S1 Ep316: The Tire Problem That Created Drifting

About this episode

This episode explores the impact of Kunimitsu Takahashi on drifting and motorsport, highlighting his career and innovations in driving techniques.

Thanks to Allstate for sponsoring today’s episode! Click here [ https://bit.ly/4mVSVPj ] to check Allstate first and see how much you could save on car insurance. And thanks to Aura Frames for sponsoring this episode. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/GAS . Promo Code GAS This week on Past Gas, we’re telling the story of Kunimitsu Takahashi — the motorcycle phenom who survived a near-fatal Isle of Man crash and came back to dominate Japanese touring cars in the Skyline GT-R. His aggressive, controlled power-slides, born from the limits of bias-ply tires, helped shape the driving style that inspired Keiichi Tsuchiya and drifting as we know it. From volcanic hillclimbs to Nissan’s “Three Crows” era to delivering Honda a GT2-class win at Le Mans, Takahashi’s career defined multiple eras of motorsport and left a legacy that still echoes across racing and drift culture today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Donut Media

Topics covered

• drifting
• motorsport history
• Japanese touring cars
• Kunimitsu Takahashi
• bias-ply tires
• racing legacy

Keywords

• drifting
• Kunimitsu Takahashi
• Skyline GT-R
• motorsport
• bias-ply tires
• Isle of Man
• Le Mans
• Japanese touring cars

Sponsors

Allstate, Aura Frames

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Skyline GT-R

Places: Isle of Man, Japan

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