Saturday night was unlike anything I'd done before...
Through a friend of mine, a fellow DC2 driver I was invited to observe an underground, high-speed drive through the winding, twisty roads of Hakone mountains otherwise known as "TOUGE"
I was told that I should expect the exact same situation as that portaited in a japanese manga known as "Initial D" and that the only difference between this particular gathering and what's known as "mountain drifting" was they would be doing high-speed grip driving as opposed to high-speed drifting.
This was meant to be my rare opportunity for exposure to the underground, japanese street racing culture and it certainly felt like that ...
Without giving away too much info for obvious reasons, we met in a carpark with this particular night's participants (hashiriya). The cars were definitely highly tuned, majority I'd say illegal as far as shaken regulations were concerned and surprisingly very low key in terms of what was shown to the outside world. The drivers I would say your typical car racers ranging from 22yo all the way to 63yo!
About half an hour past midnight I was told that "the boss" and his "2nd in command" would arrive and I was told every member of this team had to be very respectful to these 2 folks and the rules they had instilled within the team.
The boss arrived in an STI (he was 63yo) and his 2nd in command arrived in a Skyline GT-R (he was in his 40s). Suddenly I was told by my mate to wait by my car as they quickly gathered around the boss to go over some rules. 30 mins later they spread out and everyone was told which "group of cars" they'd be running in and in which order to prevent faster cars catching up to slower cars and to maintain order and safety.
It seemed very well organized ....
Shortly after, my friend said he would try to introduce me to the boss but I only got to meet his 2nd in command, a short, stalky guy but with a very strong aura around him and definitely a likeable character. It was then when I took a closer look at his car and noticed something I had heard of before, a small writing on his door saying "Midnight Club". I was told that he was one of the still remaining original members of this infamous street racing gang and that really took me by surprise because I thought the gang had long discipated. The way people talked about him I sensed the gravity of this guy's experience and authority.
At around 1:30am we all left and headed for Hakone mountains ...
Monday, July 20, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Visit to SEEKER and SPOON Type One
On saturday I had the pleasure of visiting SEEKER and SPOON Type One, two well known exclusive Honda tuners in the Tokyo area.
SEEKER (here is a link to their online shop) is located in Suginami-ku and is run by two ex-SPOON guys who not only tune but also regularly race an S2000, a Civic Type R FD2 as well as (and that's the most important part to me) an Integra Type R DC5.
Ryo the manager speaks good english and gives honest, relevant advice and doesn't try to sell you something you don't really need or care about.
I didn't take any photos as I spent a lot of time getting advice but since I will be going back for some work I will take photos next time.
SPOON Type One doesn't need much introduction. The photos below tell the story I hope. Their shop is located just down the street from SEEKER.
Entrance to their shop (see their racing cars' bonnets...unfortunately not for sale)
Customer's FD2 being worked on (had some parts from Mugen and J's Racing mixed in there though)
My DC5 amongst all the beasts!
SPOON engine + customers' engines waiting a SPOON tune.
Their work is meticolous, they pay such attention to detail! We could watch them work on an engine block for a while and take some pictures.
Yours truly (the guy on my left is working in an enclosed room on engine tuning)
More customers' cars on their 2nd floor
NSX Type-R
Their Type-R DC5 race car
This should make my friend Mikey happy ! A CRX! Also belonging to a client.
Customers' S2000s being worked on. One of them had a gearbox recondition job done on it. Each car tuned by Honda is stamped with a metal plate in the engine bay giving it "Tuned to its premium by SPOON" wording with a serial number !
If you have any questions about either one of these two tuners or Honda TwinCam (FEEL's) which I visited last year feel free to send me an email.
SEEKER (here is a link to their online shop) is located in Suginami-ku and is run by two ex-SPOON guys who not only tune but also regularly race an S2000, a Civic Type R FD2 as well as (and that's the most important part to me) an Integra Type R DC5.
Ryo the manager speaks good english and gives honest, relevant advice and doesn't try to sell you something you don't really need or care about.
I didn't take any photos as I spent a lot of time getting advice but since I will be going back for some work I will take photos next time.
SPOON Type One doesn't need much introduction. The photos below tell the story I hope. Their shop is located just down the street from SEEKER.
