D1GP USA Lays Down the Law - Team Orange Fined $17,500

Wrecked Magazine

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forrestwang.tanaka.d1gp.jpg

Wow, after reading the official D1GP USA statement about the D1GP Chicago event it makes Team Orange look even more out of hand. Apparently according to the PR sent out by Rich Goodwin Tanaka even injured a course worker in the process of “hissy fit.” Here is the quote from the release,
One of our pit workers was standing in front of Tanaka’s car with his arm out and hand up signaling to him to not move forward trying to get Tanaka to turn around and go back to his pit position. It was about this time Tanaka was informed of the Wang victory. Believing that the original call the run earlier was for a OMT, Tanaka and Team Orange then went berserk. Tanaka then pressed his car against the course workers leg and proceeded to continually rev his engine. Team Orange’s mechanic then slapped the course workers arm (he had up signaling Tanaka to not move forward) in an attempt to get him to put his arm down. This slap of the course workers arm was repeated no less than 3 times before the race starter told his course worker to get out of the way. At this time Tanaka hit the gas and performed a wheel spin (burnout) thus spinning the car around in obvious defiance over the decision by the judges and his team’s misunderstanding. As he did this he reached out of the car and gave everyone and obscene gesture, but as he was doing this he also clipped our race starter’s knee with his rear bumper and ran over his foot. An injury that required the EMT’s to assist our starter with his injuries.
We removed quite a bit of information between here in the end of the statement but you can read it all via a .pdf at the end of the post. Below we skip to Rich Goodwin’s statement and ruling on the matter. It calls for a season suspension of Kazuhiro Tanaka, stripping of season points, and a $10,000 fine! Kumakubo is fined $5,000 and was stripped of his points that he earned up to the top four forfeit in Chicago only. The mechanic who slapped the course worker is fined $2,500 for his actions. This brings a fine total to $17,500 for Team Orange. Something tells me we won’t be seeing them in D1GP USA anytime soon. Here is the official D1GP USA statement on the fine structure/ruling.
D1GP USA’s mission in 2009 was to produce the most unbiased and fair competition possible. It is this mission that allows us to not see nationality, experience, celebrity or the difference between a heavily sponsored team or privateer, but rather to see every driver on the same level.
We understand that Team Orange is the most famous drift team in the world and its drivers regarded as some of the best drivers there are, however that does not give them the right to expect to be treated differently and does not give them the right to act the way they did at this event, therefore the following penalties are imposed.
The Penalties in this matter are as follows:
1)    Kazuhiro Tanaka – Fine of $10,000 & loss of series points & suspension for the rest of the D1GP USA season.
2)    Nobushige Kumakubo – Fine of $5,000 & loss of event points in Chicago
3)    Team Orange – As a result of the team mechanic’s actions, an additional $2,500 fine
There has also many been many rumors surfacing regarding Ken Nomura’s conduct at the Chicago event. Thus far our investigation into the matter is not complete. We will continue to investigate and make a ruling later next week.
Source: www.wreckedmagazine.com/images/2009/D1GPUSA.ChicagoRelease.TeamOrangeFineDetails.pdf


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this is gay, where the hell is drifting going to here in the US of fucken A!

wheres the love and passion for the sport?
 
wow, that is a crazy amount. and very goood question shant, where did it go? but it serves them right, just because they are a good team, doesnt mean there imune to the rules.
 
this is gay, where the hell is drifting going to here in the US of fucken A!

wheres the love and passion for the sport?

My love and passion for the sport is what drives me to be involved in it in any way possible. Driving or working the events. Stupid actions like these are caused by people being selfish and only thinking of themselves. I gave up 2 days of work to go work that event and my dedication to the sport was rewarded with a childish hissy-fit. Some people just need to get off their pedestals... btw... the course worker assaulted by the mechanic.... was my dad whom most of you know.:mad:
 
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damn....i think my mind is going back to being a grassroots driver vs trying to compete professionally. To much bullshit out there now! I think im going to build my car for me, not for sponsors or anybody else but for my enjoyment!

sorry to hear about your dad Will, hope he is okay!
 
sorry to hear about your dad, hope he is ok. lets keep drifting in the streets where it belongs, competition is for ego building, drifting is supposed to be fun.
 
Seriously man, rules are rules! Just cause your car got beat by one with a minuscule amount a decals does not give you the reason to become a Fag!
 
My love and passion for the sport is what drives me to be involved in it in any way possible. Driving or working the events. Stupid actions like these are caused by people being selfish and only thinking of themselves. I gave up 2 days of work to go work that event and my dedication to the sport was rewarded with a childish hissy-fit. Some people just need to get off their pedestals... btw... the course worker assaulted by the mechanic.... was my dad whom most of you know.:mad:

damn, sucks to hear that will, give him my best
 
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