Not a newcomer to the top of the Podium in Las Vegas, as he won the D1GP Las Vegas event in July of 2006, but a first time winner in Formula D, Toshiki Yoshioka and his Toyota Corolla won the inaugural Formula Drift Las Vegas event.
The AE86, the one from the cartoon, the one that inspires countless parking-lot cone circles, the one that gives a first taste of drifting to aspiring amateurs, has finally stepped onto the top rung here in the United States. Of course it was followed in quick succession by a Dodge Viper and Pontiac GTO with Bald Eagle endangering displacements and Exxon Valdez fuel tanks, but a new hope is born.
Maybe this will be the warning shot across the bow that gets everyone to realize that drifting is not all about outrageous cars and million-dollar builds. Or just maybe, What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas?
1st - Toshiki Yoshioka
2nd - Daijiro Yoshihara
3rd - Samuel Hubinette
4th - Michihiro Takatori
Finals:
- D. Yoshihara vs T. Yoshioka
- S. Hubinette vs M. Takatori
Final 4:
- S. Hubinette vs T. Yoshioka
- D. Yoshihara vs M. Takatori
Top 8:
- M. Takatori vs T. Brakiohapa
- S. Hubinette vs M. Orido
- D. Yoshihara vs R. Nishida
- R. Millen vs T. Yoshioka
Top 16:
- T. Foust vs R. Nishida
- D. Yoshihara vs C. Forsberg
- M. Takatori vs C. Wan
- J. Russakoff vs T. Brakiohapa
- S. Hubinette vs R. Tureck
- M. Orido vs Y. Kondo
- R. Millen vs K. Gushi
- T. Yoshioka vs S. Verdier
Qualifying:
- Tanner Foust
- Samuel Hubinette
- Rhys Millen
- Michihiro Takatori
- John Russakoff
- Toshiki Yoshioka
- Manabu Orido
- Daijiro Yoshihara
- Chris Forsberg
- Y. Kondo
- Stephan Verdier
- Tony Brakiohapa
- Calvin Wan
- Ken Gushi
- Ryan Tureck
- Robbie Nishida
Wish I was there. I was listening to most of it live. I was really happy to see Orido make it past the top 16. Quite an interesting event.
Comment by Ryan — July 13, 2008 #