Entrance to their shop (see their racing cars' bonnets...unfortunately not for sale)
Customer's FD2 being worked on (had some parts from Mugen and J's Racing mixed in there though)
My DC5 amongst all the beasts!
SPOON engine + customers' engines waiting a SPOON tune.
Their work is meticolous, they pay such attention to detail! We could watch them work on an engine block for a while and take some pictures.
Yours truly (the guy on my left is working in an enclosed room on engine tuning)
More customers' cars on their 2nd floor
NSX Type-R
Their Type-R DC5 race car
This should make my friend Mikey happy ! A CRX! Also belonging to a client.
Customers' S2000s being worked on. One of them had a gearbox recondition job done on it. Each car tuned by Honda is stamped with a metal plate in the engine bay giving it "Tuned to its premium by SPOON" wording with a serial number !
If you have any questions about either one of these two tuners or Honda TwinCam (FEEL's) which I visited last year feel free to send me an email.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
12 hour endurance race at Ebisu Circuit (August 15th) !!
I've been invited by a friend of mine to participate in a 12 hour endurance race driving a JDM Honda Prelude Si this coming August 15th!
I tell you ! I am very excited about this !! The spirit of competitive racing in Japan is just second to none !
Here is a link to the preparations/development of the car and the team.
Here is a link to what the guys experienced last year in the same event.
There will be a lot more from the practice and the race day themselves so I'll be sure to post that.
I tell you ! I am very excited about this !! The spirit of competitive racing in Japan is just second to none !
Here is a link to the preparations/development of the car and the team.
Here is a link to what the guys experienced last year in the same event.
There will be a lot more from the practice and the race day themselves so I'll be sure to post that.
Replacement rear spoiler
I've been very quiet and haven't updated my blog for most of June due to some hectic work committments but now that things are dying down a little I hope to report a lot more on what's been happening.
Not much happened other than I bought a 2nd hand rear spoiler for my DC5 from Yahoo Auctions for a 4th of the original cost and in a really good condition ! I fitted it and it looks great ! :) Let's hope no more mishaps on that front !
Not much happened other than I bought a 2nd hand rear spoiler for my DC5 from Yahoo Auctions for a 4th of the original cost and in a really good condition ! I fitted it and it looks great ! :) Let's hope no more mishaps on that front !
Friday, June 5, 2009
Ebisu Circuit was an absolute blast !
I left my house at 4pm on saturday and headed out to Hasuda SA on Tohoku expressway to meet up with Tom (Mazda Roadster), Derek (Mitsubishi Evo X) and Derek's mate James (Alfa Romeo). I arrived there a bit early so I took the opportunity to play with my newly acquired Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 which I later on used to record videos of the event both inside and outside of the car.
When the rest of the crew arrived we got back onto the highway and drove some 240kms north towards Nihonmatsu I.C. We arrived there around 9pm and immediately refuelled our cars at a local ENEOS station hoping to save some money from an otherwise much more expensive petrol station at the circuit.
The 4 of us patiently waiting our turns !
We stayed in a very old japanese pension hotel which wasn't too bad for the price we paid and despite a spooky water tap I actually got a good night's sleep! They even made poached eggs for us in the morning which I thought was a bonus in such a remote area !
We left the hotel at 7:30am and drove down to the circuit. The entrance was nothing I had imagined. We had to drive through a ZOO (or Safari park I believe they call it) and I remember hearing lions and wolves on either side of my car as I was trying to find my way to the circuit ! It was a weird experience !
When i finally arrived at the circuit I knew this was going to be a great day !
We quickly grabbed a pit area each and started setting up our cars !
Here is my DC5 all prepped with its race numbers and a GPS receiver.
Shortly after we were called in for a driver's briefing to be reminded of the rules, flags and circuit conditions as it was looking like a rainy and wet day all around !
Here we are in the briefing room (you can see a drawing of the circuit in the background there)
So we had 5 x 25min sessions to look forward to !
The entire track day consisted of 3 classes (A, B and C) each with some 20 cars.
I was enlisted in class C based on my experience level and my car's power/weight ratio.
The 1st session was actually quite ok. It started by all group C cars following a pace car for 2 laps at medium speed learning the track, sussing out the corners and surface conditions. I must say I was very anxious to get going and as soon as the pace car peeled off I was off !
