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April 28, 2005 - I could start yet another interview complaining about my interview subject's lack of bolt-on boobies. But doing that all the time would be played out, so I'll spare all of you the bad jokes. Today, IGN is bringing you an interview with the young drifting phenom Ken Gushi.
For those of you who haven't heard of him, here's a brief recap: his dad taught him how to drift at the age of 13 in an old Toyota Corolla (AE86); he is the youngest driver ever to make it into D1, and he may now have a slight rivalry with his old man. Instead of trying to fill in space for this as I usually do, I'll just cut this intro short and get straight to the interview
IGN: So how did you get your start in Drifting?
Ken Gushi: I got my start in drifting when I was 13. My father took me to a dry lake called "El Mirage", it's about 2 hrs away from my house in LA. But it's a dry lake, and we took an AE86 Corolla and he taught me the basic techniques of car control.
IGN: How often did you go out with your dad to the dry lake?
Ken: There was a point where we went every weekend -- once or twice every weekend. But usually about 3 or 4 times a month.
IGN: Was this Corolla stock, or was it modified at all?
Ken: We started off with a stock car, and as time went by, we started touching up on the car. So I did practice with both a stock Corolla and a fixed-up Corolla.
IGN: So how long did you continue to drive that car?
Ken: I continued to actually drive at El Mirage for about 2 years, and then I started competing with the first car I got, which was a 1992 240 SX. And from there on, I stopped going to El Mirage and just started competing at local drifting events with local drifters.
IGN: Is that the same 240 you used to try out for the first D1 USA drivers search?
Ken: Yes, it was the same champagne-colored one.
IGN: So you stopped going to El Mirage after two years, and you started going to local drifting events... our math is telling us that you were still under 16 years old when you first started competing.
Ken: Yeah, I was still 15 when I started competing.
IGN: So did encounter any problems entering these competitions, as you technically weren't legally allowed to drive?
Ken: Um... I don't know if I should say this... but at first I used my friend's license number (laughs).
IGN: Don't worry, we can take some stuff out.
Ken: Yeah, well... I used someone else's license number and I entered myself in an event. I registered as a different name.
IGN: And what event was that?
Ken: This was the first Ikaten event in 2003, I believe.
IGN: When the actual D1 driver's search came around -- I believe you were using your actual name by then -- but you were still 15?
Ken: Yeah, I was 15 then.
IGN: So by that time, you were actually competing, using your real name, but you were still underage. Did you have any troubles getting into these drift events, or were you "established" enough by then to be allowed to compete?
Ken: Yeah, by then they knew who I was, so they didn't mind me not having a driver's license.
IGN: So by this time, were you only practicing at events?
Ken: Yeah. From there on out, I only practiced at Drift Days and in competition-type events.
IGN: So off the record: did you ever take your car out in the streets, too?
Ken: (Laughs) Yeah, I did use my car for commuting from my house to wherever I needed to go. But no one knows that. I don't think my parents know that, either.
IGN: Don't worry, we won't put that in...
Ken: No, I don't mind! You can put that in.
IGN: Ok! In it goes! Well, if your parents didn't know before, they'll certainly know now.
Ken: Well, it's okay. They probably do know anyway, they just don't want to mention it.
IGN: They'll just hassle you about it later (laughs). Anyway, moving on: you were the youngest person ever to qualify for D1, right? We all want to know how it felt to accomplish something so significant -- because we sure haven't done anything with our lives.
Ken: At first I didn't really care that I was the youngest person (in D1). But then it got to people who were all: "Oh, that's crazy how you're the youngest person in D1 and you just made history!" or whatever. By then I started realizing that hey, that's pretty cool. There's no one under 20 that made it into D1.
IGN: You were 15 when you made it?
Ken: Actually, I was 16...
IGN: Still... 16 years old. That's amazing. Actually to move off topic again: with you being a young drifter, and the fact that your dad taught you how to drift in an old Corolla, has anyone made any bad Initial D comparisons? If not, can we be the first?
Ken: Everybody has. Everybody is like, "Oh, you're just like Takumi and your dad is just like Bunta...", because my dad also has a Subaru. In the anime, Bunta gets an Impreza later on. But I don't drive a Corolla, I drive a 240.
IGN: Well, you learned in a Corolla that was your dad's... Anyway, time to get back on topic: how long did you campaign your 240?
Ken: That 240 (the champagne-colored one)... I crashed it at D1 -- the first D1. I trashed that one and got another one right away. So I've been driving a 240 ever since.
IGN: And that's the green one we see at all the events?
Ken: Actually, the green one you saw yesterday (at the Toyo Tire event) is my third 240. The second one... after I crashed my first 240, I got another one. And that (second 240) I crashed at the Need For Speed Event.
IGN: Moving away from the 240... there's been a lot of talk about you jumping from your 240, which is the "standard" drift car, to go drive a Ford-backed Mustang. First off: how did you get hooked-up working with Ford?
Ken: Actually, Toyo approached me first. But since we already had a tire sponsor, we kind of told them that we wouldn't take the offer. A couple of months later, they approached us again (this time) with Ford, and that's kind of how we brought them into consideration. Everything just seemed to work out.
IGN: What was your reaction when you first saw the Mustang?
Ken: I knew for sure that it looked heavy. It had major weight issues... I knew that for sure. I also didn't like how it looked, at first (laughs). But the more I see it, the more I start to like it. It looks great right now.
IGN: So besides the weight, how is driving the Mustang different from driving your old 240?
Ken: Well... horsepower. I have almost twice the horsepower (in the Mustang) that I had in my 240. Torque is a major difference... That's about it, I mean just weight and power... everything else is the same. Drifting is still drifting.
IGN: With the weight and power, does it make things easier?
