Masato Kawabata

Masato Kawabata
Masato Kawabata
Nationality	Japan
Born	October 15, 1977 (age 43); Osaka, Osaka Prefecture
D1 Grand Prix career
Debut season	2002
Current team	Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT
Former teams	TOYO TIRES GLION TRUST RACING
Wins	15
Championship titles
2007 ; 2017	D1GP Series Champion; ; FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup

Kawabata's S15 Silvia with 2005 livery

Masato Kawabata (川畑真人, Kawabata Masato, 15 October 1977, in Osaka) is a Japanese professional drifting driver, currently competing in the D1 Grand Prix series for Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT.

Biography[]

Kawabata first received his license at 18 and at that point he bought the Nissan 180SX. He practiced alone until he met late D1 driver Atsushi Kuroi who started to teach and advise Kawabata. At age 19, Kawabata entered a drift magazine sponsored contest and took first place. At 21, GP Sports started to sponsor Kawabata with a full line of aero parts. Kawabata and first appeared in the D1 Grand Prix in round 4 of 2002.^[1]

Kawabata took his first win at Fuji Speedway in 2006^[2] and went on to finish 4th in the overall points. In 2007 he did even better however winning two rounds and the overall title by one point over Nobushige Kumakubo.

He moved to TRUST and started to participate in D1GP with Nissan GT-R in 2014.

In 2019, He returned TOYO TIRES and currently competing in the D1GP with Toyota GR Supra.

2007 Fuji Speedway accident[]

In 2007, at round 2, held in Fuji Speedway, during a sudden death round against Daigo Saito, Saito dipped into the inner apex of the 300R corner and jumped the curb of the track. His car's front wheels lost traction, which resulted in the car to understeer and collect Kawabata's Silvia into the tyre barrier in the process, effectively destroying both cars.

The impact between the cars and when they were hurled into the track protection barrier happened at speeds of over 150 km/h. Kawabata had to be taken to hospital for treatment for whiplash injuries, Saito miraculously evaded any physical damages.

Kawabata won the round which he was unable to continue, leaving Atsushi Kuroi without an opponent. For the following round, he returned with a new car and took the win at the next round at Sportsland SUGO.^[3]^[4]

Complete Drifting Results[]

(key)

D1 Grand Prix[]

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Position	Points
2002		Nissan 180SX		EBS	EBS	SGO DNQ	TKB DNQ					0
2003	Silk Road	Nissan 180SX	TKB DNQ	DNQ	SGO DNQ	FUJ TAN	EBS TAN		TKB DNQ			0
2004	Silk Road	Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86	IRW TAN								23	4
2004	GReddy//Toyo Tires	Nissan Silvia S15		SGO TAN	EBS DNQ	APS 9	ODB DNQ	EBS 16	TKB DNQ		23	4
2005	GReddy//Toyo Tires	Nissan Silvia S15	IRW 16	ODB 4	SGO 9	APS 7	EBS TAN	FUJ 3	TKB 5		4	55
2006	GReddy//Toyo Tires	Nissan Silvia S15	IRW 5	SGO 16	FUJ 6	APS TAN	EBS 4	SUZ 8	FUJ 1	IRW 16	4	69
2007	GReddy//Toyo Tires	Nissan Silvia S15	EBS 2	FUJ 4	SUZ 6	SGO 1	EBS 5	APS 1	FUJ 16		1	100
2008	/Toyo Tires	Nissan 180SX RPS13	EBS 1	FUJ TAN	SUZ 15	OKY 11	APS 3	EBS	FUJ		6	54
2009	Team TOYO TIRES DRIFT	Nissan 180SX RPS13	EBS	APS	OKY	OKY	EBS	EBS	FUJ 1	FUJ 1	6	93
2016	TOYO TIRES DRIFT TRUST RACING	Nissan R35	ODB 2	FUJ 2	TKB 3	TKB 8	EBS 9	EBS 3	ODB 2		2	133
2017	TOYO TIRES GLION TRUST RACING	Nissan R35	ODB 5	ODB 4	TKB 1	MSI 13	EBS 14	EBS 7	ODB 6		5	106

References[]

External links[]

Preceded by Nobushige Kumakubo	D1 Grand Prix Champion 2007	Succeeded by Daigo Saito

[1] J.D.M. OPTION INTERNATIONAL (2006)

[2] [ D1GP/D1SL NEWS REPORT ] J.D.M. OPTION INTERNATIONAL (2006)

[3] [ D1GP/D1SL NEWS REPORT ] J.D.M. OPTION INTERNATIONAL (2007)

[4] YouTube - Broadcast Yourself

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]