In December last year, the Japanese Tsukuba RC Arena (formerly Yatabe Arena) hosted the 9th edition of currently the most prestigious RC drift competition in the world, the All Japan E-Drift Championship 2024. Our colleague and team pilot Václav Jireš had the honour to participate in the three-day event and represent both the Czech Republic and the KAVAN team among 148 top drivers.
The origin of RC drifting dates back to around the 2000s, and the RWD (rear-wheel drive) category has only been running since 2014. Although it is a very young industry in the world of radio-controlled models, drifting has gained huge popularity around the world, and continues to attract new drivers.
Just seeing your name on the roster is an achievement in itself, as international drifters are carefully selected based on previous results and achievements, however Vasek's precise drives skidded him to an amazing 58th place. A result even more impressive on the soil of the "Mecca" of this discipline.
"I got the chance to participate in the race based on my 3rd place for the 2023 season and 2nd place for 2024 in our home Czech championship.My goal was mainly to gain experience, to show the best performance I can, and to see how I compare to the world's best. All of this was accomplished perfectly, which is a huge motivation for me in the future."
With the starting number 68 on the windshield, Vasek's Toyota GT86 body hides an MST chassis, controlled by Futaba and Hobbywing electronics."I've been driving the car in a similar configuration since 2021, and apart from maintenance, I've only made minor changes to the geometry and electronics settings.Mind setup and mental toughness largely determine success or failure in drift racing. Therefore, apart from the hours spent on the track setting up and practising, I also tried to incorporate "mind work" into my preparation. "
On behalf of the entire KAVAN team, congratulations once again on a great result, thank you for your representation, and we look forward to more adventures, whether on carpet or asphalt.
