It’s no secret that reigning World Rally champion Kalle Rovanperä loves drifting.
The Finn, who will contest only a part-time World Rally Championship season in 2024, has been active in the drifting scene for many years, and will have the opportunity to immerse himself even further into the world of intentional oversteer and smoking tires this season should he choose to.
But as one star of the rallying world looks set to get more involved in drifting, a hero of the drifting scene is set to move into rallying – with the help of Rovanperä’s WRC team-mate Takamoto Katsuta.
The Toyota driver, who has graduated from the Toyota WRC Challenge Program to a full-season factory seat with the Japanese manufacturer this year, announced the creation of his own rally team, TK Motorsport.
Based in Nagakute City, just a stone’s throw away from Kasuta’s home city of Nagoya and Rally Japan’s Toyota City service park, TK Motorsport will support young drivers who are looking to progress in the sport of rallying but lack the necessary support.
And the man Katsuta has chosen as his first protégé is 2023 Formula Drift Japan champion Kanta Yanaguida – better known simply as “Kanta” – who will drive for the team in all six asphalt rounds of this year’s All Japan Rally Championship, starting with March’s Rally Mikawawan.
Katsuta explained the inspiration behind TK Motorsport’s mission:
“Rally is still not well known in Japan,” said the WRC star, “and there are high financial hurdles to participate in full-scale competitions such as the All Japan Rally Championship, so young drivers cannot challenge as they want to. I started motorsports from racing karts and switched to rallying after the Formula 3 category, but there was always the support of my family and environment.
“Especially when I switched to rallying, it was a very big decision, and I faced many difficulties after switching. But thanks to that support, I was able to come this far. From this experience, I decided to start a team because I wanted to give the same environment to young drivers as my father and grandfather did for me.
“I am indebted to the WRC Challenge Program. Such a program that fully supports the challenges of young drivers from scratch is rare in the world. Thanks to this program, I am who I am now, so I want to contribute to sending as many drivers as possible to future selection events with the purpose of repaying the favor, and I want young drivers to gain as much practical experience as possible.”
Katsuta met drifting sensation Kanta at least season’s FDJ round at the Okayama circuit in October. As he watched the 24-year-old compete, the Toyota driver was left “completely fascinated” by Kanta’s run in the head-to-head final, where his ability to control a car on the absolute limit of adhesion was on full display.
Kanta won that final as his opponent spun out while trying to match the Japanese star’s sideways style. The name of that opponent? Kalle Rovanperä.
Out-driving a double WRC champion is a surefire way to draw people’s attention. But for Katsuta, it’s not just Kanta’s on-track displays that have impressed him.
“He also has a wonderful personality,” said Katsuta, “and he is very passionate about growth. I’m very happy to be able to take the first step as TK Motorsport with him.
“I am [also] very grateful to President Kumakubo of Ebisu Circuit [where Kanta works as a drifting instructor], who was Kanta’s teacher and willingly accepted our challenge.”
While nervous about making his rallying debut, Kanta feels he is up for the challenge:
“First of all, I am very grateful to TK Motorsport for giving me the opportunity to compete in rallying, and I am really happy to be able to fight together [with the team],” said the Japanese driver.
“It’s my first challenge in rallying, so now I’m mixed with anxiety and excitement, but with the help of Takahiro [Yasui, Kanta’s co-driver for 2024] and Mr. Takamoto [Katsuta], who are experienced, I will do my best to grow quickly and achieve good results.”
If his talents in a drift car can translate into speed in a rally car, we might just see some Rovanperä vs Kanta battles out on the stages as well as on the track somewhere down the line.
