Forget about Japan. If you want to see some of the world’s most stylish drift cars being driven to breaking point, you need to attend Tanoshidori (translation: ‘Fun Drift’) in Watergrasshill, Ireland. Who would have thought?
Not me, that’s for sure. But then again, a career photographing culture, chasing stories, and reviewing cars is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I get to travel the world under the guise of ‘work’ and have fun in the process. On the other, I often overlook what’s right on my doorstep.
Neil Sheehan and his motley Juiceboxforyou crew are the perfect example. What started as a 2010 blog – a platform to show Irish car culture to the world – grew into a YouTube channel following the team’s exploration of global car culture… and Neil’s spiral into AE86 ownership.
And yet, I’d never been to see what the Irish lads and lasses get up to with their yokes. It would have been rude to turn down an invite to experience it firsthand then, wouldn’t it? That’s how I found myself at the second running of Neil and Tommy’s drift event – Tanoshidori 2 – in County Cork, where I had an absolute blast.
For starters, I can’t remember the last time I experienced some proper grassroots motorsport. Look at the cars in isolation, and this could be a round of the Japanese D1 Grand Prix drifting championship in 2005. Take a step back, and you soon realise that this is a community of friends having a laugh.
In fact, most of the runs went as follows: Get in, hit the track, smoke up the tyres. Get out, have a chat, smoke a Marlboro Gold. Rinse and repeat.
I’m not joking about the quality of the cars, either, with plenty of serious metal being hurled into corners with plenty of angle – even in the hot, humid, and wet conditions at the start of the day. We’re talking about S-chassis and R32-generation Nissans, various JZX Toyota models, a few BMWs and MX-5s scattered in the mix and – as this is Ireland – plenty of KE70 and AE86 Corollas.
Two cars really stood out to me. One was the Winds Auto AE86 Levin hatchback, a genuine ex-D1GP competition car that now calls Ireland’s green pastures home. The other was Josh Greene’s stunning S15 Silvia, which was back in action after a pretty hefty crash last year.
That being said, I’m an absolute sucker for a tidy AE86 on period wheels wearing a TRD N2 kit, and this white example made me feel things in… places.
What also caught my eye was the difference in driving styles between the local lads and the drivers who made their way over from England and mainland Europe. Where the Irish drivers tend to be smoother and more flowing, the foreigners were far more aggressive in their initiations.
Al Clarke in his red AE86, for example, entered corners with an almighty stab of the throttle and a flick so Scandinavian that it enjoys Surströmming. Ruben, meanwhile, was throwing his JZX100 Chaser’s mass around like a heavyweight boxer in the ring.
While the morning was full of free practice runs, the afternoon was for the team battles. With the cars and drivers divided into teams of two or three, runs were then judged on the proximity, angle, and, of course, style.
Team Redemption was particularly slick, at least through my lens, with the S13 and S15 pair managing to be especially synchronised, while the V8-powered KE70 Corolla wagon just oozed cool in behind.
At this point the track had begun to dry, making for faster driving with some actual smoke, adding to the spectacle of it all. The climax came during the very last judged run of the day when Team Outrun – the British entrants – came together in an unfortunate shunt. Thankfully, Thom’s S13 and Al’s Corolla only suffered some fairly minor damage.
But it wasn’t just the drifting that I found remarkable; it was the passion behind the whole event. There was a static display of spectators’ Japanese cars alongside local club stands, and a Monster Energy booth with a drift simulator set up – so that everybody could have a go at sliding around.
Not only that, but after seeing Neil and his team prep the night before and the joy with which they saw the day unfold, it’s clear that this is far more than a hobby. The Juiceboxforyou crew live and breathe these cars, and they go about modifying them in a way that’s not only authentically Japanese, but authentically Irish in the hospitality and warmth that comes with it.
After just one weekend, I’d go so far as to say that no country I’ve visited comes as close to embracing Japanese car culture as Ireland does. The parts these cars are running are A1; some of the cars themselves are ex-D1GP, and the show, spectacle, and culture are for everyone.
Good job, lads. I’m already looking at flights back to Ireland.
Some images of the show cars would have been nice. Its drifting and show after all?