Racers Come to Tainan as U.S. Formula Drift Makes Taiwan Debut

TaiwanPlus News

Formula Drift, the world's leading drift racing series, made its debut in Taiwan last weekend, drawing thousands of motorsport fans as well as some of the sport's top racers to the southern city of Tainan.

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00:00This is drifting, a motorsport that judges drivers according to their ability to navigate

00:14tight turns instead of their speed.

00:20Developed in the mountains of Japan in the 1970s, the sport has caught on worldwide,

00:26including in Taiwan.

00:28Recently, the southern city of Tainan held its debut of U.S. Formula Drift, the world's

00:33most popular drifting event.

00:39This event is a big step forward for Taiwan, where many drivers, lacking public tracks

00:43or a league, began their careers on the streets.

00:58While Initial D, a manga series about drifting, may have inspired some gearheads in Taiwan,

01:04others say they discovered the sport through YouTubing Japanese drifting legends.

01:08One of them, Kenji Yamada, flew to Taiwan for the first time to compete against local

01:13drivers at this event.

01:23Drifting culture is still growing in Taiwan, where it has a small but committed following.

01:40Although comparatively new, as a racing sport, its basic elements, loud and fast cars, will

01:46always appeal to younger fans.

02:05While many fans came to see the cars and the races, for others, this was a rare opportunity

02:11to witness top international talent on their home track.

02:31Many of the racing fans in Taiwan have seen drift racing go from an obscure and possibly

02:36illegal pastime to a well-respected motorsport in their lifetime.

02:41Now, with the first ever U.S. Formula Drift event in the rearview, racing fans in Taiwan

02:47are ready to shift into high gear.

02:49For Hua Hong, Bryn Thomas and Millie Hughes for Taiwan Plus.

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