D1 Grand Prix USA vs. Japan All Star Exhibition

December 27th, 2005 by CobraMatt

I have been scowering the news wires for some Mustang Racing news and all I could find is some drifting news. I found this article about the D1 Grand Prix USA vs. Japan All Star Exhibition by Gene Tijn of OverBoost.com. The article highlights the 2005 drifting season coming to a close. Check out the article and pics below.

Article: As the 2005 season comes to a close, the D1GP USA versus Japan All Star Exhibition proved to be one for the books. With some of the best American and Japanese drivers hitting the track at Irwindale, anyone and everyone in attendance was treated with performances they’d be sure to remember.

With top seeded drivers from both countries on hand, the competition was tougher then ever. The slightest mistake meant losing your chance to advance to the next round and ultimately your chance at becoming the top dog and the end of the night. The set up for this years event put the top 16 drivers from each country head to head in two bracket battle which proved to be exactly what the crowd wanted.

Aside from the on-track festivities, the D1GP crew also brought out a little tease of what’s in store for the 2006 Tokyo Auto Salon. On display were cars from some of Japans top tuners such as Top Secret and Cusco, the Options2 Nissan 350Z, and many more. Alongside of Japan’s finest were some of America’s finest show and track cars covering all sorts of makes and models. Giving the spectators a little taste of what’s to come at next months Auto Salon only makes us wish time would go by a little quicker so we could see what else is in store.

In between the rounds of action we were able to take a walk around the pits and see what other sights there were. From cars that didn’t get a chance to make the cut of the top 32 drivers to vendor booths and other cars on display there was something for everyone to enjoy. Even though most fans came to see the action taking place on the track, getting the chance to see some of the Japan-only cars up close and personal was a once in a lifetime opportunity for many.

Besides the cars on display in the pits, the infield also had it’s fair share of eye candy to look at. Between passes crews would take advantage of down time to work on cars and get them ready for the next round and would also give those lucky enough to get down there the chance to get up close with the drivers and their cars.

As expected, the infield was filled with the world’s best drivers and also a handful of race queens. With the likes of father and son drivers Rod and Rhys Millen (who didn’t make the field due to an accident on Thursday) to Yasuyuki Kazama (the 2005 D1GP Champion) those on the infield had the opportunity to interact with drivers and get an inside look at what the drivers and teams were preparing for the following rounds.

At the end of the night, Falken Tire’s own Vaughn Gittin Jr. behind the wheel of a new model Ford Mustang took home not only top honors but bragging rights being the first American driver to not only see the podium at a D1GP event but be the man at the top. With stellar driving throughout the day, Jr. was able to out maneuver the Japanese competition and make his way in to the books. Congratulations to both Vaughn and Team Falken for putting on one of the best performances we’ve ever seen.

Article and Photos Source: OverBoost.com