EDS Ebisu Drift Series Schedule 2023

(Featured Image Photo credit Ebisu-circuit.com)

2023 EDS Schedule

Round 1. May 7 (Sunday)

Round 2. Aug 6 (Sunday)

Round 3. Oct 29 (Sunday)

All three rounds are to be held on Nishi (west) course but the layout is TBA.

There is usually a practice day on the Saturday before each round. Entry fee is usually the regular 1-day entry fee for Ebisu free-run drifting.

What is EDS?

EDS stands for Ebisu Drift Series – a drifting competition series exclusively held at Ebisu circuit that started in 2017. It’s held 3 times a year at the mecca of drifting, the one and only Ebisu circuit in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Japan.

There are three classes in the EDS competition:

• Challenge class (novice level, judged solo run only),
• Expert class (for experienced drivers, includes qualifying and Best 16 tandem runs) – D1GP licence holders not permitted to enter
• Masters class (for D1/top level Pro drivers)

The latter two classes are for experiences drivers who have entered comps before. They have qualifying and tandem ‘tsuiso’ battles.

Up until the 2021 season, the tracks included Nishi (west) course and the famous Minami (jump) stadium course. However, now that they have turned Minami course into a dirt track, all rounds are being held on Nishi (west) course. The layouts, however, vary for each round, i.e. Nishi long (FD layout), Nishi long reverse, Nishi short long, Nishi short short, etc.

How to Enter EDS Competition

You can use the online entry form (Japanese only) found here to register and pay for your entry to the EDS competition.

As there are three levels of competitions, it’s OK for drivers of any skill level to enter.

There are limits on the number of entrants in each class.

• Challenge class = 15 drivers
• Expert class = 50 drivers
• Masters class = 20 drivers

The cost is 15,000 yen per person, which includes insurance.

Car regulations

There is a list of car regulations and criteria to meet in order to pass inspection.

• Minimum 4-point safety harness
• Fire extinguisher
• Any car modifications are OK but generally, they want car that looks like a tuned street car
• All headlights, tail lights, winkers attached and in working order
• Minimum 4-point roll cage
• Tow hook (factory to hook allowed)
• All windows attached to car
• Official EDS sticker (handed out on the day of comp)
• Silencer attachment on exhaust (to adhere to Ebisu circuit noise regulations)
• Oil catch can is recommended

Safety gear

Here is the list of safety gear requirements to enter EDS

• Full face or Jet style helmet
• Racing gloves
• Long sleeves, long pants
• Face mask is recommended
• *Masters class entrants must wear a full racing suit

For full details and the most up-to-date info about EDS Ebisu drift series , please check the official EDS web page (Japanese only). Hint: Use Google translate to get it in your language.

There is also the official EDS Facebook page where you can stay in the loop with news and updates about the series.

Can spectators watch EDS?

Yes, spectators are able to watch the EDS competition. There are no special tickets for EDS spectators as it’s still a small, amateur competition. There are seats for spectators set up and you can watch the comp with just the standard admission fee to Ebisu circuit.

– Disco Stu