Nobushige Kumakubo
Encyclopedia
is a drifting
driver from Japan
who competes in the D1 Grand Prix
series and racetrack and land owner. Nicknamed Kuma, he is commonly referred to one of the pioneers of drifting.
Born to a wealthy family who owned a large portion of land in the Fukushima
countryside, with the easy accessibility of the family plot, Kumakubo was able to use some of it to build and develop the Ebisu Circuit
.
Kumabubo also used the circuit to host numerous drifting events as well as various motorsport events. As the lead driver of Team Orange, as his car has always been orange, he started at the D1GP series in a Nissan Silvia
, in ,
whilst stumbling through the numerous rallying
magazines in his office and considering that the Subaru Impreza
was the car to have as many rear wheel drive cars were considered not suitable for drifting or in need of development to be considered suitable, also in a way to bring Impreza owners to his track, Kumakubo commissioned tuning company JUN
Auto to build an Impreza WRX STI
Impreza, significantly with a radiator on the rear passenger side.
The car debuted at the Odaiba round, unlike others who switched to newer models, his performance would pay off when he was runner up at the Silverstone
exhibition round and for the season, he had beaten Ken Nomura
by just 1 point. Midway through the D1 series Kumakubo switched from the Impreza to an Evo 9 (built also by JUN
Auto) during round 5 at Ebisu.
He has also built a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
in the Team Orange livery which was on show at Tokyo Auto Saloon.
He also runs the Big X the invitation only outdoor show that combines drifting, FMX
, supermoto
, car stunts and other extreme sports featuring the experts from each field.
Big X's drifting squad is called DriftXtreme, which the well known drivers of the D1GP are invited to join including team mate Kazuhiro Tanaka and Naoto Suenaga.
Kumakubo is currently competing in the European Drift Championship in his Subaru Impreza WRX STI
. His Team Orange teammate Kazuhiro Tanaka is also competing.
D1 Grand Prix
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...
driver from 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...
who competes in the D1 Grand Prix
D1 Grand Prix
The , abbreviated as D1GP and subtitled Professional Drift, is a production car drifting series from Japan. After several years of hosting amateur drifting contests, Option magazine & Tokyo Auto Salon founder Daijiro Inada, and drifting legend Keiichi Tsuchiya hosted a professional level drifting...
series and racetrack and land owner. Nicknamed Kuma, he is commonly referred to one of the pioneers of drifting.
Born to a wealthy family who owned a large portion of land in the Fukushima
Fukushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
countryside, with the easy accessibility of the family plot, Kumakubo was able to use some of it to build and develop the Ebisu Circuit
Ebisu Circuit
is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru...
.
Kumabubo also used the circuit to host numerous drifting events as well as various motorsport events. As the lead driver of Team Orange, as his car has always been orange, he started at the D1GP series in a Nissan Silvia
Nissan Silvia
The S12 was produced from 1984 to 1988, with revisions to the exterior trim in 1987 . It was sold in three configurations—a coupe , a hatchback, and a widebody chassis called grandprix .A number of different engines were equipped in the S12 chassis, depending on production year and more...
, in ,
whilst stumbling through the numerous rallying
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
magazines in his office and considering that the Subaru Impreza
Subaru Impreza
Introduced in November 1993, the Impreza was offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions and as a four-door sedan/saloon or five-door station wagon/estate. According to a Motor Trend article written March 1992 on page 26, the name of Subaru's new compact was, initially, to be...
was the car to have as many rear wheel drive cars were considered not suitable for drifting or in need of development to be considered suitable, also in a way to bring Impreza owners to his track, Kumakubo commissioned tuning company JUN
JUN
JUN, or JUN Auto, is a Japanese tuning shop. JUN began as the research facility of Tanaka Industrial Co., Ltd. and originally focused on disassembling and improving engines. It now manufactures cars with a high level of engine performance and also manufactures car parts...
Auto to build an Impreza WRX STI
Subaru Impreza WRX STI
The Subaru Impreza WRX STI, has the highest trim in the Subaru Impreza compact car line, produced by Japanese automaker Subaru.In the late 1980s, Subaru created the Subaru Tecnica International division to coordinate development for the FIA World Rally Championship and other motorsports activities...
Impreza, significantly with a radiator on the rear passenger side.
