The Dangers of a Drift Event – Tokyo Auto Salon 2012

Having a press pass at the 2012 Auto Salon also meant covering the Option D-1 Drift event out on the track next to Makuhari Messe. When I got to the track I was asked to sign a waiver excluding the organizers from any responsibility over injury or death. I thought hey it can’t be that bad as I looked at the spectator areas which had thick concrete barriers and padded walls. Then they led the media to the other side of the track right at the apex of most of the drifts and we were only separated from the track by a flimsy plastic railing! The staff told us “you guys better be careful!” These drivers are all top professional drifters in Japan so I was not too concerned and none of them came very close to the railing except in this double drift clip I shot.

At the 8 to 9 second mark the back end of the cars drift right in front of the railing making the plastic banners flutter. Even the professional camera man on my left who shoots these events for a living stepped back. I’ll share more clips later but in the mean time you guys can check out this close drift… and I mean close to me. (^_^) Shot with my Nikon D5100 SLR and Tamron 17-50mm in Manual focus mode.