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Catching Their DriftSeptember 22, 2003 Signal Auto's drifting superteam relies on BFGoodrich® g-Force T/A® tires for its razor-edge maneuvers. Known as X and XL (for Extra Large) Fumiaku Komatsu and Kazuya "Chunky" Bai are stars in the fast-growing motor sport called drifting. Komatsu and Bai drive the Drift Twins -- matched Nissan 180SX's with Silvia S15 front bodywork -- in tandem routines of smoking slides, controlled drifts and snap spins in formation at speed. How speedy is their speed? James Nagahashi of the Torrance, California-based Tanabe Racing Development USA, principal sponsor of the Signal Auto team, says the Drift Twins are sliding and drifting in razor-edge maneuvers at over 80 MPH. 
"They try to get as close to the wall as possible without hitting it, coming within inches as they swing out the back end of their cars," said Nagahashi. "That takes a lot of skill. You need total control at those speeds."
Known on the drifting circuit as "Sileightys" the Signal Auto team 180SX's are extensively modified in almost every aspect except basic body shape, with engines tuned to deliver about 385 horsepower. Tanabe Racing produces suspension and exhaust systems for cars competing in drifting, which Nagahashi says is a fast-growing sport in the United States. "It's been going on for over ten years in Japan," Nagahashi says, "and now the top Japanese drifters are coming to drive in America and local American drift drivers are picking up skills quickly." 
Japanese drifting legend Kousuke Kida, president of Signal Auto, built Drifter X and Drifter XL so the Signal Auto team could present drifting in pairs, to show Americans what drifting is like, how exciting it can be, and how precise the driving skills are. "It's catching on in the U.S.," Nagahashi says, "and everyone's kind of excited about it."Nagahashi says Kida-san praises the rubber on the Signal Auto Nissans, which ride on 18-inch BFGoodrich® g-Force T/A® tires. "He was very pleased with the tires," Nagahashi says of Kida-san. "He tried some different brands and he is much more satisfied with BFGoodrich." "Drifting is sort of a worst-case scenario for a tire," Nagahashi says. "You're putting a tire through exactly what it is not intended to do, which is slide, drift, go sideways, and come back." Drifting is so hard on rubber that a car is lucky to get more than one smoking run per event. "A big difference between BFGoodrich tires and the tires Signal Auto was using before is that BFG tires hold up very well. Other tires would give out suddenly, with the tread flying off or breaking down. They just fall apart, while BFG tires hold together." Nagahashi says the sport is evolving quickly into something more demanding than just a season or two ago. "The cars are doing their routines at such high speed now that that they really need a tire that actually grips in the maneuvers, rather than a tire which just slides." Article by David Barry Photos courtesy Edd Mangino |
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