Photography Was This Young Man's Key to Get Closer to Racing

If you've read any of my previous stories, you know how long I've yearned to become involved with drifting and racing in general. For my entire childhood, I looked up to drivers like Michael Schumacher, Tommi Makinen, and Keiichi Tsuchiya, to name just a few. Reaching those levels felt almost as difficult as going into space, growing up in a small coal-mining town on a modest income. But after many years of learning about cars, racing them in the virtual world, and networking, I found myself living the dream (albeit in a different way than I had imagined it at first).

I was always at the racetrack

Even 15 years after starting my automotive journey, I am still looking for a way to enjoy motorsports, even at a grassroots level. And I've come a long way since my first events in 2008. I have met thousands of people through motorsports, and I always enjoy listening to and sharing new stories from those fighting their way up to their dreams. In recent years, I have interviewed key figures from the automotive industry and less well-known people who still have inspiring stories behind them. You could say they're the "underdogs."

I am sure some of them still have a long way to go. I think a young, 22-year-old Masahito Sato from Belgium is one of these people. The name might ring a bell if you've read any of my recent drifting stories, as he was kind enough to allow me to integrate some of his photos in those stories. I first met him in 2023, during the first round of the Nurburgring Drift Cup. He's also been friends with Tobias Welti (Speed Industries Toyota Chaser) for perhaps as many years as I have known the Swiss pro drifter.

Masahito and his dad attended the Iron Drift King event in Ferropolis this year, taking photos as always. And I just knew I had to interview him and share his life story here. At age 22, he studies industrial engineering at the University of Antwerp, and his dream is to advance to motor engineering. Although Masahito was born in Belgium, you may have guessed that his father moved to Europe from Japan many years ago. And I quickly understood where this young man's passion for cars comes from.

"I have loved cars since birth; they're in the family. My mom's dad was a test driver for BMW. My dad is a big motorsports guy; he has been eager to watch races at the Nurburgring, Spa, and Zandvoort since he arrived in Europe. He would ride motorcycles in Japan on the touge, but he switched to a Nissan 280ZX in Europe. A Honda Civic and a Mercedes 190 were next, and then he bought the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II. I was always at the racetrack with him when I was small." I don't know about you, but Masahito is the only person I know who has a car like that at home, and I hope I'll get to see it up close one of these days.

It hadn't even struck my mind before

Besides that wild part of the story, I saw many similarities as the young photographer also enjoyed playing with diecast cars as a kid (both Hot Wheels and Tomica). While I relied solely on a PC for sim racing, he experienced Gran Turismo 3 through 6 on his PlayStation consoles. "Between ages 8 and 11, I also dedicated some time to karting. I took weekly classes, and after the first one, the instructor sent me straight to the pro level. I got invited to race in the National Series, but we couldn't handle the logistics."

"So I moved to sim racing and am still actively competing today. I'm using a Simlab GT1 Evo rig with a Fanatec CSL Elite wheel and Fanatec V3 pedals." I was curious to learn what Masahito uses as a daily car, and I discovered he had recently sold his BMW 3-Series E46 but dreams about owning an FD RX-7 one day. As if all that didn't already sound like a coincidence to me, I kept asking about his journey with automotive photography. "I think it all started with my dad because he has been doing it as an amateur since the '80s."

"I started in 2013 or 2014 when I was old enough to operate a camera. It kept me busy through the long days sitting in the grandstands at a race. The first event I took photos of was a WEC race at the Nurburgring." With relatives still back home in Japan, it wasn't long until Masahito experienced life in the Far East. Coming across Drift Tengoku and Video Option magazines, he discovered drifting. And a few years later, he was already a spectator at a D1GP event in Odaiba, in the nick of time to see Daigo Saito drifting a Lamborghini Murcielago and Youichi Imamura in the NASCAR-powered Lexus LFA.

Returning to Europe and going to the Nurburgring Drift Cup was the most sensible option, and that's where he met Tobias Welti. "I was at the track for an NLS race and noticed a drifting event right next door. My dad and I went there and saw this cool Toyota Chaser- it was Tobias. After a quick chat, he invited me for a ride-along the following day, which was amazing. He also recommended I apply for media accreditation, something which hadn't even struck my mind before." Although we both have attended the Iron Drift King, I've never seen a Drift Masters race live. And from what Masahito tells me, the one in Riga was a blast.

Photography has opened up many doors

It's no wonder he plans on doing more rounds of the European series next year, and I hear a trip to the Japanese Kansai All-Stars is also on his list for the future. For those of you who'd like to know more about the gear involved in shooting motorsports events, I had a question going in that direction, too. "My dad mostly buys all the gear we use. He has always been a Nikon guy, and we didn't change the recipe. In the late '90s, he had a Nikon F5, and I used it in Riga this year."

"I started with a D7000. We have been using a D810 and a D850, then changed to a Z6, and we might upgrade to the Z8 soon. We always carry the full range of lenses, from the 12-120 to the 200-600." I had a videography phase for a few years but never developed it as I cared more about writing and driving than using a camera. And I got the sense that Masahito is also aiming for something more than just photography. Even though his skills have evolved over the years, I realized he's still chasing the dream of becoming a driver.

And I'm almost ready to bet that he'll find a way to get there within the next 10 years. Before we called it a day, I wanted to get one last word of advice from him for anyone who plans on becoming a motorsports photographer. "Just go shoot events even if you lack media accreditation. I have been shooting for about six years before I got one, so don't let something like that stand in your way."

"Getting a media pass in drifting is easier, but you don't necessarily need it to get nice shots. Photography is still more of a hobby, but it sure has opened up many doors." With his passion for FD RX-7s in mind, I invited him to visit me next year for a trip up the Transalpina touge in our rotary-powered cars. I'll let you know how that goes when the time is right.