December 2005

D1 GP 2005 Friday, December 23, 2005

Posted by: Torry

D1 Grand Prix USA vs Japan All Star Exhibition, Dec 16-17, 2005. NICOclub is proud to present exclusive photos of D1GP, captured by NICO's very own Justin "Bling" Derendal of www.JDActionPhoto.com. This event had all the necessary ingredients for a spectacular 2006 season opening round: Irwindale Speedway. The best drivers from the US and Japan. 10,000 spectators. Pride, nationalism and bragging rights were on the line. There were some tense moments as track communications broke down, resulting in the Megan Racing drift car colliding with one of the Irwindale Speedway support trucks as it was tending to an earlier accident. Many drivers had troubles adjusting to the clockwise track arrangement. Rhys Millen, the leading points leader of the 2005 series, was the first to crash in practice, and he did not return. Rod Millen had his first shot in D1 and qualified in the Top 16 along with US D1 favorites, Alex Pfeiffer, Samuel Hubinette, and Tanner Foust. The main event was a memorable one in drifting history. Vaughn Gittin Jr. took first place in his Falken-sponsored Ford Mustang over the Japanese drivers. No simple task - In order to win, he had to defeat Yasuyuki Kazama, the 2005 series champion as well as Youichi Imamura the 2003 series champion. Enjoy the pictures!

Contact Info: Torry

D1GP USA vs. Japan Monday, December 12, 2005

Posted by: Torry

The D1GP USA vs. Japan event this year will be full of excitement! On December 16th and 17th Irwindale Speedway will be filled with plumes of smoke and a sea of fans. Kazama, Imamura, Nomura, and Kumakubo better keep their guard up because the USA has many drivers that will give them a run for their money. With the likes of Forsberg, Gitten, Angelo, Hubinette, and Millen, there will be intense battles all day and all night! If that wasn't enough, there will be a handful of amateur drivers giving 110% in hopes of becoming the next D1 licensed driver. There are some serious talents awaiting to be discovered. Taka Aono in his AE86 Corolla and Hiro Sumida in his JZX90 Chaser. Casper Canul and Lance Feliciano in their S14s. Robbie Nishida from team "Hey Man", and Rod Millen from team Grenade. These guys are sure to make an impact and could become the next superstars of drifting. Please visit http://www.d1gp.com for more information!

Contact Info: Torry