Marking the first round in the points series for D1GP's 2006 season, the opener at Irwindale Speedway never failed to disappoint. Many drifting fans that are familiar with D1's regular competitors recognized many of the well-known drivers on hand, but many of the surprises this year came from the cars they were piloting. High hopes were also in place for an American driver to do well after last year's historic win for Vaughn Gittin Jr. Unfortunately, those hopes were soon relinquished as neither J.R., nor the only other top 16 American, Samuel Hubinette, managed to get past the semifinal round.
One of the notable standouts in the season opener, however, was undoubtedly Team Orange's Kumakubo in the RWD Impreza WRX, whose impressive performance was still not enough to rob Kazama from earning the triple crown for season openers at Irwindale Speedway.
While rain loomed on the horizon for most of Friday's practice sessions, Saturday was a clear and sunny day, albeit a bit cool, at Irwindale Speedway. The usual vendors were on hand offering a host of drift related merchandise, with respective teams also taking some time to sign autographs and meet with fans.
One of the more notable aspects of this years D1GP was the overall length of time that the event took place in, as it was undoubtedly the earliest finish for a D1 event at Irwindale Speedway. There were no two hour delays between runs, nor were there any notable delays or extended breaks in the action. The event instead went on without a hitch, and provided for some of the best drifting action yet stateside, which is what we've come to expect every year from the D1 Grand Prix.
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