Drift Tengoku — October 2013

Durability-focused 300 PS! The turbo was changed to a T518Z or GTII. The GTII was chosen because its cast exhaust manifold is less likely to crack, while power remains about the same as before. A water spray system was added for heat control. The race paint is another point of pride; the ECU settings were handled by Yokoi from MCR, the microcomputer tuning shop.

In 2009, 2011, and 2012, three drivers in total finished third. Kume finished third in last year’s East Japan tournament and again in the East–West championship, shedding tears of frustration. This is his final Gakudori challenge, and his goal is, of course, ‘to break out of third place and win!’ Who could have predicted he would fulfill that long-held wish without 3rd gear? It was the moment determination surpassed technique.

Silvia (S14), 1993 model Purchase price: ¥500,000 Modification cost: about ¥1,000,000 [Engine & drivetrain] MCR head gasket; HKS cams (256/264 degrees); GTII turbo, exhaust manifold and outlet; air cleaner; Apexi Power FC; Blitz SBC (boost set to 1.0 kg/cm²); aftermarket front pipe; 740 cc injectors; original 80 mm muffler; intercooler; oil cooler; Z32 airflow meter; aftermarket 2-way LSD; clutch and flywheel; factory 5-speed transmission; final drive 4.3. [Suspension] D-MAX coilovers (front 9 kg/mm, rear 7 kg/mm); 326POWER Bancho knuckle; Ikeya Formula tie rods and rear upper arms; Cusco toe-control rods; aftermarket front and rear stabilizers; BCNR33 front calipers. [Exterior] D-MAX front bumper, side steps, rear bumper and rear fenders; Super Made front fenders; BN Sports bonnet; roof spoiler; factory rear spoiler. [Interior] Factory S15 dashboard; Bride seat; Nardi 33 cm steering wheel; Willans 4-point seat belt; Defi boost, water-temperature, oil-temperature and oil-pressure gauges; KTS 7-point roll bar. [Wheels & tires] Front and rear Rays 57D wheels (9J-17, offset +12; 30 mm front spacer and 20 mm rear spacer); Federal RS-R tires (front 235/40-17, rear 255/40-17).

It was all about fighting the ‘curse of 3’! Last year, just before the event, he went into a full repaint and headed to Nikko. The final bracket became a storybook drama: Daido University versus Japan Automobile College, and Mind Control versus Motokomans. Finishing third at the East Japan event on his first attempt was impressive, and with last year’s champion Taguchi absent, a win this year would have been no surprise. Still, the curse of third place was frightening, and expectations for Kume were high even before the event.