The chilly conditions of Chicago for Formula Drift Round 3 may have been not been ideal for typical drifting, but JIC drifter Kenji Yamanaka heated up the track with his precise skills! Upon arrival to Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, Kenji noticed the track was opposite from last year. During practice day, Kenji Yamanaka piloted the JIC / Hankook Tires Nissan S15 around the course with one of the fastest entry speeds out of the group which landed him within the top 8 qualifying drivers.

Next round, it was all about close tandem rounds. Kenji was paired up with the Highly Skilled driver from the Pacific Rim / Rockstar Energy Drink team, Daijiro Yoshihara. In this first round of tandem battles, the high speed drifting was the key for the pair as they battled it out over and over. It became to the point where the judges requested for a "one more time!" round. In the end, Daijiro spun out at the main corner and Kenji drifted around Daijiro for the win.

In the Best 8 round, Kenji was paired up with Tyler McQuarrie in the RSR Honda S2000. This was a highly anticipated battle where Kenji came out blasting and drifted but he began to notice some bugs with the engine of the Nissan. With some further inspection, there was an issue with the ignition. With very little time to spare, Kenji went out to the track again but due to the ignition issue, he could not battle as aggressive as he did in the previous round. He could not continue. Overall, Kenji landed himself a respectable spot within the top 7. 

Kenji was able to pull off a very productive round of the Formula Drift series for the JIC Magic USA / Hankook Tires team. Next stop is the highspeed battle of Sonoma, CA. JIC USA would like to thank our sponsors including: Hankook Tires USA (www.hankooktireusa.com), Vertex T&E, Exedy Clutches, Tomei, Meguiar's, Stoptech Brakes, and 5th Dimension Sign Works for their ongoing support.

Photos courtsey of Nemesis Racing and JTuned.