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Daijiro Yoshihara, also known as "Dai," has been a thrill seeker from even before he can remember. At the age of 11, Dai discovered the excitement of throwing his bicycle around corners at high speeds and skidding along the curbs in tight turns. At age 16, Dai got motorized and took to nearby mountains on his 400cc motorcycle. Finally at age 18, Dai got into his first car, a 1985 Toyota Corolla Levin. He soon fell in love and gained the passion for driving on windy roads in the local mountains of Japan.
Although Dai always loved drifting, there was no real opportunity in the sport that would allow him to make a living. So when Dai turned 21, he turned to more stable pursuits taking on jobs at various companies including a car dealership, a telephone company, and a trucking service. However, in 2003 a friend of Dai offered him an opportunity of a lifetime, to drive in a drift competition in the United States. Having always admired the U.S. and finally an opportunity to create some type of cash flow as a drifter, Dai was thrilled and accepted the offer. Although Dai had never been to the states nor have ever competed in a drift competition, Dai had to trust his instincts and risk the comfortable life he had just barely started.
In early 2003, Dai came to the U.S. to drive a car for Pacific Rim Motorsport Fashion in the upcoming inaugural D1 Grand Prix USA. Having never competed, Dai was an amateur driver with no competition experience. During his first competition among professional drivers, Dai qualified and finished in the top 16 out of 32 competitors. With such a promising finish, he then decided to compete in the Drift Showoff in Irwindale, CA and took a podium spot to finish 2nd overall.
With such strong finishes in 2003, Dai decided to compete full time in the U.S. and signed up to be in the Formula Drift Championship Series for the 2004 season. Dai finished in the top 8 at two rounds and placed 2nd at two of the rounds placing him 2nd overall in the championship run. Not only was Dai finishing at the top, he also earned the title as the man with the fastest entry speed at each event. In 2005 and 2006 he continued to shine in the Formula Drift series standing on the podium numerous times. Throughout 2007 he was continually fighting for the championship, which finally placed him 3rd overall.
In 2008, Dai took the opportunity and challenge to drive a factory backed Pontiac GTO for RMR Racing. With the help from sponsorships and guidance from teammate Rhys Millen, Dai continued to flourish and place no lower than the top 8. To finish the 2008 season with a bang, Dai took podium again and placed 2nd overall during the Red Bull Drifting World Championship. Throughout the 2008 season, Dai took podium twice and eventually finished 4th overall in the Formula D series.
For the 2009 season, Dai decided to join Falken Tire's Drift team, one of the company's that helped kick start his Drifting career. Dai will be piloting the Falken Tire / Discount Tire Lexus IS350 powered by a massive V8 motor. As the season starts, Dai has high aspirations and goals to be on podium more than ever.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2008:
- - 4th place overall in Formula Drift Championship
- - Finished the 2008 FD season with 1 pondium & 2 top 4 finishes
- - 2nd place in Formula Drift Round4, Las Vegas, NV
- - 2nd place in Red Bull Drifting Championship
2007:
- - 3rd place overall in Formula Drift Championship
- - 3rd place in Formula Drift Round1, Long Beach, CA
- - 1st place in Formula Drift Round4, Seattle, WA
- - 1st place in Formula Drift Round6, Wall, NJ
- - 3rd place in Formula Drift Round7, Irwindale, CA
2006:
- - 5th place overall in Formula Drift Championship
- - 3rd place in Formula Drift Round1, Long Beach, CA
- - 3rd place in Formula Drift Round2, Atlanta, GA
- - 1st place in Formula Drift Round7, Irwindale, CA
- - D1 GrandPrix, LasVegas, NV: TOP 16
2005:
- - 5th place overall in Formula Drift Championship
- - Finished the 2005 FD Season with pondium finish and top qualifier award.
- - Scored points at every round of FD
- - D1 GrandPrix USA, Irwindale Speedway: Top 16
2004:
- - 2nd place overall in Formula Drift Championship
- - Finished the 2004 FD Season with two pondium finishees
- - Scored points at every round of FD
2003:
- - D1 GrandPrix USA, Irwindale Speedway: US Qualifier
- - D1 GrandPrix USA, Irwindale Speedway: Top 16
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