standards need to be set and I for one and absolutely happy Ebisu is doing it proactively instead of reactively. Run your deathtrap on your own property where you'll only hurt yourself. Have standards if you're gonna affect others with your actions, like at a track.
No other motorsport would allow people to drive cars with mangled, twisted panels and chassis' - so why should it be allowed for drifting? The argument of destroying now 'rare' and desirable chassis is a bit too butt hurt for me, still a relevant consideration though.
Drifting doesn't really interest me but I definitely see where you guys are coming from. Vehicles like this shouldn't be destroyed beyond recognition
Doing the right thing, how many photos do you see of people drifting not wearing fire suits/gloves etc or even full face helmets, all that smashing about could blind someone and easily cause a fire.
Then get out of Motorsports
How does the community in Japan feel about this? Pushing limits sometimes means accidents, their cars become battered over time. Why do you think drivers coming out of Japan are next level.
I see this as a business move for non locals to profit. Slowly filter the people who can't afford to fix their car for whatever reason, make Ebisu more attractive (no one wants to see UGLY missle cars), and raise prices for foreigners.
Ebisu is becoming Power Vehicles. Prices will sky rocket for everything related to Ebisu. For everyone opposed to this, look at the bigger picture.
KEEP DRIFTING FUN!
Andrew is credited for the additional photos at the bottom of the article. The only photos that are not watermarked is the most battered auto of the whole article. Great way to sway opinions of readers who have not drove there.
KEEP DRIFTING FUN!!!
Tsuyoshi Shinjo Dude don't read too much into things. Kuma, Suenaga, Andy and Emily all want people to stay safe and minimize the chance of getting hurt. Is that too much to strive for? They aren't banning beaten up cars, they aren't cancelling the Drift Matsuri they want to help keep some level of safety there. The same rules are applied to the Japanese as well as the foreigners
JakWhite I'm not sure any of that will change. As far as I know this is all about the cars. But maybe we can get Andy to chime in on here.
Bro5 Well it's a given drifting involves a lot of crashing and therefore people attempting to fix lots of damage.
Masse6661 Thank you! See someone understands it lol
KomradzII But you guys drift on humongous tracks haha, do you even crash?
Finally, save the s13's
ChristmasSamura They aren't going to be judging you on paint finish and shine. The car has to meet a certain standard of safety. I don't get people sometimes, I post nicely built time attack cars from Tsukuba with bolted in roll cages and they get destroyed because they are unsafe pieces of crap and the Japanese don't know how to do safety. Now here is someone in Japan attempting to keep a certain (and let's be realistic about it, pretty minimal) level of safety and a lot complain it's going to ruin the sport. Really?
RDS So don't crash your car on purpose into a wall. Surely there are other ways to drift and have fun?
Jordan_Butters Well presented points but let's keep in mind, they aren't banning missiles, they are just requesting people keep their cars to a certain level of safety. It just means less wall taps
I've only been back for a week now and it seems surreal that I even went at all. I'm all for raising the safety standard but I understand why some people will complain. You can drop $10k in a week at Ebisu easily. Anyone spending that kind of money is going to want tangible results after their time is up. That leads people to push harder than they should before really learning a track, their car and the people around them. I tagged the rear corner of my mint 180SX on school course because I was trying to push harder and harder each lap. Nothing huge, a broken housing and tweaked rear quarter. I did see more than my fair share of cars that looked down right dodgey to drive with. I also learned more from driving with those sketchy cars in fifteen laps than I have in two years of driving local events at home. I think Ebisu will have a hard time keeping costs in check so that the experience is available to a wide range of people but also keeping the safety standards high enough so that they don't draw attention from the wrong people.
It all comes down to money really. Can you afford to slowly raise your skill level over multiple trips or are you trying to get the absolute most bang for your buck on a once in a lifetime trip?
I totally understand people's points on the "entry level" in sports to be accessible. The big issue with motorsports is the much higher chance of serious injury or worse. A pick-up game of football or basketball isn't as likely to injure you via failure of equipment or venue (unless you're playing somewhere REALLY gritty or dangerous). From my experience here in the US, even the most basic track day requires a certain level of street worthiness from participants cars. Sometimes its a bit higher that what you can get away with on the actual street. You're sharing the track with others and everyone needs to take responsibility for their car and driving. Knowing drifting is a bit of a different animal, a lot of that should still apply. Yeah, it requires a great deal of practice and you have even more opportunity to bang up your car. But a basic level of safety should not dissuade people from trying. Even if it means you miss some track time to get your car back to spec. It should be a reassurance, if anything. Playing with cars is gonna cost you some money, no matter what you want to do. A basic level of safety should not be ignored for reasons of cost. Even our "crapcan" racing series over here in the States have that in mind.
