Ken “Nomuken” Nomura, or “Monkey Man,” as he is known by drift fans, is a D1 Grand Prix fan favorite because Nomura knows how to light up the Dunlop tires on his Blitz D1 Spec ER34 Nissan Skyline. Smoking drifts, personality, and showmanship set Ken Nomura apart from other D1 drivers and has earned Nomura the additional nick name, “The Smokin’ Drifter.”

Ken “Nomuken” Nomura was born in Fukuoka, Japan on May 9, 1965. Early in life, Nomura was a well-known baseball player that showed big league professional potential. A sport injury set Ken’s life in a new direction. After his injury, Nomura focused his talents on property development but that would not satiate Nomuken’s competitive spirit for long. Soon after receiving his drivers license, Nomura began underground street racing and progressed to racing touge in Japan’s back mountain roads. In 1992, Nomura was runner up in the “All Japan Ikaten” Finals and later progressed to the D1 Grand Prix series where Nomura continues to gain popularity for his wild monkey behavior and drifting skill.

In 1996 “Monkey Man” Nomura opened his own tuning shop named “Uras,” which is Saru backwards and in Japanese, “Saru” means monkey. Nomura’s shop Uras produces drift specific products like body kits, brake pads, drift suspension, drivetrain components, exhaust systems, wheels, and various other body mods like lighting, rear wings and carbonfiber hoods.

In 2006, Ken Nomura won the first ever D1 Grand Prix World All-Star Challenge and finished second overall for the 2006 D1 Grand Prix season. Nomura also competes in the D1 Street Legal series where he drives a less modified version of his Blitz Nissan Skyline.

Nomura is a guest host for the popular Video Option dvd series and Drift Tengoku videos. Ken can also be seen on TV in Japan in a commercial for his sponsor Dunlop tires. Nomura is a columnist for the drifting publication Option Magazine and also a guest judge for various drifting events.

Ken “Nomuken” Nomura’s Official Uras Website:

http://www.uras.co.jp