Toshi Hayama helped bring Japanese drifting to US audiences through event production, live MC work and Japanese-English interpreting.
His role at Apex Integration Inc. connected him with the teams, drivers and organizers who helped establish the early US drift scene.
Apex’s Japanese drift team had won a championship with driver Youichi Imamura. Leading the US office gave Toshi the opportunity to bring the team to the States and support grassroots events.
He helped connect Japanese and US racing teams, drivers, mechanics, event organizers and marketers, combining technical knowledge with an understanding of both cultures.
Toshi joined the D1 Grand Prix Professional Drift Series organization and worked on producing D1 Grand Prix USA events. His MC work also took him to events in Europe.
For the US Video Option DVDs, he wrote scripts, provided voice-overs and appeared in selected episodes.
Working alongside Keiichi “Drift King” Tsuchiya, Daijiro Inada and Manabu Suzuki, Toshi brought real-time bilingual commentary and technical explanations to the crowd. The aim was to let fans follow the action and hear directly from the people shaping the sport.
