D1 Grand Prix
The D1 Grand Prix (D1GP), also known as Professional Drift, originated in Japan as a professional drifting series founded by Daijiro Inada and Keiichi Tsuchiya following successful amateur contests in the late 1990s. Officially established as a five-round series in October 2000, it gained prominence in 2001 with the introduction of the two-car "tsuiou" battle in a single-elimination format, mirroring traditional tōge races. Since then, D1GP has expanded internationally to the United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia, and New Zealand, cultivating a global fanbase and setting a benchmark for drifting series worldwide with its widely adopted tsuisou format. The series is credited with elevating its personnel and drivers to celebrity status and significantly boosting tuning businesses specializing in drift setups.
