The end of last year saw the D1GP founders, Keiichi Tsuchiya and Daijiro Inada, part ways with the corporation over disputes on how best to run the series. Following that, Tsuchiya promised that he would be starting a new drift series from scratch that would stay true to the ‘keep drifting fun’ mantra.
7Tune got to spend some time with the ‘drift king’ alone and has the exclusive on his plans for 2011 and the direction he intends to head towards.
First and foremost, Tsuchiya was adamant in his denouncement of the current D1 management, tearing into a few individuals that lead to his disagreement with the corporation and the resulting split. “The current management of D1 was greedy. All the cared about was money, money, money. So Dai-chan and myself said bye,” he explained when pressed for details.
He will be setting up a rival series for the 2011 with a sharp focus on keeping the sport fun and enjoyable for the drivers and spectators alike. “There will be two series this year. D1 is still going to be there but we will create another series to rival it,” he said.
As for the new series he is working on, Tsuchiya went on to explain that it will have tighter regulations to keep a more level playing field, unlike the current D1 series that was turning into a horsepower war, “They were just pushing more and more powerful cars. The competition was suffering because of this and something had to be done,” he added.
“We (Tsuchiya and Inada) created D1, so we are sure that people in D1 will move with us over to the new series,” he said.
When further probed by 7Tune’s Adam Zilin on Mana P and Team Orange’s Nobushige Kumakubo joining the new series, Tsuchiya responded that they will be staying with D1.
On the matter of the drivers and teams, Tsuchiya explained that they are currently in talks with them about the future of the series.
The most important bit will be the types of cars that will be used for the series. “They will be basically D1SL level cars. This way there is a much more even playing field and the competition will be more open,” he explained. In regards to power levels being capped or regulated to even the field between the high-displacement turbo cars and the smaller NA machines, Tsuchiya said that the matter was being discussed but did confirm that the cars will be regulated in some way.
The series will kick off somewhere in March or April and that discussions are well under way with the circuits, teams and sponsors right now.
Just like the D1 series, the new series will also be available on DVD with the team responsible for the Hot Version and Best Motoring DVDs in charge of the video side of things. Tsuchiya touted as a Hot Version Drift DVD that will complement the current Hot Version Circuit DVDs on sale.
For now, the series will be starting off in Japan with no plans as of yet for it to reach beyond the borders of its motherland.
While details might be limited for now, rest assured that if there is anybody that can start a drift series from the ground up, Tsuchiya is the man for the job.
As told by 7Tune
