Daigo Saito

{{short description|Japanese racing driver}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox racing driver | name = Daigo Saito 斎藤太吾 | image =Daigo Saito in 2024 Taiwan D1 Grand Prix.jpg | caption =Daigo Saito in 2024 Taiwan D1 Grand Prix | nationality = {{JPN}} | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1980|3|7}} | birth_place = Saitama Prefecture, Japan | relatives = | current_series = D1 Grand Prix | first_year = {{d1|2004}} | current_team = Fat Five Racing | car_number = 87 | former_teams = TMAR Team 22 Nino Fnatz Professional Garage | starts = | wins = 20 | poles = | fastest_laps = | best_finish = 1st | year = {{d1|2008}}, {{d1|2016}} | prev_series = D1 Street Legal Formula Drift Russian Drift Series | prev_series_years = {{d1|2006}} 2012–2013, 2015 2018–2019, 2021 | titles = D1 Grand Prix D1 Grand Prix (Tanso) Formula D Asia Formula D Asia Formula D Formula D Asia D1 Grand Prix (Tanso) D1 Grand Prix | title_years = 2008 2011 2011 2012 2012 2013 2016 2016 | awards = | award_years = }} {{nihongo|'''Daigo Saito'''|斎藤太吾|Saitō Daigo|7 March 1980, Saitama}} is a Japanese professional drifting driver, currently competing in the D1 Grand Prix series and Formula Drift Japan. He formerly competed in Formula DRIFT USA and World Championship series for Achilles Radial. He is the first and only driver to win the two drifting majors, D1GP in 2008 and 2016 and Formula D in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Bob |date=2016-03-24 |title=Daigo Saito Exits Formula D |url=https://www.motortrend.com/news/daigo-saito-exits-formula-d |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=MotorTrend |language=en}}</ref> He is widely regarded as one of the greatest drift drivers of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chitulescu |first=Dragos |date=2024-07-28 |title=Who Is the Best Pro Drifter on Planet Earth? |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/who-is-the-best-pro-drifter-on-planet-earth-237657.html |access-date=2026-02-09 |website=autoevolution |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":5" />

Saito has won the D1 Grand Prix Championship in 2008 and 2016, and additionally winning its Tanso (Solo Run) Championship in 2011 and 2016. Abroad, he has won the 2012 Formula D Championship, and the Formula D Asia Championship for three consecutive years in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

==Career== From an early age, Saito gained an appreciation for motorbikes, and motorbike racing, a hobby and sport his Father had exposed him to. Saito then gained his motorcycle license at the age of 16. One evening, when Saito was going for a ride on his motorbike with his friends, he stumbled upon a drift car meeting in the hills of Karuizawa. There he saw a white Mercedes-Benz saloon drifting.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Tezuka |first=Tsuyoshi |date=January 2007 |title=Daigo Saito - D1 Professional Driver: The white Mercedes that changed my life |url=https://www.jdm-option.com/eng/column/07_01/saito.html |website=JDM Option}}</ref> From then on he wanted to take part in drifting, and drift a saloon-style car. Upon turning 18, he gained his drivers license, though his father did not want him to take part in drifting. His Father bought him a Mini Cooper as his first car, a vehicle that is generally not capable of performing the high-speed maneuvers required for drifting. Saito attempted to drift the vehicle anyways and ended up getting it written off in an accident. He then bought a Nissan Silvia S13 without asking for permission from his parents. Saito immediately began practicing. His first practice session lasted 36 straight hours, with Saito only stopping for food and fuel. Saito began to develop his skills in the vehicle, but crashed it only a few weeks later. In 2005, Saito won the title for privateers.

=== D1 Grand Prix === Saito started competing in the D1 Grand Prix in the third round of the 2004 season in his Toyota Mark II JZX90.<ref>{{Cite web |title=D1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE - 2004 Series Ranking |url=https://www.d1gp.co.jp/04_rank/rk2004.html |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.d1gp.co.jp}}</ref> Following his crash with Kawabata in Fuji in 2007, he replaced the JZX90 with JZX100 Mark II.