Ken: Well, the power actually does make drifting easier. It's just that the weight is an issue. I can't drift fast and I can't stop fast (in the Mustang), as to where the 240 was really light (making high-speed drifting and braking easier).
IGN: We've noticed that a lot of drift fans seem to be anti-anything that makes drifting popular...
Ken: Yeah, some of them are pretty anti-mainstream.
IGN: Exactly. Anyway, some of these kids say that Ford is just jumping on the bandwagon and that the company doesn't belong. A lot of these kids would much rather see you stick to your 240. What's your take on that?
Ken: Well, I am from the underdog-world, too. I mean, I'm from a small Gushi Auto company -- a private team. So I do know where they're coming from. Because before, when I heard that GM and Dodge were coming in, I was kind of like, on the edgy side...
But, just getting the deal with Ford made me realize that it opens up doors. Not just for me, but for the sport. It opens up new avenues for endorsement. It just makes the sport grow more. I think because these big corporations are coming in, it gives the amateurs a better chance at getting sponsors of having bigger sponsors. Because these corporations are coming in, non-auto-related companies are going to come in, too. So there's a bigger chance for everyone out there that doesn't have a sponsor right now.
IGN: How has Ford been treating you now that you're driving one of their cars?
Ken: They're okay. I would like to see more attention from them, but they're doing well. Toyo's been treating me really good though.
IGN: Has the response to your Mustang been positive? Negative? Or has it been pretty balanced?
Ken: I've had both. Sometimes I go and read the forums and a lot of guys are like, "Oh, his 240 is much better... why is he switching over..." I've also had people say, "Oh, he looks good in the Mustang, it's good to see him move up," and whatnot. I see both worlds.
IGN: Once you get out and start driving the Mustang in competitions, do you think people's opinions of the car will change?
Ken: I hope so. I don't know on that one, either, because the car keeps breaking down. I don't have much practice on it. Once it's dialed-in, I'm pretty sure I can do better in it. Hopefully I'll get some positive feedback after the events.
IGN: Well, you're mentioning that the car keeps breaking down, and you're not getting that much attention from Ford. So we gotta ask: who's taking care of the car?
Ken: We are. We're taking care of the car for now until we get some work done by Ford.
IGN: And that's everyone at Gushi Auto that's taking care of the car?
Ken: Yes. It's the Gushi Auto crew.
IGN: Gushi Auto is known more for working on import cars, right? What's it like making the transition to working on a muscle car?
Ken: Because we got the deal with Ford, we're starting to look more into domestic drifting projects. We're going to start promoting domestic drifting cars.
IGN: As Gushi Auto has spent years working on cars like 240s and Corollas, was it a tough process learning how to work on the Mustang?
Ken: Well, we had to start fresh, that's for sure. We didn't know where to start. It just began with stripping the car down and stuff.
IGN: Let's get personal for a minute: you mentioned earlier that your dad is the one that taught you how to drive. How does he feel now that you're getting all this attention and sponsorships for your driving skills? Is he a proud poppa?
Ken: I don't know, actually. We don't talk about what he thinks about me getting attention or whatever. He just wants me to move up, get some bigger sponsors...
IGN: I heard your dad has done some driving at Drift Days, too...
Ken: Yeah, he started drifting in Japan when he was 19...
IGN: Have you guys ever thought about competing together? You mentioned that Gushi Auto was going to be campaigning another American car, so we're curious to see if your dad is going to drive that.
Ken: Actually, he was thinking about driving the green 240 this year. But he doesn't know for sure yet.
IGN: Do you think there will be any rivalry if you two have to go up against each other?
Ken: Oh, definitely. It was funny, because when he used to teach me at the dry lake, there was one day where my friend was like, "Hey, I think your son is better than you!" So we decided to do this comparison-type thing where we just like, laid down cones, and competed to see who can keep drifting around them the longest without making any errors. So we did that, and I came out beating him. So, I'm pretty sure we'll have some rivalry.
IGN: A rivalry that will be televised, perhaps? We're going to use that as a great segue way into talking about the TV deal G4 has struck with Formula D... So what are your thoughts on Formula D being televised?
Ken: I think it's good. I think it brings in more attention to the whole sport. I hope it will be something like the X-Games, and bring in bigger title sponsors like Pepsi or something. It'll bring a lot of non-car-related companies into this world. I'm excited to see more companies moving onto drifting and stuff.
IGN: As the Formula D TV show will have a lot of episodes focusing on the daily lives of the drivers, are you looking forward to getting a lot of TV exposure?
Ken: I hope so. I mean, I really don't like the camera... I don't like facing the camera. But, it'll be interesting watching my own runs on TV.
IGN: You're the youngest driver out there -- you've been doing this for a long time. Now you even have factory sponsorship. As such, there's a lot of buzz around you being the "face of drifting". People are saying you kind of embody the fact that anybody can get into this sport, and that you show that age and money aren't really issues in drifting...
Ken: That would be kind of cool, if I can influence young drivers to start taking drifting more seriously so they can become competitive, that would be great. But I don't want to be all, "Drifting equals Ken Gushi" or something like that.
IGN: Like how people associate Tony Hawk with skateboarding? But it may get you mad amounts of ladies...
Ken: (Laughs) All right! Let's go for it then!
IGN: Do you think all of this TV exposure will boost your profile even more? And if so, would that be a good thing, or are you happy with where you're at right now?
Ken: Yeah, I actually do kind of like where I am right now. I'm not getting too much attention, where like people at school are coming up to me or something like that. I'm just like, you know, on a low profile.
I also really want to mention Formula D, and how they're one and only U.S. Drift Championship. Another shout-out to G4, because they've done a lot for us. I'm pretty sure that their whole TV network will work out with the whole drifting-thing.
his d-spec mustang:rolleyes: 