The car debuted at the Odaiba round, unlike others who switched to newer models, his performance would pay off when he was runner up at the Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
exhibition round and for the season, he had beaten Ken Nomura
Ken Nomura
is a drifting driver from Japan. He made his debut in the D1 Grand Prix in the 3rd round in 2001, driving the Blitz D1 Spec ER34 Skyline which he still drives...
by just 1 point. Midway through the D1 series Kumakubo switched from the Impreza to an Evo 9 (built also by JUN
JUN
JUN, or JUN Auto, is a Japanese tuning shop. JUN began as the research facility of Tanaka Industrial Co., Ltd. and originally focused on disassembling and improving engines. It now manufactures cars with a high level of engine performance and also manufactures car parts...
Auto) during round 5 at Ebisu.
He has also built a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...
in the Team Orange livery which was on show at Tokyo Auto Saloon.
He also runs the Big X the invitation only outdoor show that combines drifting, FMX
Freestyle Motocross
Freestyle Motocross is a variation on the sport of motocross in which motorcycle riders attempt to impress judges with jumps and stunts.The two main types of freestyle events are:...
, supermoto
Supermoto
Supermoto is motorcycle racing on a circuit that alternates between three types of track: flat track, motocross and road racing, using motorcycles designed for that purpose...
, car stunts and other extreme sports featuring the experts from each field.
Big X's drifting squad is called DriftXtreme, which the well known drivers of the D1GP are invited to join including team mate Kazuhiro Tanaka and Naoto Suenaga.
Kumakubo is currently competing in the European Drift Championship in his Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Subaru Impreza WRX STI
The Subaru Impreza WRX STI, has the highest trim in the Subaru Impreza compact car line, produced by Japanese automaker Subaru.In the late 1980s, Subaru created the Subaru Tecnica International division to coordinate development for the FIA World Rally Championship and other motorsports activities...
. His Team Orange teammate Kazuhiro Tanaka is also competing.
D1 Grand PrixD1 Grand PrixThe , abbreviated as D1GP and subtitled Professional Drift, is a production car drifting series from Japan. After several years of hosting amateur drifting contests, Option magazine & Tokyo Auto Salon founder Daijiro Inada, and drifting legend Keiichi Tsuchiya hosted a professional level drifting...
Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Position | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nissan Skyline HCR32 | EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... DNQ |
NIK DNQ |
BHH |
0 | ||||||||
Toyota Chaser JZX100 Toyota Chaser The Toyota Chaser is a mid-size car produced by the Toyota Motor Company, Japan. Most were 4-door sedans, with the 2-door coupe discontinued after the first generation... |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... TAN |
NIK |
||||||||||
Team Orange | Nissan Silvia S15 | BHH 4 |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... TAN |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... 5 |
SGO 9 |
TKB Tsukuba Circuit The Tsukuba Circuit is a motorsport race track located in Shimotsuma, a neighboring city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is long, has 32 pits and the longest straight is long. There is a small chicane corner that is used for motorcycle racing only and increases the total length to... 6 |
SEK 4 |
NIK 10 |
4 | 56 | ||
Team Orange | Nissan Silvia S15 | TKB Tsukuba Circuit The Tsukuba Circuit is a motorsport race track located in Shimotsuma, a neighboring city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is long, has 32 pits and the longest straight is long. There is a small chicane corner that is used for motorcycle racing only and increases the total length to... 1 |
BHH TAN |
SGO 1 |
FUJ Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing... TAN |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... 5 |
SEK 5 |
TKB Tsukuba Circuit The Tsukuba Circuit is a motorsport race track located in Shimotsuma, a neighboring city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is long, has 32 pits and the longest straight is long. There is a small chicane corner that is used for motorcycle racing only and increases the total length to... 4 |
2 | 78 | ||
Team Orange / Ebisu Circuit Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... |
Nissan Silvia S15 | IRW Irwindale Speedway Toyota Speedway at Irwindale is a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California, United States. It features banked, paved 1/2- and 1/3-mile oval tracks and a 1/8-mile drag strip. It opened on March 27, 1999, as Irwindale Speedway and held that name until Toyota purchased the naming rights... 4 |
SGO 5 |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... 5 |
APS Autopolis Autopolis is an international racing circuit located near Kamitsue village in Ōita Prefecture, Japan . Opened in 1990, it hosts a range of domestic and international motorsport events throughout the year. Although the track meets a high standard in terms of its facilities, it has never hosted a... 16 |
ODB Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850s, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and has developed since the 1990s as a major commercial, residential... 16 |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... 9 |
TKB Tsukuba Circuit The Tsukuba Circuit is a motorsport race track located in Shimotsuma, a neighboring city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is long, has 32 pits and the longest straight is long. There is a small chicane corner that is used for motorcycle racing only and increases the total length to... 2 |
6 | 60 | ||