Saito kept improving at a steady pace the following year and won the 2008 D1 Grand Prix championship for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=D1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE - 2008 Series Ranking |url=https://www.d1gp.co.jp/04_rank/rk2008.html |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.d1gp.co.jp}}</ref> At around this time Daigo worked at his parents' preschool as the driver.<ref name=":0" />

In 2011, Saito became D1GP first ever solo run champion, driving a Toyota JZX100 Chaser.<ref>{{Cite web |title=D1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE - 2011 Series Ranking |url=https://www.d1gp.co.jp/04_rank/rk2011.html |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.d1gp.co.jp}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carbonare |first=Dino Dalle |date=2011-06-10 |title=Car Spotlight>> Daigo Saito's Jzx100 Chaser |url=https://www.speedhunters.com/2011/06/car_spotlight_gt_gt_daigo_saito_s_jzx100_chaser/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Speedhunters |language=en-US}}</ref> The following year due to his participation in Formula Drift in USA, he missed several D1GP rounds, but he was still a contender for the championship until the last round where he lost the title to Nobushige Kumakubo.<ref>{{Cite web |title=D1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE - 2012 Series Ranking |url=https://www.d1gp.co.jp/04_rank/rk2012.html |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.d1gp.co.jp}}</ref>

In 2013, Saito's participation is the same like the previous year, he started his own shop called Fat Five Racing but before the final round of the season his garage where he kept his car burned down and force him to borrow his staff car for the final round.<ref>{{Cite web |title=D1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE - 2013 Series Ranking |url=https://www.d1gp.co.jp/04_rank/rk2013.html |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.d1gp.co.jp}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carbonare |first=Dino Dalle |date=2013-11-12 |title=7x5 Spotlight: The Cars of D1 |url=https://www.speedhunters.com/2013/11/7x5-spotlight-the-cars-of-d1/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Speedhunters |language=en-US}}</ref> left|thumb|Saito drifting his Toyota JZX100 Mark II In 2014, he used a Lexus IS250C for D1GP as he built a JZX100 Mark II and JZX100 Chaser at a garage in his own house replacing the one that caught fire in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |title=D1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE - 2014 Series Ranking |url=https://www.d1gp.co.jp/04_rank/rk2014.html |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.d1gp.co.jp}}</ref> In Ebisu he finally debuted the Mark II.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tolosa |first=Jofel |date=2016-01-08 |title=Daigo Saito Garage Visit |url=https://www.motortrend.com/features/1601-daigo-saito-garage-visit |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=MotorTrend |language=en}}</ref>

In 2015, Saito worked on the first Drift specification Lamborghini Murcielago. He also started to be sponsored by Monster Energy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hines |first=Michael |date=2015-10-14 |title=Here's How The World's Very First Drift Lamborghini Was Created |url=https://carbuzz.com/news/here-s-how-the-world-s-very-first-drift-lamborghini-was-created/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=CarBuzz |language=en}}</ref> He finished the season as the championship runner-up with three event wins.<ref>{{Cite web |title=D1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE - 2015 Series Ranking |url=https://www.d1gp.co.jp/04_rank/rk2015.html |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.d1gp.co.jp}}</ref>

In 2016, Saito now with Wanli as tire supplier. The combination worked very well as Daigo won the first two opening rounds of the season beating the defending champion Masato Kawabata on both occasions.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-03-30 |title=Japan’s 2016 drifting championship has begun |url=https://www.topgear.com/car-news/modified/japans-2016-drifting-championship-has-begun |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250610100006/https://www.topgear.com/car-news/modified/japans-2016-drifting-championship-has-begun |archive-date=2025-06-10 |access-date=2026-01-29 |work=Top Gear |language=en}}</ref> However due to how his Mark II was built, the car was banned due to regulations, forcing him to switch to the JZX100 Chaser. He won 3 more rounds and clinched the 2016 D1 Grand Prix championship with a round to spare.<ref>{{Cite web |title=D1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE - 2016 Series Ranking |url=https://www.d1gp.co.jp/04_rank/rk2016.html |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.d1gp.co.jp}}</ref> His 5 wins in a single season is a record that only Masanori Kohashi has been able to equal in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carbonare |first=Dino Dalle |date=2017-03-23 |title=Daigo Saito's Crazy JZX100 |url=https://www.speedhunters.com/2017/03/daigo-saito-toyota-jzx100-mark-2/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Speedhunters |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2017 for the first time he would be driving a non-Japanese car in form of a Chevrolet C6 Corvette GT3 powered with a LS engine. In only its third outing he managed to get the car to the final and grab a win later in Ebisu in what would be his only win with the Corvette.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carbonare |first=Dino Dalle |date=2016-10-07 |title=Daigo Saito's Doing What With A GT300 Corvette? |url=https://www.speedhunters.com/2016/10/daigo-saito-corvette-z06r/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Speedhunters |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carbonare |first=Dino Dalle |date=2017-03-11 |title=800hp, 900kg: Daigo Saito's D1 Corvette |url=https://www.speedhunters.com/2017/03/daigo-saito-d1-corvette/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Speedhunters |language=en-US}}</ref> He finished the season in 3rd place.<ref>{{Cite web |title=D1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE - 2017 Series Ranking |url=https://www.d1gp.co.jp/04_rank/rk2017.html |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.d1gp.co.jp}}</ref>

