As much as I enjoy seeing all the cars at Tokyo Auto Salon or spending my nights at a PA, for me nothing beats being at the track. There is something in the sounds of engines running to redline, the smell of unburnt fuel from exhausts, tires, brakes and just the whole vibe of being at the action of the track. The combination of being in Japan and also at the track. I couldn't ask for anything more.
On this day I was lucky enough to not only attend Time Attack racing at Tsukuba but also Drifting at Nikko.
For those that don;t know Tsukuba and Nikko are about 1.5 hours away from eachother. So today ended up being a sprint (like always) trying to not only see everything I could at Tsukuba but then to pack up midday and make the sprint to Nikko to see drifting. Two completely polar opposite style but both so cool in their own way
As I said, the morning started off early. Up at 6am to make the drive to Tsukuba as the gates opened, as I've learned the hard way if you show up late you might miss the big boy unlimited cars session.
Each session goes by so quickly, that this time I didn't get to switch to other corners, but really the deck over the pits is one of the best views. You get to see all the cars come around that last corner run through the start/finish line and into the first corner, which as you turn you get to see the pit area the cars exiting turn one and heading through the infield area to the next corner.
All of this is just enough time to swing back around to catch the next set of cars flying down the front straight.
I love getting to see the build and speed difference between the classes. The street class which is what most of us run where you've probably driven your car to the track, go out for your sessions and drive it home afterwards. Especially if you're in a Honda.
The speed difference is incredible with no doubt when you're watching the sub 1 minute lap times. This time around I was able to see a couple cars I missed run the prior year. Some of the cars in that highest class are full carbon monsters outfitted in custom aero and setups. They really are incredible to get a close look at in the pits and then watch them run.
The track is one of my favorite places to visit while I'm in Japan and I highly recommend trying to see some racing at one of the iconic locations in Japan. One of these days I'll hopefully get a chance to lap a car on the track. Goals
Like I said the morning went by really fast and as soon as things broke for lunch it was time for us to bail and head out to Nikko for some drifting
I few more Time Attack pics
Lets Go Drifting!!
This was my first time getting to see a drifting event Nikko. So Cool!!
The vibe was completely different from what I had just experienced at Tsukuba. Everyone here seemed more relaxed. There is a flow and style that goes along with this vibe. It was very interesting to sit back and watch the fun.
There is an artistic style to the way the drivers make their cars flow from corner to corner. I was lucky enough to have a couple of hours to watch the different groups go around the track. The slowest of the group in my opinion was the must fun to watch. The 86 group ran between 8-12 cars all in sync through multiple corners, it was the coolest thing to see.
I now have a better understanding of what makes the whole drifting scene so popular. There is a freedom in drifting that is missing from the very controlled driving of Time Attack
I've always described drifting as controlled chaos, but there is an art and flow to the style and the cars look good. I'm sure it helps that I saw a bunch of s15s (my new favorite) but it is very cool to see other different, not the norm cars, like the R33 or the S2k or even a wagon.
Some ran solo or tandems but the one thing I noticed was they all worked on their cars between sessions. Changing to a new set of tires, checking suspension or under the hood. These cars are definitely driven hard and at the limit.
Once again things went by way too fast, as I could have spent a full day watching more but the sun started to get low and it was time for everyone to pack up and get everything loaded up either in their car or one one of the numerous flatbed tow trucks.
I couldn't have ask for a better day watching drivers pilot their cars around the track. Check out my Youtube vids below for full coverage of both events.
Everthing Else from Niiko.. Enjoy!!
Check out my Youtube vids below.. Enjoy!!
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