In 2006, the third installment (or sixth, if you watch them in chronological order) of what was previously a film series about street racing hit the screens. “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” shed a light on Japanese car culture and brought drifting into the mainstream consciousness.
While cars and Japan are a perfect marriage, the country’s capital city h as never hosted a race on its streets, at least not legally. That all changed this weekend with the inaugural Tokyo E-Prix.
Actor Sung Kang, who starred as Han in “Tokyo Drift,” was in attendance at the landmark Formula E race. He blurred the line between his on-screen alter ego and real life by becoming the latest famous face to get behind the wheel of a current-generation Formula E car for a demonstration run ahead of the race.
“I got to drive the GEN3 car did a little drifting at the beginning,” joked Kang, who spun early on his run. “There’s so much torque, so much power. It’s instantaneous; it’s a lot of car for somebody that is not a professional race car driver. My lunch almost came out but it’s so exciting, so fun.”
While Kang has become famous for appearing handy behind the wheel, most of the driving in Tokyo drift was handled by Formula Drift and rallycross stars Rhys Millen, Tanner Foust, and Samuel Hubinette.
“Well, in “Fast & Furious,” the actors do not do their own stunt driving,” he admitted. “I have to give the credit to the stunt drivers who risk their lives. They’re the ones that make us look good.
“I’ve a lot of cars over the ye ars, but this was an experience that topped it all. It’s like a car guy’s bucket list — I checked that off. It’s been a beautiful experience.”
Formula E’s debut in Tokyo finally delivered a professional street race to the city, something that had been years in the making, and was an event many believed had already happened. Kang was quick to give the event his seal of approval.
“I think Formula E being in Tokyo is so fitting. A postmodern city like Tokyo, a postmodern motorsport like Formula E, it’s the perfect combination,” he said. “Japanese people just love motorsport. There’s such a deep history here, so what better city to have a Formula E event than Tokyo? It was just a wonderful experience.”