Since 2019, Saito drove a Toyota GR Supra in D1GP.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=CORPORATION |first=TOYOTA MOTOR |title=Drift Driver Daigo Saito to Drive the GR Supra in the Monster Energy presents D1GP All Star Shoot-out {{!}} Other {{!}} 2019 {{!}} PRESS RELEASE |url=https://toyotagazooracing.com/release/2019/other/0313-01/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=TOYOTA GAZOO Racing |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chitulescu |first=Dragos |date=2025-03-15 |title=Daigo Saito Is Going Back to FD in 2025, but in What Car? |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/daigo-saito-is-going-back-to-fd-in-2025-but-in-what-car-248457.html |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=autoevolution |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Bob |date=2019-03-11 |title=Daigo Saito To Drive 2JZ A90 Supra in D1GP |url=https://www.motortrend.com/news/daigo-saito-to-drive-2jz-a90-supra-in-d1gp |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=MotorTrend |language=en}}</ref> He planned to enter Eurofighter BMW E92 M3, vbut he was contacted by Toyota to use the newly released GR Supra and grabbed his first win with the chassis in 2021 in the third GR Supra he make.

In 2022, Saito alongside his teammate Hokuto Matsuyama compete in Formula Drift Japan with an identical Toyota GR86 and change tire supplier to Yokohama while continue his D1GP campaign with the GR Supra. However at the end of 2022, TMAR was disbanded.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News Release｜Yokohama Rubber supporting Daigo Saito in FORMULA DRIFT® Japan and D1 GRAND PRIX Series |url=https://www.y-yokohama.com/release/?id=3792&lang=en |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=www.y-yokohama.com}}</ref>

At 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, it was announced that Saito would be using Toyo Tires for D1GP. However the deal was aborted due to unknown reason and he participate with Goodride on first two round before using Shibatire for the rest of the season.

=== Formula Drift === In 2012, Saito joined the Formula Drift series in the Achilles Radial Lexus SC430 powered by a Toyota 2JZ engine.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ferrara |first=Michael |date=2017-08-01 |title=The World is Not Enough {{!}} 1,359 HP Drift Dominating Soarer |url=https://dsportmag.com/the-cars/features/the-world-is-not-enough-1359-hp-drift-dominating-soarer/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=DSPORT Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> He achieved his first podium finish in his first event of the series at Long Beach. He followed this win up with a third-place finish in Round 2 at Atlanta, and then a first-place finish at Round 3 in Palm Beach and a fourth-place finish in Round 4 at Wall Speedway.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=Larry |date=2012-06-03 |title=Daigo Saito Earns His First Formula D Win |url=https://www.speedhunters.com/2012/06/daigo-saito-earns-his-first-win-in-formula-drift/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Speedhunters |language=en-US}}</ref> He won the 2012 Formula D championship in his debut season and was rookie of the year after winning 1st place at Irwindale, in Round 7.<ref name="FD2012Stangings">{{cite web |url=http://formulad.com/standings/2012.php |title=Formula D Series 2012 Standings |publisher=Formulad.com |accessdate=2012-07-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906001731/http://www.formulad.com/standings/2012.php |archive-date=2012-09-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=FormulaD |date=2012-10-14 |title=Daigo Saito is Victorious at Round 7: Title Fight and is Crowned the 2012 Formula DRIFT Champion |url=https://news.formulad.com/2012/press-releases/daigo-saito-is-victorious-at-round-7-title-fight-and-is-crowned-the-2012-formula-drift-champion/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Formula DRIFT BLOG |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Garrett |first=Mike |date=2012-12-17 |title=Editorial: The Daigo Revolution |url=https://www.speedhunters.com/2012/12/daigo-revolution/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Speedhunters |language=en-US}}</ref>

