Formula Drift Japan with the GReddy FR-S & GT-R

• GReddy coverage from FD Japan, with Ken Gushi and Masato Kawabata.

 Kawabata gets a Top4 Finish!

Not ready to end our 2014 Formula Drift season, the GReddy Team decided to ship our GReddy Performance x Hankook Tire x Scion Racing FR-S to Okayama Japan for Ken Gushi to compete in the 2nd Japanese round of the Formula Drift Asia series.

Joining the USA team to compete in FD Japan was none other then 2x D1GP Champion, Masato Kawabata.  And in his debut FD event, Kawabata achieves a 4th place finish with the Team Toyo Tires Drift x TRUST Racing 35RX Dspec GT-R!

The overseas trip saw the GReddy FR-S land at our TRUST/GReddy HQ in Chiba just days before the event.  From there the GReddy Team transported the two race cars 10hrs south-west to a very cold Okayama International Circuit for the Formula Drift Japan / Motor Games event.

The Okayama course was a long challenging high speed course with many crucial turns.  But it was the 1st sweeper that would prove to the key point in the track in tandem battles with the unpredictable cold weather conditions.

Friday Qualifying had Gushi and Kawabata in 22nd and 24th respectively.  Ken performed well under pressure in his Q2 run, after an over aggressive bobble in his first qualifying pass.  Kawabata was still feeling out the Judging requirements for his first Formula Drift event.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cfx9x_formula-drift-japan-okayama-qualifying_auto

Saturday, Ken Gushi's Top32 battle (1:55.50) was with Japan's Tomokazu Hirota's JDM 4door. Although Ken had a dominate lead run, it was not enough to overcome the off line bobble from getting too close to Hirota in the first sweeper of his chase run.  For Top32 (0:38.00) Masato Kawabata received a bye run against Tetsuya Hibino to move on.  http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ciari_formula-drift-japan-okayama-top-32_auto

The next round for the GReddy Team was a battle of the 2013 and 2014 D1GP Champions. Sweet16-  Masato Kawabata vs. Kuniaki "Kuni" Takahashi   This was a great pair of battles, but it was Kawabata that was able to gain better proximity in the chase position for the clear win.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ciipu_formula-drift-japan-okayama-top-16_auto

In the FD Japan Great8, Kawabata went up against the event's #1 Qualifier, Tstomu Fujio in a R34 Skyline.  Again Kawabata showed great skill following behind Fujio, eventually forcing some errors and moving the GReddy Team onto the next bracket.



 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cils3_formula-drift-japan-okayama-great-8-to-finals_auto

In his first Formula Drift event, Masato Kawabata drives the Team Toyo Tires Drift x TRUST Racing 35RX GT-R into the Final4 against another FD/D1 Champion, Diago Saito.  Race scouting showed Saito's new JZX100 Chaser to be one of the fastest cars of the event.  This motivates Kawabata to go for more speed.  In the end he pushes a little too hard in the crucial first sweeper and moves Saito into the Finals.  All in all it was a very challenging and exciting event for both GReddy Teams... we look forward to what the 2015 race season brings.

Congratulations to the FD Japan Okayama Event finalist:

1st - Masashi Yokoi
2nd - Daigo Saito,
3rd -  Fredric Aasbo (& new FD Asia Champion)
4th - Masato Kawabata

GReddy 35RX Dspec featured in this month's Dsport

See the details of the 1094whp/1039lb-ft GReddy 35RX D-spec GT-R in this month's issue of Dsport Magazine.  The car was debuted at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon and has since been competing in the 2014 D1 Grand Prix Series, with defending Series Champion, Masato Kawabata. 




 For more on the GT-R please see: http://greddy.com/featured/3

Dsport Magazine Issue #146 - October 2014, pages 40-46

First Win for the 35RX Dspec GT-R

Ken Block's Nagoya Experience D1GP Stars Winner!
   Masato Kawabata - Team Toyo Drift x TRUST Racing 35RX Dspec GT-R



On July 5th, Ken Block returned to Japan for a huge demo featuring 12 of the top D1 Grand Prix drifters.  Or very own Masato Kawabata in the Team Toyo Tires Drift x TRUST Racing 35RX Dspec GT-R, not only qualified No.1, but came out victorious in an unusually tight and strangely decorated Gymkhana-like course to over 9,000 Japanese fans.

Being the winner of the D1 Tandem tournament, Kawabata won a chance to challenge the purpose built AWD Ford of Ken Block.  We have to say, for a large, high-speed pro-drift car like the 35RX GT-R, was surprisingly competitive at the hands of 2x D1 Champion, Kawabata!

Ken Blocks AWD Gymkhana Fiesta takes the win.  Check out the side by comparison...

35RX Dspec Competition Debut at Rd1, Fuji

photo by Back From Leave Spark

Rd.1 of the 2014 D1 Grand Prix at Fuji Speedway was where reigning champion, Masato Kawabata made his return to the TRUST/GReddy Team.   The #1 Team Toyo Drift with TRUST Racing 35RX Dspec GT-R qualified in the 20th position for the main event.

