D1 Vegas Trip(1)

I'm really happy about all of the positive feedback I've received about my A Message For American Drifting post. I just started writing some notes after visiting both events and continued it on my way back to Japan. As you can see from the length of the post(!) I am very interested in where drifting is heading in the world. Not just drifting but where all of this "Japanese Car" culture is going. As a Japanese national, I can be its biggest critic but as you may have noticed I am quite passionate about it all at the same time.
I see huge potential in drifting, Japanese tuned cars, time attacks, Super GT, personalities such as Keiichi Tsuchiya, Manabu Orido and Nob Taniguchi. I cannot think of any other Japanese sport that can fill places the size of Irwindale. Not even Ichiro Suzuki alone, whom I consider the biggest Asian sports star in N.America. This may be coming from when I was growing up in the US as kid with most of my heroes being American. We didn't have Asian athletes that inspired us. Probably only Bruce Lee and he was already dead by the time we started watching his movies. Achoh!
What is motivating me right now is the joy of Americans embracing the Japanese car culture looking up to Japanese drivers and tuners. It's all about understanding and communication. What can be more happier than an American kid driving miles to see our Best Motoring shoot in the US. And Zigzag Asia being a big part of bringing this all to the US.
Now that is my cause and motivation. That's what Zigzag Asia is about.




We got up early that morning to head to Vegas to see D1. First stop, Starbucks.


Future F1 driver, Masa to take the first leg of the trip.


Startoh!


First stop, breakfast of champions, American style.


Halfway point. Still a looong ways to go.