As part of the Achilles Radial Drift Team, Saito's car was maintained and transported by Bridges Racing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leveton |first=Jacob |title=Formula Drift In-Depth: Achilles Tire Team Profile |url=https://www.pasmag.com/features/people-opinion/formula-drift-in-depth-achilles-tire-team-profile |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=PASMAG - Performance Auto & Sound 20th Anniversary! |language=en-gb}}</ref>

Saito finished in third place during his second season in Formula DRIFT USA. He won three rounds (Atlanta, New Jersey & Irwindale) and second place at West Palm Beach. A crash during practice at Seattle and vehicle issues in Texas effectively removed him from the chance of winning back-to-back championships.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2013-10-13 |title=Round 7: Final Fight at Irwindale Speedway Results; Daigo Saito Takes the Event Victory and Michael Essa is Crowned Champion |url=https://news.formulad.com/2013/fd-news/11891/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Formula DRIFT BLOG |language=en-US}}</ref>

Saito debuted a 1,200 hp Nissan GT-R in April 2015 at the Formula DRIFT Streets of Long Beach event, and campaigned the car for the 2015 Formula DRIFT USA season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carbonare |first=Dino Dalle |date=2015-01-20 |title=Daigo Saito's New Formula Drift GT-R In Detail |url=https://www.speedhunters.com/2015/01/daigo-saito-formula-drift-r35-gtr/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Speedhunters |language=en-US}}</ref> The GT-R was built in partnership with tuning sponsor HKS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naeyaert |first=Jeff |date=2015-04-14 |title=HKS Sponsors Championship Winning Formula D Driver, Daigo Saito |url=https://motoiq.com/hks-sponsors-championship-winning-formula-d-driver-daigo-saito/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=MotoIQ |language=en-US}}</ref>

Saito did not participate in Formula Drift 2016, concentrating (and winning) on D1 Grand Prix series instead. He did the same in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Bob |date=2016-03-24 |title=Daigo Saito Exits Formula D |url=https://www.motortrend.com/news/daigo-saito-exits-formula-d |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=MotorTrend |language=en}}</ref>

Saito planned to return to Formula Drift in 2020 and even already completed and shipped a 2JZ-powered Toyota GT86 to USA to be used in competition but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had to abort the plan and sending back the car to Japan the following year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Formula Drift Legend Denied Entry Into the US for Competition |url=https://www.motor1.com/news/766376/daigo-saito-formula-drift-deported-from-us/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Motor1.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Woodard |first=Collin |date=2025-07-18 |title=Daigo Saito Says He Got Deported When He Tried To Compete In Formula Drift |url=https://www.jalopnik.com/1915774/daigo-satio-deported-u-s-formula-drift/ |access-date=2026-01-29 |website=Jalopnik |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Other series === In 2018, Saito won the rear-wheel drive class at the Gymkhana Grid.<ref>[https://www.news24.com/wheels/motorsport/gymkhana-grid-2018-smashes-record-as-saito-and-kristoffersson-win-in-south-africa-20181203 Gymkhana GRiD 2018 smashes record as Saito and Kristoffersson win in South Africa] - Wheels24, 7 December 2018</ref> He also competed in Russian Drift Series with his JZX100 Mark II and finished the season as runner-up.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Результаты чемпионата РДС rdsgp2018 |url=https://vdrifte.ru/results/rdsgp2018/ |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=vdrifte.ru}}</ref> Due to his participation in Russia, he was unable to compete full season in D1GP.

== Legacy == As the first and only driver to win both drifting majors, D1 Grand Prix in 2008 and 2016 and Formula Drift in 2012, Saito is recognized internationally for his contribution to the sport of drifting.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GARRETT TURBOS BOOST DAIGO SAITO TO JAPANESE DRIFT CIRCUIT WINS FOR OVER A DECADE |url=https://www.garrettmotion.com/news/newsroom/article/garrett-turbos-boost-daigo-saito-to-japanese-drift-circuit-wins-for-over-a-decade/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=Garrett Motion |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Motorsport |first=T. F. A. |title=TFA MOTORSPORT WELCOMES DRIFT ICON DAIGO SAITO FOR UPCOMING OIDC ROUNDS |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tfa-motorsport-welcomes-drift-icon-daigo-saito-for-upcoming-oidc-rounds-302670264.html |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Daigo Saito {{!}} Monster Energy Drifting |url=https://www.monsterenergy.com/en-us/4-wheel/daigo-saito/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=www.monsterenergy.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Larry Chen Tours The Greatest Drift Garage in the World: Daigo Saito {{!}} Capturing Car Culture |url=https://www.hagerty.com/media/videos/larry-chen-tours-the-greatest-drift-garage-in-the-world-daigo-saito-capturing-car-culture/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=Hagerty Media |language=en-US}}</ref> His further achievements as Formula Drift Asia champion for three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013 and D1 Grand Prix Tanso (Solo Run) champion in 2011 and 2016, also added to his international impact.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":2" />