Team Orange / Yuke's | Subaru Subaru ; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as... Impreza GDB Subaru Impreza Introduced in November 1993, the Impreza was offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions and as a four-door sedan/saloon or five-door station wagon/estate. According to a Motor Trend article written March 1992 on page 26, the name of Subaru's new compact was, initially, to be... |
IRW Irwindale Speedway Toyota Speedway at Irwindale is a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California, United States. It features banked, paved 1/2- and 1/3-mile oval tracks and a 1/8-mile drag strip. It opened on March 27, 1999, as Irwindale Speedway and held that name until Toyota purchased the naming rights... 4 |
ODB Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850s, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and has developed since the 1990s as a major commercial, residential... TAN |
SGO 10 |
APS Autopolis Autopolis is an international racing circuit located near Kamitsue village in Ōita Prefecture, Japan . Opened in 1990, it hosts a range of domestic and international motorsport events throughout the year. Although the track meets a high standard in terms of its facilities, it has never hosted a... 6 |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... 11 |
FUJ Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing... 5 |
TKB Tsukuba Circuit The Tsukuba Circuit is a motorsport race track located in Shimotsuma, a neighboring city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is long, has 32 pits and the longest straight is long. There is a small chicane corner that is used for motorcycle racing only and increases the total length to... 3 |
4 | 55 | ||
Team Orange / Yuke's | Subaru Subaru ; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as... Impreza GDB Subaru Impreza Introduced in November 1993, the Impreza was offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions and as a four-door sedan/saloon or five-door station wagon/estate. According to a Motor Trend article written March 1992 on page 26, the name of Subaru's new compact was, initially, to be... |
IRW Irwindale Speedway Toyota Speedway at Irwindale is a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California, United States. It features banked, paved 1/2- and 1/3-mile oval tracks and a 1/8-mile drag strip. It opened on March 27, 1999, as Irwindale Speedway and held that name until Toyota purchased the naming rights... 2 |
SGO 8 |
FUJ Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing... 3 |
APS Autopolis Autopolis is an international racing circuit located near Kamitsue village in Ōita Prefecture, Japan . Opened in 1990, it hosts a range of domestic and international motorsport events throughout the year. Although the track meets a high standard in terms of its facilities, it has never hosted a... 2 |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... 1 |
SUZ Suzuka Circuit , Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:... TAN |
FUJ Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing... 4 |
IRW Irwindale Speedway Toyota Speedway at Irwindale is a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California, United States. It features banked, paved 1/2- and 1/3-mile oval tracks and a 1/8-mile drag strip. It opened on March 27, 1999, as Irwindale Speedway and held that name until Toyota purchased the naming rights... 4 |
1 | 110 | |
Team Orange / Yuke's | Subaru Subaru ; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as... Impreza GDB Subaru Impreza Introduced in November 1993, the Impreza was offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions and as a four-door sedan/saloon or five-door station wagon/estate. According to a Motor Trend article written March 1992 on page 26, the name of Subaru's new compact was, initially, to be... |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... 1 |
FUJ Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing... 3 |
SUZ Suzuka Circuit , Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:... 4 |
SGO 2 |
2 | 99 | |||||
Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Motors is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production... Lancer Evo IX CT9A |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... 8 |
APS Autopolis Autopolis is an international racing circuit located near Kamitsue village in Ōita Prefecture, Japan . Opened in 1990, it hosts a range of domestic and international motorsport events throughout the year. Although the track meets a high standard in terms of its facilities, it has never hosted a... 8 |
FUJ Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing... 3 |
|||||||||
Team Orange / Yuke's | Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Motors is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production... Lancer Evo IX CT9A |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... 12 |
FUJ Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing... TAN |
SUZ Suzuka Circuit , Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:... 8 |
OKY 16 |
APS Autopolis Autopolis is an international racing circuit located near Kamitsue village in Ōita Prefecture, Japan . Opened in 1990, it hosts a range of domestic and international motorsport events throughout the year. Although the track meets a high standard in terms of its facilities, it has never hosted a... 8 |
EBS Ebisu Circuit is an established race complex at 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu-shi, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0088, Japan. The complex features 7 individual tracks plus 2 skid pan type circuits. The circuits are, Nishi , Kita , Higashi , Minami as well as Drift Land, the School Course, The Touge and 'KuruKuru... |
FUJ Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing... |
13 | 28 | ||
Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Motors is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production... Lancer Evo X |