Drifting can be traced by to 1960's Japan. Street racers on mountain roads used drifting as a means to cut time between point A and point B. Eventually, drifting made its way into the urban setting, puctuated by thier wild rides and outrageous driving styles. Finally, drifting was lifted from their underground status and moved more towards mainstream with the formation of the professional D1 Grand Prix. This series was created in 2001 by a Japanese magazine publisher as a way to bring drifting to the masses.
Today drifting draws crowds of over 20,000 spectators per event in Japan. While drifting in the US has not reached the same level, the recent meet in California drew a sellout crowd of over 10,000. This year the D1 Grand Prix USA will be held to identify 10 drivers to compete head to head with the best Japan has to offer.