I feel Alexei from Nori Yaro's Skyline is a good example of a missile done right. It's super rough and rugged but it's always been in a structurally sound condition. I just hope cars of that quality are still allowed to participate as that is a fair and cheap avenue for people to learn to drift and further their skills.
In saying that I do also live in Perth, Western Australia and have never actually drifted myself. Purely because my personal cars (my MA70 Aerotop and a MX73 Cressida GLXi) have always been in nice condition and I'm too scared to damage them as they are my only method of transport. If tracks over here like Barbagallo would allow me to participate in an event similar to matsuri with a rough as guts car that still confirmed to safety (ie appropriate roll cages, seats, fire extinguisher and so on) than someone like myself could really get into the sport.
speedhunters_dino ChristmasSamura "Japanese don't know how to do safety" now that's funny cause it's not true.
These drift missile cars are perfectly fine.
I actually agree with this. It's for the safety of the driver and the others. Controversial but wise move.
If someone made a 'new' S chassis that could have used parts bolted to it, I wonder how much it would cost? Something like in the same vain as what America has with muscle car parts. So just a frame, no windows, dash, wiring lights etc... just a bare chassis that's inexpensive enough for people to bolt the running gear, suspension and pass a tech inspection.
I dunno... maybe a bad idea... but what if?
Totally agree.
Just need to remove the mental aspect that your drift missle will be fine treated like a bumper car and you can hold parts on with duct tape alone.
Wall tapping or tandem side swiping doesn't mean you're closer to pro.
Drifting is fun without hitting and destroying cars. Sure it's not always intentional, but now know your should try harder not to hit, missle or not.
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Rwd cars aren't in unlimited suply. People need to learn this.
Drift missiles have a significant impact on the perception of the import scene within society as a whole, regardless of drift, drag, circuit or street and the sooner they are gone the better.
Kids think its now cool to own a clapped out piece of shit, give no fucks and throw caution to the wind and it makes the rest of us look bad by association.
i dont think skaters should be able to wear worn out shoes or have old boards at the skatepark where they practice.
I'm highly sceptical about this but I can't really say how I feel about it until they explain exactly what is and what isn't going to be allowed in the future. Not being allowed to drive dangerous cars seems reasonable but what exactly are they going to class as "dangerous"?
Furthermore Powervehicles are already flat out at Matsuri time as it is, it will only get worse if they are expected to repair cars to a higher standard. Some damage is really hard or even impossible to fix with the basic tools that most foreigners have with them at Ebisu. I foresee a lot of foreigners getting themselves in shitty situations where they spend the entire Matsuri fixing their car either because they bought it with unknown damage or they came off the track a bit too hard on their first day.
I expect this will go one of two ways, either it will all work out fine with not really much of a change except for some of the more extreme beaters being removed from the track, or it will be too much and people will go to other tracks or stop going to Matsuris all together.
Oh poo...well there goes noriyarö's alexi skyline :(.
You know that's not what happened so don't play ignorant. He used electric cars and homosexual children as a threat of negative consequence.
i support the move of maintaining a certain level of safety. Missiles are cool, yes! but where is the pride and joy of owning and maintaining a car. Like everybody said here accidents happen and scrapping the wall is a part of drifting. I think some people look too much at formula D where the whole trunk is plastic and the smash the wall. The difference with a normal car is that your trunk will be smashed into bits.
Myself and a friend try to host drift events in Europe. Just grassroots events but most tracks don't want anything to do with drifting as half of the drifting community doesn't give a sh*t about people's property. They arrive at the track and just start hooning.
Every event i hosted there was always one idiot there who fucked it up for the rest.
So i really support the decision from ebisu to keep a certain level of safety. If an accident happens and there is someone hurt (we hope it never occurs!) you get the track officials to complain against you as an organiser and the people who are close to this person.
i think the majority of the people who organise trackdays (grip and drift) will understand this point of viaw of mine!
