List of invited drivers
| Driver | Team/Principal sponsor | Car/Engine | Series | Season Position | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tanner Foust  [3]
|
Rockstar/ AEM | Nissan 350Z | Formula D | 2007 & 2008 Champion | 34 |
Samuel Hubinette  [3]
|
Nuformz Mopar/BFG | Dodge Viper SRT-10 | 2004 & 2006 Champion | 77 | |
Rhys Millen  [3]
|
RMR Red Bull Pontiac | Pontiac Solstice GXP | 2005 Champion | 6 | |
Daijiro Yoshihara  [3]
|
RMR | Pontiac GTO | 4th | 9 | |
| Chris Forsberg [3]
|
NOS Energy Drink Drift Team | Nissan 350Z-VK56DE V8 | 5th | 64 | |
| Michihiro Takatori [3]
|
Super Autobacs | Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 | 7th | 23 | |
| Conrad Grunewald [3]
|
Tanaka Racing/Nitto Tires | Chevrolet Corvette C5 | 8th | 79 | |
| Robbie Nishida [3]
|
Hankook | Nissan 350Z | 9th | 31 | |
| Vaughn Gittin, Jr. [3]
|
Team Falken Tires-Drift Alliance | Ford Mustang GT "5th Gen" | 10th | ||
| Ryuji Miki [3]
|
A'PEXi-Bergenholtz Racing | Mazda RX-7 FD3S | 11th 2004 D1GP Champion |
||
Darren McNamara  [3]
|
Sears/Falken Tires | Saturn Sky V8 | 12th 2008 Prodrift Runner-up |
||
Stephan Verdier  [3]
|
Crawford Motorsports | Subaru Impreza WRX STI GD | 13th | ||
| Ken Gushi [3]
|
RS*R Scion | Scion tC | 14th | ||
| Bill Sherman [3]
|
Retaks/Bridgestone | Nissan 240SX S13 | 15th | ||
| Justin Pawlak [3]
|
Drift Alliance | Mazda RX-7 FC3S | 16th | ||
| Kyle Mohan [3]
|
Mazda RX-7 FC3S | 17th | |||
| Garry Whiter [3]
|
Toyo Tires | Nissan Silvia S14.5 | D1NZ | Champion | |
| Carl Ruiterman
|
E&H Motors | Nissan Silvia S14 | NZ Drift | Champion | 16 |
Freddy Girrard  [3]
|
Hankook Tires | Nissan Skyline R32 | DMCC | Champion | |
| Marcos Santos [3]
|
Runners-up | ||||
Leighton Fine  [3]
|
Toyo Tires | Nissan 240SXS14 | Drift Australia | 2008 Champion | |
| Luke Fink [3]
|
Holford Motors | Nissan 180SX | 2008 Runners-up | ||
| Robbie Bolger
|
Nissan 180SX | 2007 Champion | |||
Ben Broke-Smith  [3]
|
Driftworks | Toyota Chaser | EDC | Champion | 24 |
| Tim Marshall [3]
|
Apex Performance | Nissan Skyline R33/SB Chevy V8 | 2nd | 118 | |
Tengku Djan Ley  [3]
|
Bridgestone | Nissan 180SXS13.5 | FD Singapore | Champion | |
| Mike Whiddett [3]
|
Red Bull | Mazda RX-7 FD3S 4Rotor | 2nd | 15 | |
| James Deane [3]
|
Nexen | Nissan 200SX S14.5 RB26 | ProDrift | Champion | |
| Eric O’Sullivan [3]
|
Rockstar | Toyota Corolla Coupe AE86 F20 | 2nd | ||
Fredric Aasbø  [3]
|
Japan Auto | Toyota Supra | NDC | Champion | |
Remmo Niezen  [3]
|
BMW M3 E30 V8 | IDS | Champion | ||
| Paul Vlasblom [3]
|
Driftking.NL | BMW M3 E36 Touring | |||
| Katsuhiro Ueo [3]
|
Drift Speed | Nissan Silvia S15 | D1GP | 2002 Champion | 86 |
| drivers who been invited but declined entries | |||||
| Ryan Tuerck [3]
|
Gardella Racing | Pontiac Solstice GXP | Formula D | 6th | |
| Nobuteru Taniguchi [3]
|
HKS | Toyota Altezza | D1GP | 2001 Champion | |
| Youichi Imamura [3]
|
Auto Produce Boss | Nissan Silvia S15 | 2003 Champion | ||
| Yasuyuki Kazama [3]
|
2005 Champion | ||||
| Nobushige Kumakubo [3]
|
Team Orange | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | 2006 Champion | ||
| Masato Kawabata [3]
|
Team Toyo | Nissan 180SX | 2007 Champion | ||
| Daigo Saito [3]
|
Team 22 | Toyota Mark II JZX 100 | 2008 Champion | ||
| Manabu Orido [3]
|
MSC Challenge | Series judge | |||
With the exception of Formula D, each series are allocated two entries, including D1GP, who following negotiation, were given six invites[4]
When negotiation broke down, D1 drivers were discouraged from taking invites, therefore they were approached directly by the FD management to find out that they invited entrants, the former D1GP champions in particular, had to decline their entries[4] for the reason of scheduling conflicts. Kumakubo declined his as he was due to take part in a drift demo in Dubai,[3] Kazama, despite no longer involved in the series, declined because of schedule clash.[3]
Former D1GP judge, competitor and Super GT driver, Orido was forced to decline his invitation as he was competing in the WTCC Guia Race at Macau on the same weekend,[3] as was fellow judge and returning competitor Taniguchi, was taking part in a Super Taikyu race in Japan.
Other than that, and 2003 champion, Imamura declined his as he was unable to attend,[3] the 2007 champion Kawabata declined his entry, but it was revealed that "conflict of interest" led them to decline. Saito, who originally accepted his entry, was forced to decline his entry for the same reason, although it was rumored that he placed two cars in a container to make its way to the event.[5] Millen backed this claim of the organisation's bullying tactic during an interview[6]
Only one FD driver, Tuerck, declined for budgetary reason as he is lacking a title sponsor, funding could not stretch for the event, therefore Mohan took his place.[3][7] Santos, Bolger and Ruiterman made up the rest of the available slot.