Champion tries to catch Vegas drift

Car drifter Nobushige Kumakubo speaks almost no English, but mention Las Vegas and he doesn't need an interpreter.

The name of the city brings a big smile to his face.

Kumakubo recalls when Roy Horn -- of Siegfried and Roy -- visited his Ebisu Circuit racing complex in Fukushima, Japan, about nine years ago and later stopped by the adjacent Tohoku Safari Park. There Horn purchased a white lion, which still lives at the Mirage, Kumakubo said.

Kumakubo isn't in Las Vegas to visit wildlife. He's here for what he hopes will be the rides of his life.

Every drift for the 37-year-old reigning D1 Grand Prix champion looks like a wild one if he's on his game.

Kumakubo's only disappointment about visiting the city came a year ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when he failed to win car drifting's inaugural Nevada event.

He plans to do better starting tonight, when competition begins for the cars that slide or "drift" around corners at speeds reaching 100 mph on a temporary course in the dragstrip pit area.

Drifting became an organized form of racing in Japan 20 years ago and gained popularity here last year with the release of the movie "The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift."

Special drifting cars run full throttle, with counter-steering and front-wheel braking used to maintain speeds from 60 to 100 mph while sliding around curves and corners.

Winners are determined on points awarded by judges, who look for speed, angle of the car through the slides, driving line through the course and the "clipping point," or how close a sliding car can get to a designated spot on the guardwall.

The D1 Grand Prix, which includes the world's best drifters, has competed in Asia and Europe. Kumakubo said his most anticipated events outside of Japan have been the at LVMS and Irwindale Speedway near Los Angeles.

He believes those crowds are knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Much of Japanese culture carries over to drifting, such as when a driver bows to judges for forgiveness if he crashes during a run and delays the show.

Last year at LVMS, Kumakubo felt he dishonored his Team Orange crew and sponsors when he lost in the championship round to Toshiki Yoshioka of Hiroshima.

"To Kumakubo, Las Vegas is the holy track for drifting," his interpreter said. "He does not feel like he showed what he could do last year."

The first drifting event at the speedway, which includes the NHRA Sport Compact drag racing series, drew around 15,000 combined for the two-night show. Advance ticket sales indicate a comparable crowd this weekend, according to a track official.

Kumakubo said he never imagined when he began drifting in Japan that his skill of racing sideways would one day pay him to tour the world.

He has been drifting for 13 years and is one of the sport's oldest competitors. He also is working to ensure drifting is not a fad. He is general manager of the Ebisu Circuit, about two hours north of Tokyo. The facility has nine tracks, including four devoted to various drifting skill levels.

"(The popularity of) drifting itself has leveled a bit, but with D1 the next wave of drivers are coming after they have watched the pros. All of our business efforts are to grow the beginners," the interpreter said.

Drifting and drag racing competition is from 6 p.m. to midnight each day. Adult admission is $20 today and $30 Saturday. For information, call 644-4444 or visit LVMS.com.