Saito starred in a video entitled "Battle Drift" in 2010 drifting his Lamborghini Murciélago drift car, alongside Vaughn Gittin Jr. in his Ford Mustang RTR, which went viral and gained over 40 million views.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Demorro |first=Chris |date=2015-12-17 |title=Video: Gittin Goes To Japan For Mustang v. Lamborghini Drift Battle |url=https://www.fordmuscle.com/news/video-gittin-goes-to-japan-for-mustang-v-lamborghini-drift-battle/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=FordMuscle |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelshikar |first=Tushar |date=2015-12-16 |title=Monster Energy #Battledrift Vaughn vs Daigo: Video |url=https://www.thesupercarblog.com/monster-energy-battledrift-vaughn-vs-daigo-video/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=The Supercar Blog |language=en}}</ref> The video was produced and released by both drivers' shared sponsor Monster Energy, and filmed as a touge drift run in Niigata, Japan at an abandoned Russian village.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BATTLEDRIFT {{!}} Monster Energy |url=https://www.monsterenergy.com/en-us/4-wheel/battledrift/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=www.monsterenergy.com |language=en}}</ref>

=== The "Daigo Effect" === With his entrance into Formula D in 2012 and subsequent rookie season championship win, he was noted for changing the judging criteria and vehicle field significantly - a phenomenon coined as "the Daigo effect" in Formula D press.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Henry |date=2010-09-11 |title=Daigo Effect |url=https://dorifuto.wordpress.com/2010/09/11/daigo-effect/ |access-date=2026-02-05 |website=Dorifuto |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=Larry |date=2013-06-26 |title=Through My Lens: Formula Drift New Jersey |url=https://www.speedhunters.com/2013/06/through-my-lens-formula-drift-new-jersey/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=Speedhunters |language=en-US}}</ref> "The Daigo effect" was defined as the significant change in horsepower in drift cars and the change in tandem judging criteria, with Saito's debut in Formula Drift.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=FormulaD |date=2017-05-03 |title=2017 Formula DRIFT Orlando Top 32 Play-by-Play by Driving Line |url=https://news.formulad.com/2017/behind-the-scenes/2017-formula-drift-orlando-top-32-play-by-play-by-driving-line/ |access-date=2026-02-05 |website=Formula DRIFT BLOG |language=en-US}}</ref> Up until 2012, the majority of Formula D teams fielded cars with around 500 horsepower. Saito, on the other hand, fielded a 1,200 horsepower Lexus SC430 powered by a heavily tuned Toyota 2JZ-GTE.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Leveton |first=Jacob |title=Drift Patrol: Daigo Saito's 2012 Lexus SC430 |url=https://www.pasmag.com/features/vehicle-features/drift-patrol-daigo-saito-2012-lexus-sc430-2jzgte |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=PASMAG - Performance Auto & Sound 20th Anniversary! |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Patrick |date=2013-01-04 |title=What will be of Formula D in 2013 – Daigo Saito |url=http://shift-therapy.com/what-will-be-of-formula-d-in-2013-daigo-saito/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |website=Shift-Therapy.com}}</ref> This promoted an aggressive driving style that created a noticeable advantage in competition.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2023-09-07 |title=Formula Drift: 20 Years of Increasing Horsepower |url=https://www.drivingline.com/articles/formula-drift-20-years-of-increasing-horsepower/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=DrivingLine |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Motor Sports » Drifting: Did you know Daigo Saito before 2012? : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog |url=http://gleanerblogs.com/motorsports/?p=1840 |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=gleanerblogs.com}}</ref> Similarly, Saito's skills in tandem drifting, which form an important part of the judging criteria in Japan, demonstrated that consistent and close proximity drifting should be a predominant judging criterion.