Castro Apples and oranges. Worn clothes don’t make a skater less safe than nice looking clothes. Cars with crushed and twisted chassis and missing suspension parts etc. are a danger to everyone on the track. This is not about how a car looks.
I think they have defo done the right thing. Its so sad to see a smashed up chassis like in the pics above.
speedhunters_dino Oh I get that, but when you take away everything that makes a missile a missile then it's pretty much the same thing.
evoCS Totally, hence why I added the precursor of 'Aside from the obvious safety implications'. Drift practice events should live by the same rules as trackdays in my opinion – all panels must be securely fastened, with no sharp edges and so forth.
Yes, I know what you mean. He probably was negative. But if you look at it as neutral, as you expect from people to be, he wasn't. What's definitively rude and negative, is someone calling him a bigot that has to disappear and you to call him homophob and me ignorant (but good you deleted one off them).
To tell people to shut up instead off talk (just talk), just because it's not mainstream, never helped in history, but mostly it splitted society. And you as a journalist should know that.
I'm neither against electric cars nor homosexual people. I just think people should understand first instead of say it's great because everyone else is doing it. But that you put me in the same corner as other people is no surprise, but kinda ironic.
I'm with Ebisu and Powervehicles. There's a level of safety and tech that needs to be met.
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Man, this is seriously heartfelt. Growing up in a country where I've only seen (literally) a hand full of 180sx's, and even fewer R35's, we had a limited choice for RWD platforms that were feasible for drifting.
Drifting on its own has been VERY small scale even in the larger cities where there are more resources.
I've never even seen an AE86 in the flesh.
To see these famed S-chassis' amongst other JDM heros get trashed like this, seen as disposable and treated like appliances pains me to the core.
I've essentially put my boyhood dreams of owning a RWD chassis and learning to drift on the shelf, due to cost and resource availability.
But hey, when in Rome.
I'm stunned that any body can get paid $8640
in weeks on .....................
details http://tinyurl.com/youtube-have-jobs
Just about every short track in the US has a rule somewhere in its architecture regarding acceptable levels of car preparation, usually revolving around no visible rust, good welds, and neat lettering. This is, more critically, because impressions matter.
When new fans, new participants, and new sponsors are being introduced to the sport, they are very likely turned off by a rough-shod appearance. This is why when your local short track asks a team to display their car at Autorama or your area's equivalent, they ask the team with the most chrome and the brightest colors.
Safety is certainly a factor, but the approach-ability of the sport is another huge consideration. Tracks live and die by their ticket gate and their associated sponsors.
speedhunters_dino Bro5 I don't think any amount of crashing is an excuse for lack of safety - if you are crashing that much, you are clearly not being safe for yourself, the other drivers on track or the marshals that could take a piece of debri to the face. Plenty of rubbing & tagging in grassroots rallycross & dirt derby but the cars have to be structurally sound & no car with a loose panel is going to let into the session.
I think the issue with missiles is that they will show up at an event with marginal body work and less than structural bodies. I don't think anyone is expecting Drift cars to have clean quarter panels & matching paint, but that's not what we're talking about here.
speedhunters_dino Masse6661 Yes!
This attitude like "it's just going to get wrecked anyways" is what makes for shitty drivers in the first place. Doesn't matter if you got away with it or not, stupidy on track like coming in way too hot on the wrong line to crush the wall sideways shouldn't be acceptable. It's all fun and games until metal goes flying in people's faces because all structural integrity has been long discarded
ChristmasSamura If you don't have the money to REPAIR something, then why on earth should anyone let you drive sideways at 90mph on their property? You've just admitted to not fixing something you knew was broken & putting it back out under huge loads regardless, if you were to hurt someone else, that would be negligence and cost you way more than any repair bills!
If you can't pay, don't play! Sorry, it sucks, but motorsports (like most sports btw) are a priviledge for those with time & money. Nothing is free. Go buy a car with a couple of friends and share the expense or get into something cheaper like go karting.
FOR SURE I don't want to be driving next to the guy that doesn't have time & money to FIX his car PROPERLY! Unreal!
ChristmasSamura speedhunters_dino Loose panels, panels crushed with no structural integrity or no panels at all is okay? Engine accessories, suspension, inter-coolers & exhaust being help by zip ties & welding wire is perfectly fine?
