Masato Kawabata

Masato Kawabata
Nationality  Japan
Born (1977-10-15) October 15, 1977
Osaka, Osaka Prefecture
D1 Grand Prix career
Debut season 2002
Current team GP Sports & Toyo Tires & GReddy
Former teams Silk Road
Wins 4
Championship titles
2007 2013 D1GP Series Champion
Kawabata's S15 Silvia with 2005 livery

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

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.

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, causing his front wheels to lose traction, which resulted Saito's car to understeer and collecting Kawabata's Silvia onto the tyre barrier in the process, severely destroyed 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 BHH
 EBS
 EBS
 SGO
DNQ		 TKB
DNQ		 SEK
 NIK
 0
2003 Silk Road Nissan 180SX TKB
DNQ		 BHH
DNQ		 SGO
DNQ		 FUJ
TAN		 EBS
TAN		 SEK
 TKB
DNQ		 0
2004 Silk Road Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 IRW
TAN		 23 4
GReddy/GP Sports/Toyo Tires Nissan Silvia S15 SGO
TAN		 EBS
DNQ		 APS
9		 ODB
DNQ		 EBS
16		 TKB
DNQ
2005 GReddy/GP Sports/Toyo Tires Nissan Silvia S15 IRW
16		 ODB
4		 SGO
9		 APS
7		 EBS
TAN		 FUJ
3		 TKB
5		 4 55
2006 GReddy/GP Sports/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/GP Sports/Toyo Tires Nissan Silvia S15 EBS
2		 FUJ
4		 SUZ
6		 SGO
1		 EBS
5		 APS
1		 FUJ
16		 1 100
2008 GP Sports/Toyo Tires Nissan 180SX RPS13 EBS
1		 FUJ
TAN		 SUZ
15		 OKY
11		 APS
3		 EBS
 FUJ
 6 54

References

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