In my ongoing adventures in Japan, I always try to experience new automotive events to expand my horizons. Of course I don’t want to stray too far off the path of things I love so it’s all still very Japanese-tuning specific. When I found out that my friends from Final Bout were hosting an event in Japan around the same time as Tokyo Auto Salon, I knew I had to check it out. Though it may be a driving competition hosted by Americans, the competitors themselves as well as the race track it is on is still very much Japanese. I knew it would be a great opportunity to run into some new JDM builds that I have never seen before. I was stoked to also here that they were going to make this a team-oriented competition as well and that’s one of the features of Final Bout that I have enjoyed in year’s past. Yasu had already flown back home to Osaka to catch-up on work so on this day, I linked up with my friend Cody Chan. He had already made plans to go with some friends and he was able to squeeze me in last minute since i hadn’t ever been to Nikko Circuit before. One thing that stands out about this event is that STYLE is a very important prerequisite. It doesn’t matter how good you can drive, if your car doesn’t look good, what the hell is the point??!
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Knowing it would be a treat, I saved this one until now to watch. : )
Joey you tend to treat drifting coverage as a chore almost condescending at times. I’ve watched and followed you for long enough to be able to make that statement.
I actually believe drifting and DRIFT cars really add to your car credibility and branding flare
instead of just focusing on Hondas as your specialty which you probably do the BEST out of everyone on the planet for the past 20 years.
Lets be HONEST
I feel there has just been a falling away of Honda enthusiasm recently with even more cookie cutter examples than ever before which can be partly due to parts scarcity and shear preservation mindset combined with whatever small influx of newer enthusiasts who lack the experience and knowledge from the past are doing.
It’s gotten really boring and BORING to look at unless an style ambassador like Joey Lee from The Chronicles exposes this audience to newer forms of automotive genres.
Drifting and drifters AND THEIR CARS have been continuously evolving while Hondas, the simpler platform has stagnated in place aside from homegrown fabrication parts, and random tuning, innovations in electronic systems whether they deal with engine management or engine monitoring.
Not helping the gradual supply scarcity at all, but seeing AE86 and S-chassis owners swap Honda engines in their machines is a fun and humbling sight to behold.
Just to summarize my point, PLEASE cover more drifting and drift cars whenever the opportunity arises especially when you know good style and good tastes will be present there.
I’ve watched say Alexi and Dino and all the prime car style connisseurs cover these types of events BUT it was only through the familiar eyes and commentary of Joey that provided to me with the most refreshment I think it’s because of having similar backgrounds and tastes.
Stickydiljoe.com can really use a facelift as it heads into these unpredictable times and drifting cars and content can be its cucumber face mask.
I’ve proposed more homegrown Honda content coverage in the past maybe dealing with the historical side of Honda tuning as it pertained to the time you shot Sean Stell’s Feel’s EK civic for the Meguiar’s promotional campaign, but in almost 3 years noticed The Chronicles gradually grow more and more comfortable into itself.
Just a personal suggestion, maybe for 2024 you can look into something like PEOPLEWILLREADAGAIN.com epilogues (can you please reupload those interviews again) they were one of the most enjoyable ones I have read and would hate for them to be lost forever
or
new Drive-By episodes by inviting innovative people or OG enthusiasts over with their Honda or drift build again.
Joey you are leaving alot of potential stuff out that can ultimately help sustain The Chronicles in the long run and help push the community forward than ever before. I really miss Yuta Akaishi, and hope you can bring him back into this project again or provide us atleast a public answer as to why he quietly left The Chronicles.
You guys were the perfect match for this type of knowledge and creativity we normally relate to this website.
You might also consider posting those photosets and commentaries from IG on stickydiljoe.com for archive purposes because IG is soo bad at doing that. Let’s never forget It’s not just about monetization, but PASSION FIRST THE REST WILL FOLLOW!
: )