Ken Gushi
Encyclopedia
is one of Japan's top competitors in the sport of drifting
. Born in Okinawa, Japan
, but raised in Los Angeles, he was taught by his father Tsukasa Gushi at the age of 13 with a Toyota AE86
. Ken has become the youngest competitor in both the D1 Grand Prix of Japan and the Formula Drift Championships of the U.S. when he was 16 despite not passing his driving test at the time.
.
A few weeks after Road Atlanta, Ken won the $10,000.00 Winner-Take All International Drifting Shoot-Out at the Road & Track U.S. Sports Car Invitational (30 April 2004 - 2 May 2004), part of the Mazda
and Yokohama
-sponsored event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
. Here at this famous race course, it hosted its first ever professional drifting competition, where 14 teams/drivers competed for the right to take home a $10,000 cash prize, the largest jackpot in drifting history in the U.S.
Ken, piloting Rotora's Nissan 240SX
took top honors as he defeated Japanese Pro D1 driver Kazu Hayashida of RS-R in the best 8, before eliminating Samuel Hübinette
with Team Mopar
/Lateral G Racing 500+ horsepower Dodge Viper
in the semi finals en route to the finals against Rhys Millen
with Team RMR's Pontiac GTO
. 17 year old Ken Gushi, the youngest competing driver in D1 Grand Prix history bested Rhys Millen with a series of consistent bumper to bumper tandem drifting runs.
Finishing the 2004 Formula Drift season with his Nissan 240SX, Ken jumped into the Ford Racing
backed Mustang GT in the 2005 series, finishing off the year in 3rd place overall, and winning the third round of the season in Houston, Texas
to become Formula D's first Japanese-born event winner.
In 2007, following his father's dreams, Ken took on the challenge to race at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Though he had qualified 3rd place in the Pike's Peak Open class, Ken miscalculated a corner, taking the car off course.
Also, in 2007 he participated in the Forza Motorsport Showdown
piloting the Royal Purple Team 350Z
.
In 2008, Ken was picked up by Scion Racing and RS-R to pilot the first ever RWD converted Scion tC
. This was done by using the Toyota Avensis
chassis (which the Scion tC is based on and is originally an AWD platform) and first ever converted it into a RWD car.
In 2009, Ken got 2nd place at Sonoma.
in San Gabriel, California
and Don Bosco Technical Institute
in Rosemead, California
.
Drifting (motorsport)
Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed...
. Born in Okinawa, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, but raised in Los Angeles, he was taught by his father Tsukasa Gushi at the age of 13 with a Toyota AE86
Toyota AE86
The AE86 generation of the Toyota Corolla Levin and Toyota Sprinter Trueno is a small, lightweight coupe introduced by Toyota in 1983 as part of the fifth generation Toyota Corolla lineup. For the purpose of brevity, the insider-chassis code of "AE86" is used to describe the whole range...
. Ken has become the youngest competitor in both the D1 Grand Prix of Japan and the Formula Drift Championships of the U.S. when he was 16 despite not passing his driving test at the time.
Racing career
Ken reached #1 qualified, but loss at top 16 tandems, in 2004 Formula Drift Championship very first round at Road AtlantaRoad Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
.
A few weeks after Road Atlanta, Ken won the $10,000.00 Winner-Take All International Drifting Shoot-Out at the Road & Track U.S. Sports Car Invitational (30 April 2004 - 2 May 2004), part of the Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
and Yokohama
Yokohama Rubber Company
is a tire company based in Tokyo, Japan. The company founded and started in 1917 in a joint venture between Yokohama Cable Manufacturing and B.F. Goodrich. In 1969 the company expanded to the United States as Yokohama Tire Corporation. The Aspec A300 was the driving force behind its tremendous...
-sponsored event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, USA....
. Here at this famous race course, it hosted its first ever professional drifting competition, where 14 teams/drivers competed for the right to take home a $10,000 cash prize, the largest jackpot in drifting history in the U.S.
Ken, piloting Rotora's Nissan 240SX
Nissan 240SX
The 240SX is a two-door compact car that was introduced to the North American market by Nissan in 1988 for the following model year. It replaced the outgoing 200SX model. Most of the 240SX were equipped with the 2.4-liter inline 4 engine . The KA24E being single over-head cam and KA24DE being dual...
took top honors as he defeated Japanese Pro D1 driver Kazu Hayashida of RS-R in the best 8, before eliminating Samuel Hübinette
Samuel Hubinette
Samuel Hübinette, aka The Crazy Swede , is a Swedish professional race car driver and Hollywood stunt driver. He started working as a test driver for Volvo Cars...
with Team Mopar
Mopar
Mopar is the automobile parts and service arm of Chrysler Group LLC. The term was first used by Chrysler in the 1920s and has been in continuous use ever since. Mopar parts are original equipment manufactured parts for Chrysler vehicles...