How about if the car had a cage that's been hit and is already bent? But it still has a cage... is that cool too?
RDS demo derby cars are seriously cages inside & the panels are screwed / riveted back on so they minimize the change of flying & hitting someone. Also lots of the messy shit like like lights & glass are taken out of the cars, which is not done in drifting. They look beatup but they are structurally sound underneath essentially.
Flavien Vidal When it comes to safety, I don't care about papers or new lives to cars. I think it's great that metal that would rot is being enjoyed and if the cars have full cages, perfect. I think some provisions should be made like "everything has to be reasonably secured to the car". So zip ties to hold the entire front end and intercooler in place - no go.
Looking at some of Dino's photos, I don't think drifting with an open hatch or a trunk taped on is safe. Secure the panels or take them off - no harm in having less panels if their is a proper cage underneath!
Andrew86 Right because how many people that bash the wall go out at the end of session with a broom to sweep up? You're too bothered sticking tape on your dangling tailights at that point!
TPLC2 Yea that's sort of the point! I'd like to see you explain your point to Jules Bianchi's family or Justin Wilson's!
Have some respect.
UK Banger Racing. Many classics end their days arse-ended by an equally rare classic. The difference here is that the Banger Racing and Classic Stocks fraternity generally use cars way past their restoration best. I recently donated my own E46 330i wagon to see it end its life as it ought too... in a kamikaze ball of flame, snot and steam. Excellent. Before you BMowners start pitchfork waving, it was Cat D and 275k miles old, beyond economical repair and would have been broken for scrap anyway.
My point: if a cars past it, let it go properly and have some fun after a hard life. We endure far too many rules and regulations in motor sport already - let's live a little, bugger the consequences and enjoy ourselves. I will.
They are right to be concerned about this and that it needs to be addressed. Crushed up husks are dangerous and embarassing to the sport.
The question is not "should we do something?". The question is "what can be done without being invasive?" and meddling with the spirit of the sport. Drift is a true homegrown motorsport. We need to keep it accessible AND respectable.
So anyway, the question is now more accurately, what standards are they going to try to impose? What standards are fair to impose?
I'd probably just do something like fenders/doors/quarter panels must not deviate from factory location by more than 1 inch along their exterior surface upon initial tech inspection each day, all said panels must exist, and headlights/tail lights must be in their factory location with some very small amount of tolerance for that and roof pillars must be undamaged. So this wouldnt affect bumpers, but would make sure the front and rear of the car are relatively true. I'd also imagine that stipulations on day 1 should be stricter than day 2+ to make sure people show up in well-prepared vehicles, or alterately to allow people who have made genuine mistakes to still enjoy themselves as long as it's nothing too severe.
But at the end of the day, it's their track. They are entitled to judge it however they see fit, even if that's personal opinion. The people who go there can determine on their own how fair it is.
If you're honest about it, we all know who this is about. The party was ruined by a few morons who went out to intentionally destroy cars. They weren't there for drifting. They were trying to make videos displaying their 'Zero F***s Given' lifestyle, and would smash and run, leaving lots of cleanup work for others. This is why we can't have nice things.
shiftyXTI ChristmasSamura Dude just shut up already lol crying over my opinion won't change it.
speedhunters_dino RDS it's drifting, you will crash regardless.
Rü$╫ The beer can skyline was WAAAAY above the standard of the cars they are banning.
PartBoxDotCom Driftland were referenced in Andy's ruling!
https://www.facebook.com/powervehicles/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1149536458415231
Just like Driftland, I'm sure they will have a missile/bash style event as it does pull people in.
I'm personally glad to see it going this way in Ebisu. If the "sport" wants to be taken seriously, there needs to be moves made to separate the "drifting=banger racing" element of it.
Driftland implemented a similar rule (as was referenced in Andy's post) for a number of reasons: safety, maximization of track time (due to poorly maintained cars dropping crap on the track), drifting image and a few others.
I just can't help but wonder...would they treat E36 and E46 the way they treat their JZX and S13/14/15 missiles or would they idolise them as we do the Japanese cars in the UK?
Drifting has always made me a little queasy, to be honest. The cars that make good drifters aren't too common around my neck of the woods, and seeing rich prep-kids get them and smash them just hurts. Seeing people gut the interior and otherwise "because racecar" a clean example of any car is painful.
