Tag: Osaka

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Close-Up: The Power of K – ASLAN EF9

I’d wager that ASLAN, the Osaka based Honda outfit, is one of the leading shops in the development of K-series Honda swaps in Japan.  Following in the footsteps of America, it didn’t take long for them to capitalize on the benefits of the next generation motor.  Having no adherence to a traditional form of tuning like some shops abide by, Tani-san’s approach to building cars becomes very unique to say the least; giving each a very specific, what I can only surmise as an ‘Osaka flavor’ to them.

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Event: Central Circuit Time Attack Challenge 2018 V.2

Continuing coverage from Central Circuit, we’ll take a look at the podium finishers of the day, and a few of the close runner-ups.  While most everyone in the Vertex classes were quick, I was surprised at where some of the cars landed on the time sheets.  I think my perception of who was fast at Central was a bit skewed from the events held in prior years.  If I’m not mistaken, Iwata took fastest lap a few years ago before he crashed the EG at TC2000.  Seems like the Kansai guys have been doing their homework recently though.

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Event: Central Circuit Time Attack Challenge 2018 V.1

The days leading up to this event were spent in somewhat of a rush to compile my projects at work so I could afford some time to do a bit of research on Central Circuit, and the event itself.  This would be the first time attending CTAC for both Sekinei and I, and I wanted to have at least an elementary grasp of the track layout and event schedule.  It may seem dramatic, but when I’m presented with a finite amount of time to photograph something comprehensively, I get a bit anxious.  With the top class getting 3 sessions comprised of 15 minutes each, you can’t afford to be isolated from the action for even a minute.  With some of the fastest drivers gathered from all of Japan, I was looking forward to seeing what the day had in store.

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Gallery: Shark Attack – Auto Select GTRs

For over 30 years now, Eiichiro Sawa and the Auto Select staff have been tuning and racing cars throughout Japan.  Using the knowledge they gain from track events, they’ve been able to succeed in developing quality parts that work well alongside their OE companions.  Over the years Auto Select has made a niche for themselves in the GTR market and, as a result, have several demo and customer cars that frequent time attack events regularly.  This gives them the ability to collect a wide-range of data from cars built in varying degrees; from street cars to dedicated track cars.  All of which they can take back to their headquarters in Osaka, and use in development of their future services.