Drift Tengoku — October 2013

Three people rode in the car to the venue—and the winner himself was surprised! Ueno had just landed a job, so this would be his first and last Gakudori. Simply getting to enter was already his first goal; he came thinking that if he could enjoy the festival with his friends, that would be enough. Instead, he kept winning and found himself the champion! In the interview he was remarkably humble: ‘I never thought I’d win. I can’t believe it myself.’ Even his application hadn’t said anything about aiming for victory. His car wasn’t especially powerful. While many competitors brought turbo-swapped Silvias, his Soarer hadn’t even had its boost raised. As the specs show, it was genuinely close to stock, with just a few additions. He had previously driven a Roadster, but felt he had reached its limits and switched to a Soarer. Most people would have chosen a Silvia, but he deliberately picked something different. Like his schoolmate Shigeta, who entered in a JZA80 Supra, he shared an anti-mainstream attitude with his friends. Even with its stock engine, the Soarer had much more power than the Roadster, and he didn’t feel short on power at his home track, Hadashi Tengoku. Add a knuckle to solve the steering-angle limitation, and you have a fun drift car that can still be used for commuting! His approach to driving is anything but casual: always at the limit, crashes and all. He doesn’t believe in holding back. Even at Gakudori, he went all-in every time. ‘I only nailed about half of my practice runs,’ says this fired-up competitor.

Even so, he advanced without a single mistake. He seems to be naturally strong under pressure—something most of us would envy. It may look like luck kept falling his way, but he used to drive the mountain roads almost every day and still goes to the circuit twice a month. That steady investment in fuel rather than modifications is probably what paid off. His friends’ support helped, and another thing kept his spirits high: the announcer repeatedly teased him as ‘Hiroshima’s Uechin.’ ‘When I chose the Soarer, I was hoping this day would come. I always believed I’d get teased about it someday, so I was really happy!’ Ueno said. If Uechin had actually been at the venue, he might have sponsored a full aero kit and passed on the title of ‘second-generation Uechin’!

Champion Okubo shares advice for the unified championship! Okubo told him, ‘You may be an outsider, but don’t lose heart. You’re representing the West, so go in with your head held high.’ He also gave advice on how to tackle the course. Ueno said of the unified championship: ‘The East’s car-building level is high. We were outsiders, but the welcoming atmosphere made me happy.’

Soarer (JZZ30), 1996 model Purchase price: ¥200,000 Modification cost: about ¥200,000 [Engine & drivetrain] Apexi air cleaner; aftermarket muffler; 3-layer copper radiator; GP Sports cooling fan; TRD 2-way LSD; factory 5-speed transmission. [Suspension] ZEAL coilovers (front and rear: 10 kg/mm); Satellite Works knuckles; ‘Chie no Wa’ steering-angle spacer. [Exterior] Big Win front lip; factory side steps; rear bumper; aftermarket front fenders and overfenders; D-MAX bonnet. [Interior] Recaro semi-bucket seat; Nardi-style steering wheel (33 cm); 4-point seat belt; water-temperature and intake-air-temperature gauges. [Wheels & tires] Front: Weds SA70 (9J-17, offset +10, 25 mm spacer), Federal RS-R (235/40-17). Rear: wheel make unknown (8J-17, offset +45).

The Hiroshima University crew is in festival mode! He formed the ‘Rakko Union’ team with friends from the same university. Kume’s S14 advanced to Round 2, while Shigeta’s JZA80 was eliminated in qualifying. Ueno said, ‘Shigeta’s practice runs were much better than mine,’ so mental strength may have made the difference! His friends came not only to the West Japan event but also to the unified championship. They drove the Soarer there with three people aboard and even brought tires. It must have been cramped, but it sounds like fun!