Sometimes I forget I have a blog, and I definitely forget that it requires upkeep. However, I was reminded by my pal Jake that I do have a blog and that I should put some time and effort into it. Now, Jake is just not some random nobody, Jake walks in two worlds. Professionally, Jake is an employee of everyone’s favourite sedan suspension shop, Serialnine, but in his spare time he also serves as a member of the Checkpoint team. You know, Checkpoint from the YouTubes and the internet? Yeah, that Checkpoint.
So when Jake suggested I check out the Summer Touring event, I took his advice very seriously. Well, pretty seriously. Admittedly I was a little apprehensive about the whole thing. Before we go any further, if you want to see extensive coverage of the event from people who truly understand it, I recommend watching the Checkpoint video and reading their article. >Watch the video here<
If you are more like me and are a little bit on the fence with kaido racers, then consider hearing me out.
So first and foremost, let me just say, this kaido racer thing really isn’t for me, at least right now. Being there in person didn’t change my perception, but it did make me feel old.
When I say it’s not for me, what I mean is seeing the cars in person didn’t make me want to run out and transform an old chassis into a kaido racer. I also think some of the aesthetic rules of kaido racers stand in contradiction to the choices I would make with a car. But I’m sure the choices I make probably don’t align with kaido racer enthusiasts either.
Over the years, I’ve watched from afar as the scene has continued to grow. I’ve discussed it at length with my two fellow sedan enthusiasts. Hell, I even came across clips from previous Vancouver events on Disney+. I spent a decent amount trying to rationalize why this scene existed and was growing at such a rapid pace. I theorized (with no substantial evidence) that maybe since all the cars I loved had gotten so expensive, that people resorted to less expensive cars with less expensive mods. Why else would groups of young enthusiasts feel so much nostalgia for a time and a place that they never lived in? By my math, people younger than me should be into cars that were new while they were in high school.
I then considered maybe I’m full of shit and have no idea what I’m talking about, because as I said earlier, this isn’t for me. It’s not for me to guess or presume what brings others joy.
What did dawn on me while I was at the meet was this: 18 years ago, I found my thing and my people and that was drifting. I remember being in my 20s and listening to older car enthusiasts explain to me and my friends that we were doing it all wrong. Pushing the limits of what was deemed acceptable for wheel widths, offsets and ride heights would end in some old head being all huffy about the current state of the car scene. Or the headache of having to deal with autocross drivers explaining that drifting was a fad and that they could show us how to really drive… around traffic cones in second gear.
The point here is I remember when the shoe was on the other foot and I was the person upsetting the balance of everything that came before me, and I always told myself I wouldn’t be one of those old people (except for when it comes to take-overs, fuck take-overs).
I can appreciate the kaido racer scene for how quickly it is evolving. It appears to be making giant leaps forward in a short amount of time. The cars do seem to be getting better and better every year. By that, I mean that people are putting more and more time and effort into their builds. They are iterating very quickly and the cars are objectively, en mass, getting better.
While the kaido racer scene isn’t for me, that’s cool because it is for someone else. What I hope is a group of people have found their thing and will get to watch it grow and improve over the next 18 years, just like I did with drifting. Hopefully, their community will continue to grow and prosper and be a place that brings them joy.
Editor’s notes,
There was a moment at the meet when I walked up to one car and thought: “Yo, this is something I can get down with.” However the closer I got, the more I realized it was only maybe a kaido racer car. The car in question was Jake’s fiancé, Karly’s, Nissan. I laughed to myself because my favourite car of the meet wasn’t anything extreme, loud or flashy, just an older Japanese sedan with some tasteful mods hitting all the right style notes.
I also do have love for z10 Soarers and long before I had any understanding of Kaido racers, dodologic commissioned a kaido racer-themed sticker.
Well said! Don’t think I can ever get down with some of this stuff, but some is pretty great.