Editing Laurens Paap

{{Infobox person
| name = Laurens Paap
| image = Laurens Paap.png
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|4|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Rotterdam]], [[Netherlands]]
| occupation = Drift driver, mechanic
| years_active = 1984-present
| era = [[Vriend Era]]
| known_for = Japanese underground racing, multiple drifting championships in Japan
| partner = [[Yui Nakamura]]
| children = Hana Paap
| father = [[Martin Paap (father)]]
| relatives = [[Martin Paap]] (brother), [[Cees Paap]] (brother), [[Johnnie Paap]] (brother), [[Maltin Paap]] (brother)
| family = [[Paap family]]
| residence = [[Hinohara]], [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]
}}

'''Laurens Paap''' (born 18 April 1961) is a drift driver and mechanic from [[Rotterdam]], [[Netherlands]]. He is the partner of [[Yui Nakamura]], a member of the [[Paap family]], the son of [[Martin Paap (father)]], and the brother of [[Martin Paap]]. Paap won several drifting championships in [[Japan]] and became a legendary figure in the Japanese underground racing world.

== Early life ==
Laurens Paap was born in [[Rotterdam]] on 18 April 1961. He grew up as a son of [[Martin Paap (father)]] and was raised in the same family line as [[Martin Paap]], [[Cees Paap]], [[Johnnie Paap]], and [[Maltin Paap]].

Paap developed an interest in cars through local garages and street racing circles in Rotterdam. During the early 1980s, he began working on rear-wheel-drive cars and became especially interested in Japanese Toyota and Nissan platforms.

== Racing career ==
Paap moved to Japan in 1986 and settled in the wider Tokyo area. He first worked at a small tuning garage in Yokohama before entering local drift events in Kanagawa, Saitama, Tochigi, and Fukushima.

In 1991, Paap won the Kanto Dockside Drift Cup in Yokohama. He later won the Nikko Outer Course Drift Championship in 1996, the Tsukuba TC1000 Drift Trophy in 1999, the Ebisu Minami Night Series in 2002, and the Fuji 300R Drift Challenge in 2004.

Paap became known for driving privately built cars instead of factory-backed vehicles. His style used long entries, controlled transitions, and high-speed angle through corners. His results and reputation made him a well-known driver among Japanese garage teams, night-racing groups, and underground racing circles around Tokyo, Yokohama, Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Fukushima.

== Cars ==
Paap owned several modified cars during his racing career. His best known car was a pink [[Toyota Chaser]] JZX100, which he used in several Japanese drift events during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Other cars associated with him include a white Nissan Silvia S15, a black Toyota Mark II JZX90, a silver Mazda RX-7 FD3S, and a Toyota Soarer Z30. The pink Chaser became the car most closely associated with his name in the Japanese underground racing world.

== Personal life ==
Paap lives in [[Hinohara]], a village in western Tokyo. His girlfriend is [[Yui Nakamura]], and he has one daughter, Hana Paap.

He is part of the [[Vriend Era]] generation of the [[Paap family]].

== See also ==
* [[Yui Nakamura]]
* [[Paap family]]
* [[Paap family members]]
* [[Martin Paap]]
* [[Martin Paap (father)]]
* [[Cees Paap]]
* [[Johnnie Paap]]
* [[Maltin Paap]]
* [[Vriend Era]]


[[Category:People]]

[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Paap family]]
[[Category:People from Rotterdam]]
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Vriend Era]]