Formula Drift St. Louis took place last weekend on July 18-20, and it was full of absolutely unbelievable moments. Including two major track changes, which caused Kelsey Rowlings, Allen Boss, and Adam LZ to go airborne and a 14 year old prodigy drifter from Japan up against the greatest drifter of all time in the finals, battling it out for the win.
Firstly, there were two pretty big changes to the track this year, which are adding a wall to Outside Zone 1 and making the turn for Outside Zone 4 much more sharp. This was something not many drivers were happy about, but the changes on Outside Zone 4 were necessary because NASCAR complained to Formula Drift saying that the way cars hit the ramped NASCAR track was damaging the pavement, making it unsafe for NASCAR drivers to race on. And the wall on Outside Zone 1, wasn’t just a vertical wall, it had a slight uphill at the bottom of the wall causing 3 drivers to hit the wall and ride it like a skateboard trick, as shown here, here, and here. So as you can see, that wall alone caused a lot of damage to many driver’s cars.
But those obstacles were lightwork for two drivers, Hiroya Minowa and James Deane. James Deane took first place in this event, which makes for his three event win this year. And has put him 118 points above 2nd place, which is absolutely crazy, but what’s even crazier, is the prodigy from Japan that kept up with him.
Hiroya Minowa is 14 years old and placed second place in FD STL and is currently fourth place in the 2024 championship so far. His mom and dad are both very talented drifters from his home country of Japan and he even had to battle the Japanese government to allow him to come over the the states to compete in Formula Drift.
His biography on his Formula Drift profile says: “Hiroya’s passion for cars ignited at 7 years old when he took the wheel of a JZX100 with an automatic transmission. His first taste of drifting came at 8 years old when he drove Ebisu circuit. At the age of 11 Hiroya learned manual transmission and his drifting journey began. He also delved into SIM practice. Within six months of driving manual, he clinched victory in several local events, demonstrating his innate talent. At 11 years old, Hiroya ventured into competitive drifting, participating in the MSC Challenge with his mom’s car. (Both of Hiroya’s parents competed in Formula Drift Japan and are a part of the team HEYMAN.) He qualified 1st and finished 3rd in a major competition. 2021 was an incredible year for him, securing the MSC Challenge series win, an event win, a 3rd place and a 4th place finish. Locally, he dominated, securing overall wins in 3 different track events and numerous podium finishes. In 2022, Hiroya made his mark on the international scene by competing in Formula Drift Japan. He showcased his talent by qualifying 1st and achieving a remarkable 5th place finish in the series, ranking 16th overall. Hiroya also claimed victory once again in the D1 divisional series. The following year, Hiroya continued his ascent winning an event and 2 podiums. He concluded the 2023 Formula Drift Japan series in 2nd place. Off the track Hiroya showcased his charisma on Japanese TV shows, making multiple appearances from 2021 to 2023. In 2024, he will be competing in Formula Drift USA Pro on Jerry Yang Racing team debuting a new Toyota FRS VR38dett engine as a Red Bull athlete.”
His future is unbelievably bright as he’s crushing the big leagues at 14 years old. I can’t wait to see how much he grows, not only physically, but also in competition. And I wish good luck for any driver against him, cause they’re gonna need it.
The next Formula DRIFT event will take place on Aug. 9-10 and will be the 6th event of the PRO season. Tune in and watch on Formula DRIFT’s YouTube page or on Motorsports.TV.
