Diego Higa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Diego Higa |
|
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Brazilian |
| Born | 18 March 1997 Santos, Brazil |
| SuperDrift Brasil | |
| Years active | 2015- |
| Previous series | |
| 2019 | Netflix Hyperdrive |
| Championship titles | |
| 2015-2020 | SuperDrift Brasil (2015-2020), Brazilian Championship (2016-2019) and Netflix Hyperdrive (2019) |
Diego Rafael Higa was born on March 18, 1997. He is a professional racing driver and a drifting teacher from Santos, Brazil. Diego is also a champion of the Netflix show Hyperdrive. He is considered a top drifting driver in Brazil. Diego has won more than 38 trophies in his career. In 2019, he received a special award called the Golden Helmet. This award came from the Brazilian Automobile Confederation.
Currently, Diego is competing in the United States Formula Drift 2023. He is working with JDMsupreme for this. Only about 50 professional drivers can join this important drifting series. Diego joined Formula Drift after winning another SuperDrift championship in Brazil in 2022. He drives his Nissan 350Z car. Diego also owns the Diego Higa's Drifting School. Here, he teaches his special drifting style. Many see him as one of the best young talents in the sport worldwide.
Higa also finished second in the 2016 King of Nations Drift World Championship. He was only 16 years old then. He holds many records in Brazilian drifting. He has won the most titles (4) in the Brazilian Championship. He also won the most titles in a row (4) in that championship. In SuperDrift Brasil, he has the most titles (6) and the most titles in a row (6).
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Diego Higa's Journey to Drifting
Diego Higa was born in Santos, Brazil. This is a big port city by the sea. He started riding BMX bikes when he was 10 years old. At 13, he began in motorsports. First, he tried go-karting. Then, he switched to drifting. His father helped him discover drifting. His father had learned about it while living in Japan.
Diego's first drifting car was a Chevrolet Omega Suprema. This car was a wagon, not usually good for drifting. But Diego learned the basic skills quickly. Soon, he moved to cars that were better for drifting. His favorite car, which he still uses, is a Nissan 350Z.
As a teenager, Diego worked with his parents, Neto and Karen Higa. They owned the NSC garage. This garage focused on making cars better for drifting. There, Diego learned how to prepare his own cars. He then started competing in drifting championships.
His first big championship was the 2015 SuperDrift Brasil. This is the top drifting league in Latin America. Diego was 18 years old when he won it. The next year, he came in second place in the King of Nations Drift World Championship. For this, he drove a Nissan R34 Skyline. In 2016, he also won his first Brazilian Championship. This was approved by the Brazilian Automobile Confederation (CBA).
Diego Higa on Netflix's Hyperdrive
In 2019, Diego was 21 years old. Netflix invited him to join their new drifting show. The show was called Hyperdrive.
Diego competed in the show with a #69 2006 Ford Mustang V8. His car was sponsored by NSC Garage, Rodera, and FuelTech. His father was his coach during the competition. Diego faced tough competition. But he won his first round. He then kept the best speed to win the title. He had an amazing final race against Axel François and Fielding Shredder.
Drifting School and Special Events
Diego Higa has done many drifting shows. He has performed with famous people. For example, he drifted with Brazilian Red Bull ProSkater Letícia Bufoni. He also performed with YouTuber and gamer Nyvi Estephan. This was for a new game launch by Riot Games, called WildRift.
He also has a very popular video online. In it, he drifts inside a gas station, driving between the fuel pumps. This video was sponsored by Portal de Santos. Diego also practices regularly at a private racetrack. This track is in the city of Registro, in São Paulo state. His Drifting School is based there.
Diego Higa's Drifting Achievements
2015
- Won the SuperDrift Brasil Championship for the first time.
2016
- Won the SuperDrift Brasil Championship for the second time in a row.
- Won the Brazilian Championship for the first time.
- Finished second in the King of Nations Drift World Championship.
2017
- Won the SuperDrift Brasil Championship for the third time in a row.
- Won the Brazilian Championship for the second time in a row.
2018
- Won the SuperDrift Brasil Championship for the fourth time in a row.
- Won the Brazilian Championship for the third time in a row.
2019
- Won the SuperDrift Brasil Championship for the fifth time in a row.
- Won the Brazilian Championship for the fourth time in a row.
- Became the Netflix Hyperdrive Champion. He finished first in his qualifying round and in the final race.
2020
- Won the SuperDrift Brasil Championship for the sixth time in a row.
- Did not compete in the Brazilian Championship this year.
