I first met Ken Gushi at a Rockstar Energy press event at Irwindale Speedway in 2009 ish. He and Tanner Foust and the rest of the Papadakis Racing Rockster Energy Team we’re doing testing at Irwindale and then ridealongs with Rockstar Execs and VIPs. We were asked if we wanted to come out and shoot some video, so Dustin and I jumped at the chance to shoot some cool footage and to hang out at the race track all day. Plus it was pretty close to home for me! So here’s how the fun went down.
We knew Tanner from some other shoots, but after being introduced to Ken, it was time for noise and smoke. The driver’s were making this set loop that had them entering turn three of the NASCAR oval, drifting through three and four and then through a chicane on the front stretch, then turning into the infield and going through a series of S turns and then ending coming through a hairpin and then doing a couple of donuts around a manhole cover on the inside of the backstretch, before sliding to a stop in front of everyone so the passengers could be swapped out. Both Tanner and Ken did this over and over again.
During a break in the action, while the drivers were talking and getting a drink, I walked up to Tanner and hatched a plan. It was going to get us both yelled at, me way more than him, but we thought it was worth it and would make awesome footage. Here was the plan. As the car came around the hairpin in front of me, and headed toward the manhole cover to my right, I was going to chase the car to the manhole cover and get in front of it so that the donuts could pivot around me and I’d get the shot from in front of the car. It would work mint. But the PR chick was going to hate it. Oh well!
The first run I just watched for timing, but when Tanner made his second run I chased him and got into the perfect position. It was as if I was swinging the car around me on a string, with my camera aimed right at the driver’s side headlight in the middle of all the chaos. It was awesome, and Dustin got it from another angle which was just a bonus.
So the PR lady doesn’t see this the first time. But she sure does see it the second, probably because Ken had seen it the first time and was like “I want to play too!” So the second round I chased Tanner and got the shot, and then ran right back to do it all again with Ken just about a minute later. I ran to the manhole cover while the PR lady was coming to gripe at me. Oh and Gripe she did. I spun it every way I could, explaining that we had choreographed the entire sequence, that I was a professional and they were professionals, etc, etc. None of it mattered. I don’t think we ever got invited back. But man was it cool. Ken and Tanner both smiled from ear to ear when they saw the footage.
And here we are a jillion years later, with Ken Gushi giving drifting lessons on YouTube. Here is Drifting 101 with Ken Gushi.
Video Description:
Part three of our series with Toyota Gazoo Racing takes us into the world of drifting. While the GR Cup and NASCAR disciplines focused on speed, drifting is all about style and we tag along with Team Toyota professional driver Ken Gushi.