Rinkya Floats Into The Year of the Rat with the Tokyo Drift

Drifting is a relatively new motorsport born on the mountain roads of Japan known as “touges.” While the actual technique has been relatively common in certain forms of racing, for example American dirt track racers drift through curves in the track, to feature it as a sport in and of itself stems from the late 1980s in Japan and the late 1990s in the rest of the world. A car is drifting when its rear slip angle is greater than its front slip angle, with front wheels pointing opposite to the turn while the driver remains in control. In drifting, the accelerator, and occasionally the

brakes, including the hand brake are the controlling factors for steering.

Drifting competitions are judged based on line, angle, speed, and show factor. Top levels of competition have evolved into a professional sport in Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and the U. K. Recently, in the United States, formula D racing is catching fire. A recent motion picture, Fast and Furious, Tokyo Drift, has romanticized the “drift” culture in Japan and introduced the sport/hobby to the rest of the world in a big way. “The movie was a bit silly,” says Rinkya CEO and Tokyo resident, Heather Russell. “Drift racers don’t race on the streets of Tokyo. However, being in Japan you can’t help but notice it’s popularity.

“Being at the heart of a new and rapidly evolving sport, we noticed that the parts needed to create cars capable of performing well in drifting events are to be found primarily in Japan. While it did catch us by surprise at first, we thought special wheels and tires were pretty much the same the world over, we have learned that the special equipment needed to drift is often available only in Japan; ADVAN racing wheels, for example, were one of our biggest sellers for the 2007 holiday season.

“So when we sat down to try and decide what to do to begin the Year of the Rat, drifting was a big part of our discussion. Because of the explosion, worldwide, of drifting we have had to establish ways to store and ship car parts within our warehouse/shipping system. The establishment of these modifications within the Rinkya system allows us to reduce our surcharges for the shipping rates on these items, on 4 Rims with Tires, from $80 to $20. On 4 Rims without Tires, $80, to $10. On 4 Suspension systems, from $30, to $10; and on intercoolers, the surcharge has been eliminated. “So to all you drifters, worldwide, a little belated holiday present. Happy Year of the Rat.” Rinkya Inc is a leading service provider for Japan auctions, stores, and specialty websites.