Press Release
Nov. 12, 2013
(Announcement) Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT Driver Masato Kawabata Wins Overall “2013 D1 Grand Prix Series” Championship Wins Final Series Round at Odaiba
Osaka, Japan - 11 November, 2013 - Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. announces that company-supported Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT driver Masato Kawabata has won the 2013 D1 Grand Prix Series overall championship as well as the tan-sou championship.
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In the finale of six rounds of the 2013 D1 Grand Prix Series held on November 9 at a specially built course in Odaiba, Tokyo, Masato Kawabata unleashed a powerful driving performance in the tan-sou finale contested by the top 16 racers. Kawabata held off Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT teammate Akinori Utsumi in the final match to earn his second overall Series championship.
Based on this result, Kawabata finished atop both the overall and tan-sou rankings to earn his first overall victory since he became Series champion six years ago in 2007.
Finishing just behind Kawabata in the rankings were Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT teammates Tatsuya Sakuma in third and Akinori Utsumi in fifth.
In addition to the champion performance of the Team racers, Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT booth achieved total domination by earning first place in the yearlong vote by fans for the most popular booth!
< Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT WEB SITE URL : http://www.toyo-rubber.co.jp/drift/ >(Japanese Only)
<For reference>
■2013 Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT Overview
| Contract drivers | : Masato Kawabata, Tatsuya Sakuma |
| Support drivers | : Akinori Utsumi, Yoshifumi Tadokoro, Seimi Tanaka |
| 2013 TOYO GIRLS | : Asami Agawa, Natsu Tosaki |
■2013 D1 Grand Prix Series Ranking
| Driver | Overall Ranking | Tan-sou Ranking |
| Masato Kawabata | 1st | 1st |
| Tatsuya Sakuma | 3rd | 3rd |
| Akinori Utsumi | 5th | 5th |
| Yoshifumi Tadokoro | 18th | 22nd |
| Seimi Tanaka | 22nd | 19th |
■Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT (Round 6 Exhibition Match, Odaiba, Tokyo)
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For details on the 2013 D1 GP Series, click here : http://www.d1gp.co.jp
Toyo Tire Corporation
Corporate Communications Dept.
Hyogo Head office Telephone: +81-72-789-9100 Facsimile: +81-72-773-3272
