DEFINITION
The Chase Car (or Chaser) is the second car in a tandem pair. Its job is to follow the lead car's line, match its angle and proximity, and stay as close as physically possible without making contact that would change the lead car's line.
Judges score the chase car on three things: how close it stayed door-to-door, how well it mirrored the lead's angle and transitions, and how committed the driver was through every clipping point. Backing off, lifting early, or running wide all cost points.
HISTORY & ORIGIN
Tsuiso (追走) — Japanese for 'chasing run' — is the original D1GP term that English competitions translated into 'chase'. The discipline is what made drifting a spectator sport: the closer the chase, the louder the crowd.
TECHNIQUE BREAKDOWN
On the lead's initiation, the chaser commits at the same instant. Eyes lock on the lead car's rear quarter, not the apex — you read the lead's angle to predict where the car will be, not where it is. Maintain throttle through transitions; lifting opens a gap. Mirror, don't replicate: you can run a slightly wider line to stay alongside without contact.
PRO TIPS & COMMON MISTAKES
• Look at the lead car's rear quarter, never the wall.
• If the lead makes a mistake, judges still expect you to commit — don't 'help' them.
• Practice tandem with a known driver before competing; trust between drivers is half the discipline.
As the chase car he was glued to the lead's rear bumper through every transition.