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2025-03-06 |title=Former Champion Daigo Saito Returns to Formula DRIFT |url=https://wreckedmagazine.com/blogs/news/daigo-saito-returns-to-formula-drift |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=Wrecked Magazine |language=en}}</ref> After his rookie championship win, the majority of teams worked to increase power output by hundreds of horsepower in the following 2013 season.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2013-04-20 |title=Fredric Aasbø: How We Battled Daigo Saito |url=https://www.speedhunters.com/2013/04/fredric-aasbo-how-we-battled-daigo-saito/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=Speedhunters |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Formula Drift Official |first= |date=February 11, 2025 |title=Daigo Saito's Impact on Formula Drift Racing |url=https://www.tiktok.com/@formulad_official/video/7470228906281569582 |website=TikTok}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kojima |first=Mike |date=2014-07-01 |title=Revenge of the Nerd - Power Wars |url=https://motoiq.com/revenge-of-the-nerd-power-wars/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=MotoIQ |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Complete drifting results==  {{Drifting driver results legend}} ===D1 Grand Prix=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%" |- ! Year ! Entrant ! Car ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! Position ! Points |- | {{D1|2004}} !  ! Toyota Mark II JZX90 || IRW || SGO || EBS TAN || APS TAN | style="background:#ffcfcf;"| ODB DNQ | style="background:#ffcfcf;"| EBS DNQ | style="background:#efcfff;"| TKB 16 | ! - ! 0 |- | {{D1|2005}} !  ! Toyota Mark II JZX90 || IRW | style="background:#ffcfcf;"| ODB DNQ || SGO TAN | style="background:#ffcfcf;"| APS DNQ | style="background:#ffcfcf;"| EBS DNQ | style="background:#ffcfcf;"| FUJ DNQ | style="background:#efcfff;"| TKB 16 | ! 32 ! 1 |- | rowspan="2" | {{D1|2006}} ! rowspan="2" |  ! Toyota Mark II JZX90 || IRW | style="background:#cfcfff;"| SGO 5 | style="background:#efcfff;"| FUJ 16 | style="background:#efcfff;"| APS 16 | style="background:#efcfff;"| EBS 16 | style="background:#efcfff;"| SUZ 16 || FUJ TAN | ! rowspan="2" | 14 ! rowspan="2" | 24 |- ! Toyota Chaser JZX100 | | | | | | | | style="background:#efcfff;"| IRW 9 |- | rowspan="2" | {{D1|2007}} ! rowspan="2" |  ! Toyota Mark II JZX90 | style="background:#efcfff;"| EBS 15 | style="background:#cfcfff;"| FUJ 7 || SUZ TAN | | | | | ! rowspan="2" | 7 ! rowspan="2" | 41 |- ! Toyota Mark II JZX100 | | | || SGO TAN | style="background:#cfcfff;"| EBS 6 | style="background:#cfcfff;"| APS 6 | style="background:#cfcfff;"| FUJ 6 | |- | {{D1|2008}} ! Team 22 ! Toyota Mark II JZX100 | style="background:#efcfff;"| EBS 14 | style="background:#dfdfdf;"| FUJ 2 | style="background:#dfffdf;"| SUZ 4 | style="background:#dfffdf;"| OKY 4 | style="background:#ffffbf;"| APS 1 | style="background:#cfcfff;"| EBS 7 | style="background:#dfffdf;"| FUJ 4 | ! 1 ! 114 |- | {{D1|2009}} ! 週刊コミックバンチ DRIFTプロジェクト ! Toyota Mark II JZX100 | style="background:#ffdf9f;"| EBS 3 | style="background:#cfcfff;"| APS 7 | style="background:#ffffbf;"| OKY 1 | style="background:#efcfff;"| OKY 12 | style="background:#efcfff;"| EBS 10 | style="background:#efcfff;"| EBS 11 | style="background:#efcfff;"| FUJ 15 | style="background:#efcfff;"| FUJ 9 ! 8 ! 82 |- | {{D1|2010}} ! フナッツ ! Toyota Mark II JZX100 | ODB TAN | style="background:#dfdfdf;"| APS 2 | style="background:#cfcfff;"| FUJ 7 | OKY TAN | style="background:#dfffdf;"| EBS 4 | style="background:#cfcfff;"| EBS 7 | style="background:#ffdf9f;"| FUJ 3 | ! 6 ! 79 |- | {{D1|2011}} ! プレミアムジャパン with ダイゴ ! Toyota Mark II JZX100 | style="background:#ffdf9f;"| ODB 3 | style="background:#efcfff;"| ODB 9 | style="background:#dfdfdf;"| APS 2 | style="background:#ffffbf;"| SUZ 1 | style="background:#dfdfdf;"| OKY 2 | style="background:#dfffdf;"| EBS 4 | style="background:#ffffbf;"| EBS 1 | style="background:#cfcfff;"| FUJ 6 ! 2 ! 207 |- | {{D1|2012}} ! ダイゴ ! Toyota Mark II JZX100 | style="background:#ffffbf;"| ODB 1 | style="background:#dfdfdf;"| SUZ 2 | | | | style="background:#ffffbf;"| CEN 1 | ! ! |- | {{D1|2019}} ! FAT FIVE RACING ! Toyota GR Supra A90 |TKB |TKB |TKC |TKC |EBS |EBS |APS | !14 !41 |- | {{D1|2020}} ! FAT FIVE RACING ! Toyota GR Supra A90 | style="background:#efcfff;"| 16 | style="background:#dfdfdf;"| EBS 2 | style="background:#efcfff;"| EBS 13 |APS |APS |EBS 13 |TKB |TKB !9 !64 |- | {{D1|2021}} ! FAT FIVE RACING ! Toyota GR Supra A90 | | | | | | | | !12 !66 |- |}

