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Feature: Tamura-san SPL – Fuji Speedway Spec Impreza

It is very difficult to build a car that is spec’d to maximize performance at a wide variety of circuits.  Especially in Japan, where the variety of race tracks can be very contrasting.  What works at Tsukuba, would most likely underperform at Suzuka, and so on. When Tamura-san made the decision to start modifying his GDB Impreza, he wanted to ensure that the modifications he made had the greatest impact on his times.

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Feature: Archive 80R – The Kagayaki KBC Evolution V

The ‘Kagayaki’ (かがやき) is a high speed train service that operates between Tokyo and Kanazawa on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line.  It is jointly owned by JR East and JR West, and is the fastest train on this particular line reaching speeds of up to 260kph.  It also served as the inspiration for the livery and overall appearance of Oya-Ji’s widebody Evolution 5.

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Product Spotlight: EXEA Cup Holder By SEIKOSANGYO Co., Ltd.

You may not have heard of the EXEA brand in the US but the manufacturer behind the brand, SEIKOSANGYO Co. Ltd., is a renowned manufacturer of aftermarket automobile accessories in Japan since 1953. They offer a wide range of after-market accessories like smartphone holders, USB power sockets, etc. with useful functionality and stylish design.
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Gallery: Archive 80R – Ms Machine Works Cayman GT3

Within Japan’s small group of elite tuners, there lies a select few who continuously take it among themselves to set the bar higher; taking their chosen projects and transforming them into something more akin to a factory backed race program.  The team at M’s Machine Works, led by Takayuki Mizumoto, are a shining example of this, and exactly why they were chosen to be featured in 80R Volume 3.

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Feature: Renewed Ambition – Sakamoto Engineering 86

We’ve all experienced the ebb and flow of motivation; the slow, but seemingly  permanent, oscillation of decline and growth in development.  Albeit difficult to admit it for the majority of us, as time passes, our incentives naturally change.  That is, until we come across a new catalyst that stokes the tides in the favor of progress.  Such was the case with Hiroki Sakamoto.

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Feature: Koyorad x NDF Street ISF V.4 – Corrected Alignment and CVR Testing

We last updated the Koyorad x NDF ISF project in late January after some testing at Chuckwalla Raceway.  In the past 2 months, the car has undergone some pretty drastic, albeit, unseen modifications in our quest to tweak the ISF into the car it should have been from the factory.

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Video: Attack Tsukuba Championship 2021 – Paddock Walk and Highlights

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the Attack Tsukuba Championship this year, personally, because of COVID travel restrictions.  Lucky for us though, we can join my brother Sekinei as he wanders around the paddock checking out some of the cars competing at the event.

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Site News – ‘Circuit’ Photo Book Release

With the down time I’ve had due to an inability to travel, I began organizing my media storage several months ago in an attempt to be proactive in how I store all of the assets I’ve accumulated over the years.  What I thought was going to be a simple sorting exercise, turned into an idea to publish a photo book showcasing my time spent around race tracks in Japan.

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Feature: The Forging Of A Silhouette – An ISF Unrivaled

Despite it’s pivotal role in guiding Lexus towards an evolutionary trajectory of car design, the ISF was a project that was often forsaken in favor of it’s European competitors.  However, with over a decade since its initial release, many enthusiasts are finally realizing just how special this car really is.

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Gallery: HKS Demo Cars – Super Lap Battle

Back in November I had attended Super Lap Battle at Buttonwillow, not to cover the event, but more or less just to hang out with friends and chat about racing.  It’s nice to reserve my local events for spectating and socializing rather than work, however there were a few cars in attendance I wanted to grab a couple photos of.

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Feature: What The World Needs – The RWB 993 of Takayuki Matsumoto

It’s always enjoyable when we get to see a variety of car makes at race events across Japan.  And while it’s true that domestic built cars dominate the circuits of the island, every once in awhile we’re treated with some love from Europe.  Among them, it could be argued that none are more iconic than the cars from RWB.

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Event: Energy In Motion – Tsukuba Attack Championship 2020

The energy that the time attack community in Japan has for this motor sport is unmatched by any other country, and I can say this with the utmost confidence.  It’s a source of propulsion for the entire attack community and something that I feel has a positive impact not just in Japan, but throughout the world.

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Encounter: Mitsuyoshi At Suzuka – S-Complete 320 Onevia

I ran into Mitsuyoshi at Suzuka Circuit late January during the Attack event after not having seen him or his car for some time.  Having a background in drifting has given him a strong grasp of car control, and now with a car that’s becoming finely tuned, his lap times have been getting very quick.