Traffic law violation: Suspected drift racers arrested, Minoo, Osaka.
After investigation of repeated dangerous driving the mountain region of Minoo, Prefectural Police Transportation Investigation Division have announced that professional racer and suspect Naoki Nakamura (28) of Nara Prefecture, Sakurai City is among sixteen men charged on suspicion of reckless driving.
Mr Nakamura was arrested in the early morning on the first of August last year at Aomatani road in Minoo City after using a modified car to slide at high speeds (drifting) in a dangerous manner.
Mr Nakamura is a domestic drift competition champion. “I wanted to practice” the suspect has admitted.
Akira Chatani
(source)
The following Day the D1 Press released this:
Media Release regarding Naoki Nakamura
According to a newspaper report dated January 11th, D1 Grand Prix participant Naoki Nakamura was arrested by the Osaka Prefectural Police Transportation Investigation Division on suspicion of reckless driving traffic violations in the early morning hours of August 1, 2010, after drifting on a road in the mountains of Osaka Prefecture.
We feel this regrettable incident is contrary to the sportsman’s code of conduct for a D1 licence holder. To all of the other earnest, striving competitors, to the fans who are cheering at our events and to everyone else involved, I apologise for this scandal from the bottom of my heart.
After hearing from the person himself of the severity of his arrest, an official staff meeting was held at which it was decided to suspend all his appearances at our events for an indefinite period.
The core focus of the D1 Grand Prix corporation is the sporting development of circuit-based drifting, allowing drivers to show the art and skill of their technique and car control in judged competition.
Drifting events are held in over 35 countries around the world, and D1 is a pioneer and world leader in drift competition. This means we must strive to practice a proper competition and follow policy in recognition of our position.
Following this incident, we will be striving to foster future awareness of this issue among our competitors.
January 13, 2011
D1 Corporation Co., Ltd.
President and Board Representative, Osamu Suzuki
(source) NORI YARO
I’m sure a lot of you have been keeping up to date with the latest news regarding Naoki Nakamura-san. Nakamura-san was published in the papers due to getting arrested for illegal street drifting in Minou, just north of Osaka. Dino Dalle Carbonare from Speedhunters stated at the Tokyo Autosalon; “The big news at the show yesterday was that Naoki Nakamura of Team Burst was once again arrested for illegal street drifting. At the same time the sentencing from a previous offense came through, consisting of a two-year driver’s license suspension and a pretty hefty fine. Upon hearing this, the D1 Corporation instantly banned him indefinitely from competing in D1 Grand Prix and D1 Street Legal. Today, some of the D1 Corporation people headed over to the D-Max stand where his cars are on display and removed his name from both, along with the D1 windscreen banners.” I do feel sorry for Nakamura-san, he is by far one of my favourite drivers throughout Japan and definitely one of the top drivers. It’s such a shame he will be deleted from the D1 division all together
“I wanted to practice” Nakamura stated. What a badass. I’d give anything in the world to see this man slide up the hills of Osaka.
I wish all the best for Nakamura. Hopefully this all blows over soon enough and I hope to see him banging it off the wall at Meihan alongside the other members from Team Burst in early May this year.
The only statics I shot of Nakamura-san at the final round of D1 Street Legal 2010.
Whilst visiting Wonder we couldn’t help but notice this glamorous JZX90 Mark II Chaser, which happened to be a clients car. The young fellow rocked up with his girlfriend and spoke to us for hours along with Manabu-san and a few other workers. This car looked and felt like it had just come off the floor, it event smelt new. There was simply not a thing out of place on this.
I am in love with the front LED headlights. I took this photo just as the car rolled out of the garage. It may be a little difficult to see the Midnight Rose emblem on the top of the windscreen. It was quite funny I spotted this, as the previous night street drifting in Yokohama Bay the majority of the cars had the exact same emblem, quite a coincidence!
An aftermarket shift knob, set of gauges, cup holders, DVD/GPS system, Car Modify-Wonder dished steering wheel with extended boss kit and a Bride seat. And, to top it all off, a girlfriend in the passengers seat. What more could you possibly want?
Manabu-san informed us that the car had been in for body work. The body-kit had been fitted and painted. The final result after a bath.
The car sounded unbelievably tough leaving Wonder.
Crossing paths with the ever so famous Wonder was completely unexpected. Our last day in Shinjuku motivated us even more to explore around the city area before we headed to Daikoku PA later that evening.
The previous night, well I should say morning was a late one. After Daikoku PA we managed to get invited to a drifting meet at the docks of Yokohama Bay. As a result of this we were back in Shinjuku asleep at about 4:00AM. We had all agreed to get some rest that morning as it was our last day in Tokyo before beginning the journey up north to Tsukuba and Nihonmatsu for the D1-SL series and Matsuri. Waking up just after lunch time we lazed around the hotel for a couple of hours gathering our belongings and packing the tiny hire-cars to the absolute brim, by this time our stomachs were calling!
Driving straight into the city on the search for a noodle bar Nigel managed to spot Manabu Mitsumori-sans JXZ100 parked out the front of Wonder. At the time Nigel mumbled a few words unbelievably fast and twitched… Somehow I understood what came out of his mouth so I immediately went crazy in the back seat and we pulled into the next street.
Jumping out of the car, grabbing my camera I sprinted a couple of hundred metres back up the main road and saw this… A kouki S14 slammed on Origin DNA-02 wheels and a pair of R33 GT-R’s on the rear. The parks out the front of the workshop were filled with customers cars…
…Another customers car being this white C33 Nissan Laurel. In all honesty I can’t explain how much I fell in love with this car in person, this styling just screams out 80’s/90’s, I’ve always LOVED 15’s on larger cars. The C33 is powered by a RB25DE which is described as a Kaido Racer by Manabu-san.
I love it how the rear of the bonnet has been raised. Check out the 15″ SSR mesh.
I didn’t manage to get a photo of the back of the Laurel, but I noticed I had a video of the car and grabbed this screen shot. Take note of the exhaust. I wish I got to hear this thing.