On the other hand, I love to watch drifting, I would love to get into drifting, and the conservative "don't cut classics" can choke out all kinds of motoring. Conflicting interests - I want cars to last into the future generations.
Hello Speedhunters! These new rules seem to be big
news, but from what I’ve read they’ve been very well received.
https://www.facebook.com/powervehicles/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1149536458415231
Firstly please READ, and understand exactly what the new
rules are.
We are, of course, not outlawing missile cars. What we are
doing is simply taking the worst of the worst out (Dangerous wrecks), and
asking a large number of cars to be tidied up. We are about to do a video
next week, showing how to give your Missile/practice car (Whatever you wanna
call it) some love. For very little money (Pennies infact), and a little
bit of time, you can keep your car presentable and safe.
On a side note these rules were coming in before the last
Matsuri. The 2 big accidents that happened in this area the week of
Matsuri just go to show why we have to do all we can to keep drifting safe, for
Drivers, passengers and spectators alike. Cars must be maintained and
track worthy to minimise the risk to all. These rules are VERY lenient
compared to overseas still and are the bare minimum. I hope
most people will go the extra length to ensure their safety so we don’t have to impose further rules.
Happy Sliding, Andy and the PV Crew.
most of my street cars look like that anyway
Im ecstatic about this. I can only hope more tracks will follow suit. Lets sort out real cars enthusiast from these posers that take #%cked up beaters to tracks and make us all look bad.
Enthusiasts invest insane amount of effort, lots of money and care in to their cars, so lets find a parking lot where pieces of sh*t cars can go bang on each other, and leave the track to people that care about safety and their cars. .
Even in a demolitin derby its safety first, i only wonder why they took so long to come up with more serious regulations, its japan afterall...
I'm stunned that any body can get paid $8640
in 4 weeks ................
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speedhunters_dino
but there's a thing , isn't missile supposedly a car that can be trashed around to improve your skill ?
although it's listed in article above , some driver will actually fix their car if they appear to be damaged beyond safe to be continue drifting on the track
shiftyXTI
I just Google some demo derby cars , and look at one of my friend's demo derby car in Australia , you're right ! It does being a massive beater but a lot of dangerous projectiles are taken out !
If a car is a piece of crap (missile) and it's never going to be able to return to factory condition again then have fun but be safe!
What I HATE to see is the dick heads that drive a missile into the ground and make zero effort to fix it, then simply buy a clean shell to swap over their good gear that isn't damaged and repeat. These cars are getting rare as hell and as fun as drifting is it's Also one if the most cringe worthy sports to ever witness as every crash seemingly rights off another one of these beautiful cars which we will never see the likes of again.
For this reason I prefer time attack, time attackers have much more respect for their cars and the sport to me is just as entertaining from a sideline and drivers perspective.
They made the right decision here, drifting needs to get back to what makes it great instead of being a bogan/derelict sport wear people have no pride in their car. MAKE DRIFTING GREAT AGAIN!
I cannot believe that some one can earn $7119
in weeks ...................
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like Mary responded I am surprised that anybody
can profit $5308 in a few weeks on-------
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bakayaru Link?
HunterHunted Wow, which country is this?
Oh, a demolition derby, cool I guess.
worker bee - To an extent it is about how the cars should look. You are exactly right in terms of safety but the essence of drifting is based upon style and part of that same focus is putting style into how your car looks and putting on a show for any bystanders.
Just because these particular cars are for 'loan' doesn't mean they deserve to mis-treated with some adolescent behavior and lack of respect.
Andy Gray - Powervehicles Well said Andy, I've seen multiple people talking about referral schemes so that anyone that can't be referred by a previous attending driver should pay a deposit of which is refunded after the completion of the event minus participation fees and of course what is deemed suitable damage rectification deemed suitable by the event host/s.
Fair play to you and Emily and the rest of the team for providing a well needed wake up call to all those that feel every matsuri up North there in Ebisu is a 'Beer & Bash' festival.
Same thing that applies to all the naturally realistic foreigners that attend this great land and think it is super easy to grab a car from auction, smash it around the touge and think it would be easy to dispose of after ten days and catch the redline home back to their motherland.
Manners cost nothing, respect should be earned.
