Kenshiro Gushi // Ep 80 // Discovering the Winning Formula in Formula D

Jun 30, 2021

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Welcome to Episode 80 of the Asian Hustle Network Podcast! We are very excited to have Kenshiro Gushi on this week's episode.

We interview Asian entrepreneurs around the world to amplify their voices and empower Asians to pursue their dreams and goals. We believe that each person has a message and a unique story from their entrepreneurial journey that they can share with all of us.

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Kenshiro Gushi (also known as Ken Gushi) is an international competitor in the sport of drifting. Youngest successful competitor in both the D1 Grand Prix of Japan and the Formula Drift Championships when he was 16 despite not passing his driving test at the time. Career highlights include multiple top-3 Series finishes in the Formula Drift Pro Championships, Exhibition-class win at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Toyota LBPCR Pro-Class win. Current member of the SAG union, performing on-screen stunt work for multiple automotive manufacturers.

Pro Career

Ken’s pro career took off in 2004 when Formula D had made its way to Road Atlanta. This event would be the start of what was to become the world’s biggest professional drifting series

A few weeks after Road Atlanta, Ken won the $10,000.00 Winner-Take All International Drifting Shoot-Out at the Road & Track U.S. Sports Car Invitational (30 April 2004 - 2 May 2004), part of the Mazda and Yokohama-sponsored event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca at the age of 15. Here at the infamous circuit, it hosted its first-ever professional drifting competition, where 14 teams/drivers competed for the right to take home a $10,000 cash prize, the largest jackpot in drifting history in the U.S.

At 21, Ken and RS-R USA pioneered the beginning of a Pro-Drift campaign with Toyota’s Scion Racing brand. Fast forward 15 years, Ken is now a factory works-driver for Toyota Gazoo Racing.

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