Name: Naoto Suenaga
Location: Fukushima Japan
Previous Locations: Kagoshima, Kyushu and Ageo, Saitama
Career Path: Professional D1GP drifter & EBISU CIRCUIT STAFF, DoriGoya drifting teacher
Previous Career Paths: Office worker (machine parts depot salaryman), Cutting sticker (vehicle graphics) shop owner,
Notable Projects/Wins: 1st Place 2005D1SL EX in EBISU(NISMO S15 SILVIA), 2005D1GP series rank 19, 2006D1GP series rank 28, D1SL series rank 17, 2007D1GP series rank 26, D1SL series rank 7
Car (ima/now): 2006 GC8 Impreza 2door(D1GP), 1992 PS13 Silvia(D1SL), 2004 Honda Stepwagon, 2006 Suzuki Alto Works AWD Turbo,
Fav Past Cars: 1985 AE86 TRUENO 3-door,
Next Car (mirai): Lancer Evo 9?,
Car Passions: I first began racing with motorcycles, from 5yrs old to 20 yrs old.
When I was 20 years old I saw an Option Video, which featured an AE86
One Make (AE86 only) Drifting Competition at Ebisu Circuit. This was
probably filmed in 1997? I was so shocked to see drifting for the first
time! The video featured a lot of legendary drifters, and they were all
driving their AE86s - Yamashita Koichi from Running Free, Dart Izumi Jr
from Sessions, rare video of Yoshinori Koguchi in an 86, Kasahara from
Kasa P Gundan, Youichi Imamura from ICBM, Kumakubo from K Style and
Kazuhiro Tanaka from Rough World, who drove a pink Trueno 3 door.
One week later, I bought an 86 so I could learn drifting also! Then my
younger brother Masao (now a top ranked D1 Driver - RE Amemiya/GReddy
FD3S RX7) saw my AE86, so he also bought a hachigo (AE85) one week
later - it was cheaper and he didn't have much money. Then together, we
began driving touge every night. I can't tell you the name of the
mountain though, it is a secret.
We joined our first drifting competitions at Autopolis and Sekia Hills
in 1998. We had only been practicing for one year. We crashed so many
times in the first year, I can't even count. At that time, I was a
student and I was working part time at a gas station. I didn't have
much money, so I joined the local college's car club, so I could fix my
car at the college's garage.
I won my first event in 2000, at a small competition in Sekia Hills. I
didn't begin driving in D1 until 2005 at Ebisu. It was great to have my
D1 career start at Ebisu because I've been in love with Ebisu since
2001, the first time I visited. I went there to help my brother Masao
(as his mechanic) when he competed at D1 Ebisu in his black AE86.
When I finished college in 2002, I got a job that gave me the
opportunity to relocate. I chose to work in Saitama, so I could be
closer to Ebisu and drift there all the time. Ebisu is a special place
for me. In fact, my first ever D1GP win was also at Ebisu Minami course
- I was driving the Nismo S15 and beat Nomuken's R34 Skyline!
Personal Style: orange working clothes (tsunagi) and DC driving shoes...
Favourite Band of the Moment: Koda Kumi and Leah Dizon
Personal Motto: "No drift No life" and "I love Motorboat!"