I am dazzled that a mother can get paid $4160
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Caspaa Then those foreigners need to spend more time on the skid pad and be a hair more careful with their rented cars? Instead of all the Aussies getting offended about this making their Matsuri more expensive, consider how the locals now feel about Matsuris. It's been overrun for years by immature, no-fucks-given desperate gaijin trying to cram years of experience into 36 hours. I don't think this was any sort of anti-foreigner move, but more of a "get standards up" move. I've been watching footage of these events for many years now and compared to before the Australian invasion, there are many more much worse off cars nowadays.
JustinPorter1 Ebisu is private property and part of many attractions in the area. But good point.
I am amazed that someone able to make $7869
in weeks .....................
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I agree that the guys are doing the right thing. Interesting story, too. Kind of reminds me of the scrappage scheme that the UK government rolled out here a few years ago, where lots of 80s and 90s icons got crushed in exchange for a discount off a new vehicle. Albeit the scrappage scheme at Ebisu looks a lot more fun!
hcram39 bakayaru
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZERO-F-CKS-GIVEN-Sticker-Decal-Funny-4x4-JDM-Drift-Car-Race-Hoon-/281986900286
bakayaru hcram39 I meant like, link for some pics/videos of those guys you were talking about.
Ben Chandler You can make $8929
in 1 month on ...................
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hcram39 bakayaru There aren't any. Most "ZFG" guys are about all out driving all the time, not f#cking up cars just for the fun of it. Just because over time the cars driven by these guys become well worn drift zombies, does not mean that was the intent.
I remember when I lived in Japan back in the early 2000s; a good 3rd of the cars being street drifted or being wheeled by the most skilled and daring drifters where what would now be considered "missiles". But nobody cared because many of these cars were only 3,4,or even 10 years old and easily attainable. They also weren't considered "classic" in any way. Never mind that many were on their last legs or pretty sad before they were picked up for drifting.
I blow peoples minds all the time when I tell them about the $800 JZA70 2.5 RS Supra I picked up to learn how to drift in. Took it home, washed it, looked like a brand new car when I was done, so I bought some new wheels for it and went street racing instead. But many a current "Missile" started the same way, only for the owner to be more committed than I was to the art of drifting.
OfficialWCP "Kids" have ALWAYS rolled clapped out pieces of shit no matter what the era, country or car interest. I still shake my head at the current Rat Rod movement, knowing it was originally started by guys showing their cars as a work in progress; always later improving and actually finishing them. But now people build rusty, distressed, shitty hot rods on purpose, and you guys applaud them.
There is no positive "perception" with drifting. It's always been an outlaw/grassroots sport and it's most real, visceral, and intense when the ruff and defiant element is maintained. Most think it's an idiot cutting doughnuts or senselessly spinning tires. You either get it or you don't. And even many who understand the intricacies of car control needed to effectively drift still think it's stupid, or not worthy of being called a sport.
I say stay focused on the safety and make sure it stays accessible. But the pretentiousness of trying to make it mainstream, or keep the cars pretty is stupid. NO ONE gets good at drifting without killing a few cars, or really banging one up.
If people find it appealing then they will flock to it. If the cars get used up, if there is a demand, the manufacturers will meet it - GT86/BRZ anyone?
Many are lamenting the end of an era. And a major reminder of that era are the tools that facilitated it - the cars. But just like the many cars wrecked during America's Muscle era, and when many, many used "classic" full-size cars were destroyed in demolition derbies of the past, cars go though a life cycle. Nothing is special till it's gone. Truth be told Japan is well past it's drifting golden age. But that same golden age spawned Drifting around the world. Stop being 'monkey do's' and start building you local steel into drift machines. Here in the states I see drift capable US makes in craigslist all day. Europe has jumped on the "homegrown" drift car theme big time. BMWs, Benzes, Volvos, and everything else RWD is sliding around their tracks.
I do agree Drift missiles are a annoying and played out trend, but the cars themselves are a necessary evil toward developing the skills needed to wow spectators or just perfect your technique.
detectivebacon No, they need to demand and then BUY RWD cars when manufactures meet that demand. Many here are living in a fantasy of lusting after average cars from 20 years ago - that thanks to aftermarket support and dedicated enthusiast - became ambassadors of the Japanese tuning scene.