This matched up Kawabata against Daigo Saito in is Lexus IS.  With torrential rain the event was cut short after this debut battle.  See the D1 Grand Prix video series for more...

Shakedown Testing for the 35RX Spec-D GT-R

Debut Event: D1 Grand Prix - Round 1. Fuji Speedway - March 29-30

D1 Grand Prix Official

Here is the first action shot released of the new GReddy 35RX Spec-D Drift GT-R.  After it's award winning debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January, it's been a mad rush of activity in preparation for round 1 of the D1 Grand Prix.  Behind the wheel is no other then the 2007 and 2013 D1 Champion, Masato Kawabata. 

GReddy R35 Parts Line-up
Rocket Bunny GT-R Aero

GReddy in the Feb issue of Option Magazine

Large amounts of GReddy coverage in the February 2014 issue of Option Magazine...

Starting with the TRUST/GReddy Time Attack Turbo FR-S with it's new 2014 "retro" livery on the cover...

For more on this car see our older posts:  1., 2., 3.

Next was the teaser for our new D1 Gran Prix entry, the GReddy RX spec Drift Concept GT-R, which will driven by D1GP Champion, Masato Kawabata.  This vehicle also went on to win the Tokyo Auto Salon "Best Concept Car Award"
For more see: 1., 2.

And it even had some coverage for the SEMA Show, with our GReddy Racing Scion FR-S Prototype, that won the Playstation Gran Turismo "Best Asian Import" 

For more see: 1., 2.,

GReddy Product Annoucements from 2014 Tokyo Auto Salon

New product offerings for GReddy in 2014 (Part 2 - Product Announcements)

Part 1 - Booth Vehicles

In addition to the 7 booth cars (see our previous blog post for more) in the GReddy TAS booth, (including the Best Concept Car Award winning D-Concept GT-R for the 2014 D1 Grand Prix,) we featured our products for the 86/BRZ/FR-S, R35 & RB26 GT-Rs, and the Swift. 

 






Exciting news on new additions for GReddy were also announced...


- TRUST/GReddy named as an Official Garrett Turbo Performance Kit Manufacturer.

GReddy is proud to be able to offer high performance Garrett turbochargers in the development and production of new GReddy Turbo Kit packages for 2014 and beyond...

The match of GReddy's decades of aftermarket turbocharging experience and quality, with the advance technology and wide-variety of Garrett turbochargers, will bring a new unmatched level of Turbo Kits to the market.

Look for new GReddy Turbo Kits applications with Garrett turbos in 2014...

- TRUST/GReddy to distribute AEM Electronics in Japan.

GReddy expands it's export range of American performance products to Japan, with the innovative AEM Electronics product line.

Now Authorized GReddy Dealers in Japan will have reliable access to AEM tunning solutions like the new Infinity and Series 2 plug & play engine management systems, data-acquisition and fuel componets.

For more information please contact our TRUST Overseas dept. (overseas@trust-gr.co.jp)

- TRUST/GReddy to continue distribution of Rocket Bunny and BenSopra Aero Kits...
including the new Rocket Bunny R35 aero, FR-S/86/BRZ Ver2 & DAI Edition canards and the new BenSopra Z33 350Z aero kit.

Dannie Riel of Hot Import Nights Fame

2014 is shaping up quickly to be a monumental year for GReddy brand, both in new products and racing... don't forget to follow us via social media at @greddyracing...

Thank you to all who visited or followed our 2014 TAS exhibit...

GReddy at TAS 2014

UPDATE: Debut TOYO Tires X GReddy R35 RXspec D Concept GT-R

2014 Tokyo Auto Salon with NAPAC - TRUST/GReddy Booth #916, Hall 9 
   with Rocket Bunny, Bensopra 
           and special guest appearance by Import Model, Dannie Riel
Makuhari Messe International Exhibition January (10th Media) 11-12th

This weekend GReddy will announces regarding:

• Special New Product Introductions
• TRUST/GReddy RX Spec D-concept
• TRUST/GReddy Time Attack FR-S Turbo
• TRUST/GReddy Swift Sport Turbo
• TRUST/GReddy Jimny
• Rocket Bunny 86 Ver.2
• BenSopra Z33
• and more...  
• check back soon for updates

Another look at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon

In addition to our award winning, BenSopra-bodied, GReddy 35RX Top Speed GT-R, we introduced new products for the Japanese Swift and R35 GT-R...



New GReddy Products:
   (Billet R35 DCT Oil Pan, GReddy Multi-Gauge, RX VR Plenum, RX VR Throttle-bodies)

Other favorites we saw at Tokyo Auto Salon included:

 

GReddy 35RX Top Speed Challenge Video (as seen in the GReddy TAS Booth)