For this event, we adopted a layout inspired by Fuji Speedway.
Although we have replicated this layout for events several times in the past, the higher level of machines and drivers in recent years made for a fierce, high-speed battle.
The demo run was performed by Hikaru from "Team YOKOMO with RAUR." As he will be entering junior high school next year, his driving style—which combines impressive dynamism with clever strategy—is already world-class. He is one of Team Yokomo's next-generation ace drivers, and we look forward to his continued success.
The YDS judging criteria have been evolving every year, and lately, initiating drifts at deeper angles has been highly rewarded. This time, we added an angle-based scoring feature to the YDS settings. As a result, powerful driving is now more accurately reflected in the scores provided by the system. Please look forward to the future evolution of YDS.
【Final Results DAY 1】
Entry Class: 1st Place Koki, 2nd Place JunJun, 3rd Place Kuni-chan
The Entry Class is the first event held over the two days. Koki, who took the win, has been rapidly improving his skills since the previous round and finally clinched victory in the Entry Class. His performance in the final was comparable to the Sports Class, and he is sure to be a top contender at the year-end Special Round.
Sports Class: 1st Place Ichihara, 2nd Place Knight, 3rd Place SHO
The Sports Class is held with a mix of AWD and RWD vehicles. It is a popular class that has seen an increase in entries with each passing event. Since roulette-style judging is used among drivers of similar skill levels, the key is maintaining one's own pace. Among them, the three podium finishers stood out by maintaining excellent form throughout the final. Veteran driver Ichihara took the victory.
AWD Expert Class: 1st Place Gazzu-A, 2nd Place Ishi-chan, 3rd Place D-Line
The "Korean Wave" made a strong showing once again! Team Korea has participated in every round since the season opener. These talented drivers consistently land on the podium in their respective classes, and their momentum continued in the AWD Expert Class, with Gazzu-A taking 1st place and D-Line taking 3rd. Winner Gazzu-A will step up to the D1 Class starting next time.
RWD Expert Class: 1st Place Fuku-chan, 2nd Place Hayasen, 3rd Place Yoshikatsu
The RWD Expert Class serves as the final test before moving up to the D1 Class. Naturally, the top drivers in this class perform at a level indistinguishable from the D1 Class. In particular, the top three all scored in the high 90s, with winner Fuku-chan putting on a display in the final with an aggressive dive that netted him an over-100-point score. Runners-up Hayasen and Yoshikatsu carried their momentum forward to advance to the D1 Class final tournament on DAY 2.
AWD Twin Drift Class: 1st Place KUZU & Hikaru (RAUR Chiba Branch), 2nd Place Gaa-su & Hayato (Team BLUE), 3rd Place Ko-san & Gazzu-A (YOKOMO DRIFT KOREA)
The AWD Twin Drift Class is highly challenging. Because the two cars must remain synchronized at high speeds, many contacts and crashes were seen during the qualifiers. The final was a head-to-head battle between the RAUR Chiba Branch and Team BLUE! In the end, the RAUR Chiba Branch took the victory by a margin of just 0.2 points, thanks to perfectly timed and executed dive distances.
RWD Twin Drift Class: 1st Place Fuku-chan & Hikaru (Team YOKOMO "Bring it on!"), 2nd Place Seiya & Hayato (Team BLUE), 3rd Place ItsuKI & Naokki (Butsuke Tamu-Sen Group)
The RWD Twin Drift Class featured 10 participating teams. In the qualifiers, Team Energy Drink set an overwhelming score of 101, leading the pack with a 7-point gap over the second-place team. However, they were unable to maintain their rhythm in the final and missed out on the podium after a series of mistakes.
RWD Masters Class: 1st Place Life, 2nd Place CK6, 3rd Place TN
New for Round-103, the RWD Masters Class is open only to drivers aged 45 and older. The field included a variety of drivers, from long-time supporters of the Yokomo Drift Meeting to those who used this as an opportunity to return to the hobby. Amidst the chaos, including the elimination of the inaugural RWD Class champion Bagi~ in the first round, Life emerged victorious. Under the pressure of being the favorite, he remained aggressive until the very end to become the first champion of this class.
【Final Results DAY 2】
Entry Class: 1st Place Akkunen, 2nd Place Kazumaru, 3rd Place Bibiri~san
The Day 2 Entry Class had more participants than Day 1 and was a great success. Winner Akkunen is a member of the Nissan Tochigi Automobile College RC Club and practices regularly with many other members; he performed exactly as expected in the final to take the top spot on the podium.
Sports Class: 1st Place move, 2nd Place Chin-anago, 3rd Place Ryuhei
The level of the Sports Class is rising every year, just like the top-tier classes. In the past, judging focused mainly on the number of clips hit, but this time, we focused on the angle and stability at the clips to better differentiate the competitors. The top drivers demonstrated not only consistency in hitting the clips but also great skill in putting on a show for the judges.
RWD Expert Class: 1st Place Nagashime, 2nd Place Hitta, 3rd Place Take
The RWD Expert Class had the highest number of participants in Round-103. The highest score of the entire two-day event was recorded in this class's final by Nagashime. While 2nd-place Hitta and 3rd-place Take also scored high with sharp transitions, Nagashime pulled off a high-risk initiation while maintaining high speed and angle, earning a top score of 101.18 points.
RWD D1 Class: 1st Place Hayato, 2nd Place KOSEI, 3rd Place Hikaru
A new hero was born in this final tournament. KOSEI of Team RAUR, who topped the qualifiers, is one of our elementary school-aged drivers and has been RC drifting for only one year. He made his debut at the summer school held at Yatabe Arena last summer, where he could barely drift, but he already finished 2nd this time. We look forward to his future growth. KOSEI was held off by Hayato, who remained unfazed by the younger driver's momentum and drove with a cool head to take the victory.
AWD D1 Class: 1st Place Shonan no Senacchi, 2nd Place Rider, 3rd Place Takujin
Following the RWD D1 Class, elementary school drivers also played a major role in the AWD D1 Class. Shonan no Senacchi has been steadily stepping up since last year. Recently, he has been traveling to participate in competitions other than the Yokomo Drift Meeting to polish his chase skills. His youthful, fearless driving received a lot of applause from the venue.
AWD World Class: 1st Place Hikaru, 2nd Place ItsuKI, 3rd Place Hayato
In the World Class, a single mistake decides the winner. The top spots were dominated by young drivers in their teens and 20s, with a fierce, error-free sudden-death battle between Best 8 finishers ItsuKI and Hodaka. ItsuKI won this seemingly endless sudden death, demonstrating the difference in experience. Carrying that momentum, ItsuKI advanced to the final to face Hikaru. However, the result was a victory for the perennial champion Hikaru, who perfectly synced his chase line to take the World Class title.
Entry for the next Special Round held at Yatabe (December 7th–9th) opens on November 5th. Please note that the tire regulations have changed, and the ZR-DRC (HDPE) will be the designated tire.
【Concours d'Elegance DAY 1】
【Concours d'Elegance DAY 2】