T: You vs. Dori-kin (Keiichi Tsuchiya's nickname). Who would win?
TU: Tsuchiya-san (as he bows his head). One day I would like to beat him, but now I don't stand a chance. If I even think about beating him, he would probably tell me "Beat me and I'll kill you!"
T: What are some important tips in setting up a car for drifting?
TU: In order to perform acceleration control, you need to build a car that has excellent torque response. If you use too big of a turbine, the turbo lag will affect your lower, bottom-end response. You want a turbo that has excellent response so you can complete a drift from the entry into a turn all the way to the end of the apex. The way the car handles and its brake balance is important when setting up a car. The vehicle should move and handle the way you want it to. You shouldn't be fighting it at every turn.
T: I asked Tsuchiya-san at the past D1 Drivers Search why some of the drivers didn't advance to the second round. Tsuchiya-san explained that the drivers in the United States don't know the concept of consistent drift lines, that there was too much in-in or out-out on each turn. What can a driver do to improve that?
TU: That's a good point. It has a lot to do with acceleration control and brake control. For example out-out or in-in means the driver has no control of the car.
When the U.S. drivers begin their drift, the car is continually going through the turns like water in a riverbed without a means of line control. An example would be when a car is sliding "outward" in a turn, the driver uses the throttle and brake control while steering to help bring the car back inwards to maintain the correct line and keep the back end of the car in control.
T: Tell us about Cam girls in Japan. Is it true that the more popular drivers get to take more Cam girls home?
TU: (Laughing) Oh, no, you can't take them home. Cam girls are hired by manufacturers to stand around the cars, so they have no affiliations with the drivers. The stereotype that the more famous you are, the more girls you get isn't true. We don't have the status of a rock band or movie stars; well, not yet, at least. But in America, I hope it's different so I get a chance to hook up with some nice-looking... [Everyone laughs.]
T: Where do you see drifting in the next 2 years?
TU: As drifters, we have an opportunity to travel the world as we have done exhibition shows in the United States. Most recently, I took my Soarer to Korea where I had quite a drifting experience. I imagine just a few years back something like this would have been unimaginable. I would like to see the sport grow in a positive way.
T: What is your biggest challenge in improving your drifting skills?
TU: That would have to be the angle of my drifting-the way the car is facing when I hit the turns. I would like to be able to enter the turns at a higher rate of speed at a bigger angle. Not only will that impress the judges but show that my ability to control the car into the corners and to recover differentiates me from the typical driver on the streets. I've been practicing more with hopes of ironing out my driving skills and becoming more competitive in D1.
T: What are your plans for the future?
TU: I see myself drifting for quite a while. What I really want to do is put on a drifting show without judges or rules. Something similar to the Blue Angels Air Force jets making exhibition flights at events. Using the top drivers and big sponsors to pull off an event like that would be pretty fun. Look for it in the future!
T: If you had any car to drift in what would be your choice?
TU: There are so many cars I would like to drift in, but I would love to try the Corvette or MercedesBenz. As long as the car has suspension work and LSD, I'll drift it. Can you imagine drifting a nice Mercedes S Class or CL600?
What I really want to drift in is a NASCAR, now that would be pretty nuts. The looks on the fan's faces as I hit the ovals completely sideways would be a sight to see. [He laughs.]
As I ended the interview, I though to myself, "Crazy-ass Japanese! Wait. So what does that make me?" I thank Takahiro Ueno and set off to begin my soul searching.