D1GP USA Season cancelled

[EJ25RUN]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: D1 Corporation [email protected]

D1 GRAND PRIX ANNOUNCES THE CANCELATION OF 2008 POINTS SERIES

TORRANCE, CA (February 10, 2008) - D1 Grand Prix USA has announced the cancellation of 2008 point series events.

Due to issues and timing from the Japan series, the D1 Grand Prix USA series is being cancelled for the 2008 year. After a successful championship event last November at Irwindale Speedway, we vigorously attempted to launch the 2008 U.S. series but have been unable to due to Japan’s delay on decisions and their focus on the Japan series. Our goal is to continue elevating and expanding the drift culture to the world. But at this time the official word from Japan is to focus on the Japan series for 2008.

It has been formally decided not to hold an event series in the U.S. but the “All Star World Championship” in November at Irwindale speedway is still scheduled to take place.

D1 Grand Prix apologizes for the series cancellation in the U.S. and plans to return the series next year.

Thank you D1 Fans.

[BKgen®]

bummer. they weren't coming anywhere near here anyway though, were they?

[DinanM3atl]

Oh well. Maybe speed will show some better events then.

[Captain-Obvious™]

lame

[NevrNufTorq]

wow, be interested to see what erin and tracy, dan and some of the other drifters have to say about this.

[Batlground]

Kind of unexpected, but most people have been running Formula Drift and Nopi Drift.

We never planned to run D1 so its not that big of a deal, all it means is that alot of D1 drivers will be scrambling to move over to Formula D and Nopi Drift this year

My personal opinion is that drifting will have a decline this year COMPARED to LAST YEAR.

WIth the economy the way it is, how fast Drifting blew up last year, with ESPN picking up Formula D, i think its going to expand in certain areas and decline in others.

I think you will start to see the gap between amatuer and pro widen alot more this year.

Drifting is a baby sport, its just now growing so its going to go through some changes

[calmnothing]

Wow an entire season gets cancelled. I would think maybe just concentrate on US drivers and make the event smaller?

[SixSquared]

My personal opinion is that drifting will have a decline this year COMPARED to LAST YEAR.

WIth the economy the way it is, how fast Drifting blew up last year, with ESPN picking up Formula D, i think its going to expand in certain areas and decline in others.

I think you will start to see the gap between amatuer and pro widen alot more this year.

Drifting is a baby sport, its just now growing so its going to go through some changes

QFT

The people who got on early are gonna keep going up and up, and the "gray area" between people who just do it for fun/small events and people who are fully sponsored pro teams is already disappearing.

Sucks about D1

[Tracy]

Actually it was NO surprise that D1 was canceled. For the past 2 years they have announced a season and canceled almost all of the events (last year only having 2 of the 6 events announced). I assumed this year would be the same. D1 got rid of their US director in 2005 and since have been having staffing issues. We never went to a D1 licensing event because we knew it wouldn't last. The drifting world is very small, so for outsiders it may have been a surprise...but for us it wasn't. Always remember that D1 in Japan was produced fore the sole reason of selling Option vids. The US consumer is more into the live action. This has also been a huge downfall for D1 US.

Mike is right about 1 thing, drifting will have a decline this year IMO. The economy is suffering and that is obviously a wide spread problem. I don't think just drifting will have issues, I believe it will be an all around motorsports issue for 2008. Some of those that you see this year that look "big" will actually have private financial backing this year from rich customers and independently wealthy "investors". There are very few people with whom I have spoken to that have been having luck with sponsors this season. In general, all motorsports have been suffering for the past few years due to tons of reasons...this year the economy makes it almost undo able.

P.S.
I was given my Formula D license on my birthday. Happy birthday to me!

[HiPSI]

wow, be interested to see what erin and tracy, dan and some of the other drifters have to say about this.

no surprise here. they did basically the same thing last year with a major tease of coming to charlotte and then cancelled nearly everything.