But it's 2016. Those cars suck compared to what's on offer now. And many of these fanboys who whine about the lack of affordable RWD cars refuse to put their money where their mouth is. A lot of those cars exist because Japanese enthusiast demanded them and then purchased, tuned, and developed parts for the cars.
They invested, in the industry. They didn't feed off the bones of a past era like modern drifting enthusiast appear to do.
MikeyJay70 That's an excellent idea, so go out and make it happen. 40 years ago a 69 Camaro was just a used car that was cheap and great for abusing. 25 years ago it was rare and hard to replace, so an enthusiast figured out how to correct that problem. Now we have Dynacorn and other's making brand new chassis.
I say F#ck the S chassis. Why not put your money where your mouth is and buy more BRZs and GT86s. They are barely selling and will only be expensive as they get old because they weren't embraced by the market they were intended for. It's a purpose built drift car for drifters and cash strapped enthusiast. Yet few of those enthusiast stepped up and bought one; Never mind actually drift them.
356A agreed. The safety issue is valid. The "save the classics" issue is not. No one buys a clean S13 and turns it into a drift missile overnight. Very few drift cars start as clean cars to begin with. Many are rough, need help, cars that are lovingly modded and then taken to the hills, or track and over time become missiles, or where bought near death and ended intentionally as a missile.
speedhunters_dino RDS Dino, do you REALLY think people are crashing into the wall at 60mph on purpose...really?
I agree with the safety angle, but it's drifting. By nature there WILL be crashes, cars WILL be destroyed, some will just be banged up. Drifting is a dying sport in Japan because the cost of entry has gone up and the authorities don't tolerate street and touge drifting anymore. I personally feel the era of wild and free grass roots drifting as it was in my day are long gone in Japan. And the thing that killed it on the streets is what will kill it at tracks too. When the price of participation goes up, participation goes down.
It's why the drifting communities overseas stays small and frankly will never be what it was in Japan in the 90s-early 2000s. It cost too much and is highly regulated.
I don't say this to hate on safety or basic good sense toward the sport. But the fact of the matter is the good ole days of every great motor sport is always when it was the most free spirited and dangerous, and when the cars being used in it where closer to the street and affordable.
When the push for civilization comes, the accessibility and original attraction of the sport suffers.
shiftyXTI RDS Not in the states they aren't. They are wrecks with MINIMAL safety with every intention of total destruction implied and hoped for.
speedhunters_dino Jordan_Butters Then they should say so...Stop ass tapping the wall!! Yes we know that's what EVERYONE wants to see, yes we know that's what takes - many times - the most skill to do properly, but got dayam, some of yall are taking it too far, and the less experienced are really f'ing up their cars trying to do what the truly gifted do with such aplomb.
Yes it looks bad ass, YES a vid from Ebisu isn't a proper drift video without an amazing high speed ass slap, or kiss, or scrape along the wall, but it's time to cut that shit out; drifting is trying to become civilized.
PhilippZuppiger Yeah, I always find the irony in that the "you're a bigot!" people always either censor dissenting opinion, or demand the person with that opinion is removed. Maybe people should just be allowed to say what the hell they want and others can either agree, disagree, or talk it out....
Last I remember that was a primary indicator of being a well developed adult. Someone says something you don't like: you shrug and keep it moving, or talk it out with them to see why they think the way they do.
speedhunters_dino importfan As I said in an earlier reply, we aren't killing off the supply. They new generation isn't moving on with new cars and demanding drift appropriate cars from the manufactures. We were thrown a bone in the GT86 and BRZ twins, and almost every enthusiast who was whining about "there's no new cheap RWD cars to play with" then promptly said "that cost too much, or I'll wait till they get used". Forgetting that many of the old cars we lust after and play with now, were plentiful because enthusiast of the past bought new, and played and drifted and raced new. They also took what was available then and adapted it. That's not happening so much now.
People forget, NO AE86, S13-15, or R32,R33, R34, or Cefiro, Aristo Chaser, or whatever, was designed and produced to be a drift car. They were regular slightly performance minded cars - or in many cases absolutely mediocre cars - that were adapted to the sport.
This is another issue entirely, but I feel too many of the younger enthusiast aren't about putting in the work to modify and adapt newer cars to the sport, as well as develop the aftermarket to support alternative non-JDM chassis.