/Lateral G Racing 500+ horsepower Dodge Viper
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
in the semi finals en route to the finals against Rhys Millen
Rhys Millen
Rhys Millen , nephew of IMSA GTS driver Steve Millen, son of Rod and elder brother of Ryan, is one of the world's top competitors in drifting. Prior to that he was a top rally driver in the US, and became the first works backed driver from a car manufacturer with GM in 2004 after narrowly losing to...
with Team RMR's Pontiac GTO
Pontiac GTO
The Pontiac GTO is an automobile built by Pontiac Division of General Motors in the United States from 1964 to 1974, and by GM subsidiary Holden in Australia from 2004 to 2006. It is considered an innovative, and now classic muscle car of the 1960s and 1970s...
. 17 year old Ken Gushi, the youngest competing driver in D1 Grand Prix history bested Rhys Millen with a series of consistent bumper to bumper tandem drifting runs.
Finishing the 2004 Formula Drift season with his Nissan 240SX, Ken jumped into the Ford Racing
Ford Racing
Ford Racing is the Ford Motor Company's racing division and the multinational name used for its motorsport activity.-History:* 1896 - Henry Ford reached a top speed of 20 mph in his first car, Quadricycle....
backed Mustang GT in the 2005 series, finishing off the year in 3rd place overall, and winning the third round of the season in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
to become Formula D's first Japanese-born event winner.
In 2007, following his father's dreams, Ken took on the challenge to race at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Though he had qualified 3rd place in the Pike's Peak Open class, Ken miscalculated a corner, taking the car off course.
Also, in 2007 he participated in the Forza Motorsport Showdown
Forza Motorsport Showdown
Forza Motorsport Showdown was a weekly television show on Speed Channel, produced by BCII, Inc. The show was a collaboration of Speed Channel and Microsoft Game Studios to present a live-action mini-series based on the new Forza Motorsport 2 video game. The series was produced on location at Road...
piloting the Royal Purple Team 350Z
Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z is a two seat sports car that was manufactured by Nissan from 2002 to 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered production in late 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model. The first year there was only a coupe, as the roadster did not debut...
.
In 2008, Ken was picked up by Scion Racing and RS-R to pilot the first ever RWD converted Scion tC
Scion tC
The Scion tC is an automobile manufactured and sold by Scion, a division of Toyota. Introduced in the United States in June 2004 and Canada in 2010. The name tC does not fit in with its stablemates the xA, xB, and xD, because the name XC designation has already been used by Volvo for its lineup of...
. This was done by using the Toyota Avensis
Toyota Avensis
The Toyota Avensis is a large family car built in Derbyshire, United Kingdom by Japanese carmaker Toyota since 1997. It is the direct successor to the Carina E and is available as a four-door saloon, five-door liftback and estate...
chassis (which the Scion tC is based on and is originally an AWD platform) and first ever converted it into a RWD car.
In 2009, Ken got 2nd place at Sonoma.
Personal life
He attended St. Stephens School in Monterey Park, California. He attended Gabrielino High SchoolGabrielino High School
Gabrielino High School is a public high school located on San Gabriel Boulevard in San Gabriel, California, ten miles east of downtown Los Angeles, serving grades 9-12. It was established in 1994, and is one of two high schools in the San Gabriel Unified School District. Del Mar High School is...
in San Gabriel, California
San Gabriel, California
San Gabriel is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is named after the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded by Junipero Serra. The city grew outward from the mission and in 1852 became the original township of Los Angeles County. San Gabriel was incorporated in 1913...
and Don Bosco Technical Institute
Don Bosco Technical Institute
Don Bosco Technical Institute is an all-male high school in Rosemead, California, combining college-preparatory academic courses and technological education...
in Rosemead, California
Rosemead, California
Rosemead is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 53,764. Rosemead is part of a cluster of cities, along with Arcadia, Temple City, Monterey Park, San Marino, and San Gabriel, in the west San Gabriel Valley with a growing Asian...
.