The Kukutai Spirit

Published in NZ Performance Car Magazine
Issue 227 / November 2015
Images by Chris Smith



"Today I received the phone call of my life,” revealed Joe Kukutai, as he announced his latest naming-rights sponsorship with Rockstar Energy Drink to his family, sponsors, and the wider community. “It feels so surreal to have all of our hard work pay off, it makes all the roadblocks worth it.” 
Joe stepped onto the scene in mid 2011 after purchasing a fairly standard Nissan Skyline R32 GTS sedan, first attending local Hori Dori events at Meremere Dragway before quickly leaping behind the wheel for his first full track experience at Manfeild. His improvement was consistent thanks to frequent weekend trips to Hampton Downs, with his father Denny and crew in tow, and practice at secret locations — he would pack the truck with a couple of cones and go in search of small skidpan-like sections on which to perfect his linking technique.

By late 2012, Joe had disintegrated five gearboxes and two engines, taken a podium win at the V 4&Rotary North Island Jamboree, attended a V8 SuperTourers drift demo, and received the Hori Dori Best Up and Comer award for that year.

Heading into his first D1NZ Pro-Am season, Joe was running an RB20DE+T in the heart of the Skyline and had only a handful of new sponsors, including AK Customs, Luxury Sports, Drift Direct, and, of course, faithful father Denny at Kukutai Transport. The first half of the season was testing for Joe, with mechanical troubles and inexperience the major factors preventing him from reaching the podium. However, in a dramatic change towards the end of season, we saw him finish the championship on a high by banking the single best qualifying run of the year and a second place at round five in Christchurch. With enough points behind him, D1NZ nodded him through to enter in the Pro Championship for the 2013/2014 season at the eye-popping age of just 18.



Progressing into the Pro field meant development came with several changes for Joe — the main upgrade, of course, being the brief shift from an RB25DE+T to an RB29, before again stepping up the game. Recently finishing his second season in Pro, Joe now runs a 440kW RB30DET complete with forged internals, Garrett 35/82 turbocharger, Sinco manifold, and a Turbosmart wastegate, all kept cool by a new radiator and intercooler set-up thanks to Fenix Radiators. The Skyline has also been equipped with a customized Keto Steering System, allowing for maximum steering angle. Townsend Brotherz Racing (TBR) has jumped on board heavily over the last year to ensure that Joe can always leap into the car with confidence, changing it drastically every race day to ensure the R32 is dialled in specifically for each individual track at any given time. The Kukutais have been consistently blown away by the support from TBR, with Joe stating, “We now have one of the fastest cars in D1NZ, and nine times out of 10 we have to dial grip out of the car to avoid hitting the competition. TBR has accelerated our competitiveness drastically; I owe a lot to Kaz — he is without a doubt the best in the business.”



He’s kept true to type with his RB platform among the stiff V8 competition in the series, and we had to question his engine loyalty for the foreseeable future. His reply? “Running a V8 in drifting is like eating a big-ass cheeseburger with a knife and fork — f***in’ boring.”

At 19 years old, Kukutai still remains the youngest D1NZ Pro Driver in the field, and he brings with him an energetic and personable attitude that easily wins support from fans of all ages.
When asked where his inspiration comes from, Joe was quick to respond, simply saying Naoki Nakamura. Given Nakamura’s Japanese aggression and stylish flair, it is not hard to see why Joe aspires to drive like the D1 Street Legal legend, and he’s even included elements of Nakamura’s style in previous liveries on the Skyline.



Keeping Joe grounded and focused throughout his time on track is his crew chief and father, Denny. “I’m always thankful to have my dad beside me at the track,” Joe told us. “He’s been such a big part of my life for 19 years. It is absolutely awesome to have someone that I can truly trust with me in the pits. He is the best motivator for me, and I could never ask for anything more.”

Sitting comfortably in 13th position at the end of the D1NZ 2014/2015 Pro season, Joe was unfortunately unable to attend the final round due to brake-failure issues — not what you want happening with the infamous 200kph entries at Pukekohe Park Raceway.

The progress Kukutai has made over the time between picking up his Nissan Skyline in 2011 and his recent D1NZ Pro career is undeniably intimidating, and will remain a hot topic among competitors leading into the next championship. It will be interesting to see how Joe decides to grasp the next season of D1NZ and what changes will be made to his R32. We’re not sure about you, but we think that his thirst for the crown, aggressive style, and ‘smash the gas’ attitude will have us all guessing …