Gary89 i agree
*Pauses from watching final bout*
*scrolls through the comments* about Safety Regulations & Common Sense
*Continues on watching final bout*
Sanitize everything.
what Marcus answered I am inspired that anyone can earn $7391
in 4 weeks ...................... http://tinyurl.com/youtube-have-jobs
dadecode
I personally would never skip a dime on safety equipment , or the money to make my car safe ... because Motorsports are about fun factor , and it wasn't fun if your car wasn't safe enough , and it caused trouble at the end of the day .
But I also understand that , crash happens in drifting , especially when you're practising how close you can slide your car among the wall at over 100 km/h (?) ... it's like , if you never crash , you never know how close you can take ... but the problem come after the crash , because it's not cheap to fix up the car to be safe enough to take another crash .
well
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I stand in the middle. I'm certainly not a health and safety person. But I've seen pictures and video's (like some of the pictures in this story) that really make me wonder how they are allowed on track.
Seeing people run with half of their body panels missing, while the other half is being held together with zipties and ductape seems a bit ridiculous even for someone like me, who isn't into safety at all. I just hope they don't take the safety rules so far making it less accessible.
Another thing I don't like about it is that I see some of my favorite cars get wrecked.
Ben Chandler Sure it's better then that. But honestly I can't watch these scrappage program's eithers, 80's and 90's produced almost all of my favorite cars. There's 1000's of cars in decent shape being destroyed by those scheme's.
I'm still convinced the main goal is to simply get them out of the market for economical reasons.
reistje Ben Chandler In the UK all manor of cars were crushed... Including a couple of Honda Integra Type Rs, a Lancia Delta HF Integrale, lots of Audi Quattros, a BMW 2002 and four BMW M535is! Lord have mercy.
my bf's sister just got black Kia Rio Hatchback
just by .................. http://tinyurl.com/youtube-have-jobs
hcram39 HunterHunted Sounds very familiar to the UK. S chassis' are getting more and more common but a genuine AE86 is unbelievably rare. In most cases money is a huge factor as these cars are extremely expensive not only to buy but to get parts for and to run in general. unless you have a big bank balance or no responsibilities ( family and such) it's just not plausible
I didn't know that anyone able to make $6399
in weeks ...............
http://tinyurl.com/youtube-have-jobs
外人のもの
speedhunters_dino jay8393 who owns ebisu circuit?
It's about time they make a move to confront the missile culture. There was a point in time where vehicles were setup well at these matsuris and people looked forward to seeing everyone's personal builds. Even if there were crashes, many of them were repaired to the full extent to go all out again. The missile is a hybrid of the global drift culture that was never fully indigenous to Japanese drift culture. It contributed to the decline of the culture over there as the popularity grew because traditionalist don't want to play the risk of being on track with the younger folk that don't have the same etiquette.
Caspaa PV are essentially encouraging people to work up for the investment to fully enjoy and progress the sport rather than cheap out and leave it with a bad reputation.
The S13 chassis is a dying breed thanks to these drift missiles. They become rarer and rarer, more expensive and more expensive. Eventually they'll sky rocket up the market because they're so damn rare.
Good for them. Tired of this garbage 'no fucks given' and missile culture.
Seems like craftsmanship and/or attention to detail is a thing of the past all for instagram likes.
Lamest shit.
If it's safe and nothing is going to fall off, slide it...if it is not safe and falling apart, send it to N.America where we will refurbish it to where it has a soul again and go through the fun and appreciation that is a classic JDM FD
I agree, even thou its a test car, car enthusiast needs respect the culture of drifting so it can drift through ages.
Noriyaro did a video on this. The term missile has turned into a bit of a misconception. The beat up cars you at Ebisu haven't become like that because people have sought out to destroy them, it's more that Ebisu is a track that takes a massive toll on cars. These cars are practice cars, so when people want to get better, they push the limits, and shit happens. The scarcity of these cars is of zero concern to these guys, all they car about is safety and possibly their image as well. There are rwd cars sitting in paddocks around japan everywhere, and they're cheap af, so people aren't worried about them running out. A drift missile is simply a practice car that people aren't afraid to tap.
There are missiles, and then there is scrap metal. If it is unsafe I can see why they wont allow it on track. Though if they start not to allow cars because of cosmetic damage that is a different story