===D1 Street Legal=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%" |- ! Year ! Entrant ! Car ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! Position ! Points |- | {{D1|2006}} !  ! Toyota Chaser JZX100 | SEK | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| EBS TSU | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SGO 8 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| FUJ 5 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| APS 6 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| EBS TSU | SEK ! 10 ! 31 |}

===Formula Drift=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%" |- ! Year ! Entrant ! Car ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! Position ! Points |- | 2012 ! Bridges Racing/Achilles Radial ! Lexus SC430 UZZ40 | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| FDLB 3 | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| FDATL 3 | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| FDPB 1 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| FDNJ 4 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| FDNW Top 8 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| FDLV Top 8 | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| FDIRW 1 ! 1 ! 548.50 |- | 2013 ! Bridges Racing/Achilles Radial ! Lexus SC430 UZZ40 | FDLB Top 16 | FDATL 1 | FDPB 2 | FDNJ 1 | FDNW Top 32 | FDTX Top 32 | FDIRW 1 ! 3 ! 510.50 |- Lamborghini Lamborghini murcielago | 2014 ! Bridges Racing/Achilles Radial ! Lexus SC430 UZZ40 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| FDLB Top 32 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| FDATL Top 8 | style="background:#FFCFCF;"| FDMIA DNQ | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| FDNJ Top 32 | style="background:#FFCFCF;"| FDNW DNQ | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| FDTX Top 16 | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| FDIRW 1 ! 14 ! 224.00 |}

===Russian Drift Series GP=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%" |- ! Year ! Entrant ! Car ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! Position ! Points |- | 2018 ! ! Toyota Mark II JZX100 | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| MRW 3 | ATR | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| NRING 3 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SOC 4 | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SOC 3 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| RRING 4 | style="background:#DFDFDF;"| PRM 2 ! 2 ! 1021 |- | 2019 ! AIMOL RACING RUSSIA ! Toyota Altezza | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MRW 9 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| ATR 6 | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| NRING 6 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ADM 16 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| RRING 14 | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SOC 5 | ! 8 ! 718 |- | 2021 ! AIMOL RACING RUSSIA ! Toyota GR Supra A90 | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MRW 27 | style="background:#FFCFCF;"| NRING DNQ | style="background:#FFFFFF;"| IGORA | style="background:#FFFFFF;"| ATR | style="background:#FFFFFF;"| RRING | style="background:#FFFFFF;"| ADM | style="background:#FFFFFF;"| SOC ! ! 41 |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==Sources== *[http://www.jdm-option.com/eng/column/07_01/saito.html JDM Option] *[http://www.d1gp.co.jp/ D1 Grand Prix] *[http://formulad.com/ Formula Drift] *[https://vdrifte.ru/ RDS GP]

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080226053844/http://www.geocities.jp/d1gp_5thmotorsports/d1_drivers/saito_dai.html D1 Supporter profile] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080306010158/http://www.geocities.jp/d1gp_5thmotorsports/d1sl_drivers/saito_dai.html D1 Supporter profile (D1SL)] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110117010735/http://www.k5.dion.ne.jp/~daigo-s/ Daigo Saito official web site]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saito, Daigo}} Category:Japanese racing drivers Category:Drifting drivers Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:D1 Grand Prix drivers Category:Formula D drivers Category:Super Taikyu drivers