The track was quite technical (at least for me and in comparison to Fuji Speedway). There is a very tricky and fast chicane (which haunted me for 2 sessions actually), 2 nice hairpins (one of which was on a down slope which I quite liked), a very fast (and car unsettling if you don't time it right) right hand flick after the 2nd hairpin and of course the start of the main straight which is on an incline and you have no idea what's beyond it until you hit the top! Add to that pouring rain and slippery conditions and you have a lot on your hands ! But I enjoyed it thoroughly and it showed in my lap times throughout those 5 sessions !
My results were as follows :
Session 1: Running Cars - 15 : Best Lap - 1'17''607 : Position - 3rd
Session 2: Running Cars - 16 : Best Lap - 1'13''806 : Position - 5th
Session 3: Running Cars - 16 : Best Lap - 1'16''583 : Position - 1st
Session 4: Running Cars - 16 : Best Lap - 1'15''816 : Position - 4th
Session 5: Running Cars - 16 : Best Lap - 1'13''139 : Position - 3rd
I was especially happy with those results because besides another Integra DC2 in my class there were also many much faster EVOs which I somehow managed to stay on top of !
Here is a photo of me taking the 2nd hairpin head on !
I like the track and I hope to get back there again ! If only it wasn't so damn far away !!
Here is an High Definition video I created showing bits and pieces of my day !
Oh and before I forget ! Tom took me for a ride in his Roadster in one of his sessions which was an interesting experience ! More so because I could experience his way of driving and picked up a couple of useful pointers. So much so that when it was my turn in my session I was immediately able to shave off a couple of seconds simply by applying what i'd learnt as a passenger in his car !!
When the day was all done I was exhausted ! Tom and I took a few snaps of ours cars in front of the Safari Park (which you can find on his blog) and we drove down to the nearest Denny's to get some food before a loooong drive back to Tokyo !
On our way back it was pouring rain and I guess it must have been those Kiwi Juices I drank at Denny's which almost burst my bladder and resulted in me pulling aside on a busy highway and in a literal downpour taking a leak which seemed to take foreeeever !!
One more thing I want to mention ! I got home, opened my boot and took out some stuff, then without thinking got back in to reverse into my bay and BANG ! I smashed the spoiler against the ceiling of the bay and ripped it right off of the boot. Stupid !
Here is a photo showing my car without its spoiler that same day
So what's next ? Well I hope Derek organises yet another day like that soon ! But in the meantime more Fuji Speedway for me and Tsukuba 2000 awaits !
Till then ! Safe driving !
When the rest of the crew arrived we got back onto the highway and drove some 240kms north towards Nihonmatsu I.C. We arrived there around 9pm and immediately refuelled our cars at a local ENEOS station hoping to save some money from an otherwise much more expensive petrol station at the circuit.
The 4 of us patiently waiting our turns !
We stayed in a very old japanese pension hotel which wasn't too bad for the price we paid and despite a spooky water tap I actually got a good night's sleep! They even made poached eggs for us in the morning which I thought was a bonus in such a remote area !
We left the hotel at 7:30am and drove down to the circuit. The entrance was nothing I had imagined. We had to drive through a ZOO (or Safari park I believe they call it) and I remember hearing lions and wolves on either side of my car as I was trying to find my way to the circuit ! It was a weird experience !
When i finally arrived at the circuit I knew this was going to be a great day !
We quickly grabbed a pit area each and started setting up our cars !
Here is my DC5 all prepped with its race numbers and a GPS receiver.
Shortly after we were called in for a driver's briefing to be reminded of the rules, flags and circuit conditions as it was looking like a rainy and wet day all around !
Here we are in the briefing room (you can see a drawing of the circuit in the background there)
So we had 5 x 25min sessions to look forward to !
The entire track day consisted of 3 classes (A, B and C) each with some 20 cars.
I was enlisted in class C based on my experience level and my car's power/weight ratio.
The 1st session was actually quite ok. It started by all group C cars following a pace car for 2 laps at medium speed learning the track, sussing out the corners and surface conditions. I must say I was very anxious to get going and as soon as the pace car peeled off I was off !
The track was quite technical (at least for me and in comparison to Fuji Speedway). There is a very tricky and fast chicane (which haunted me for 2 sessions actually), 2 nice hairpins (one of which was on a down slope which I quite liked), a very fast (and car unsettling if you don't time it right) right hand flick after the 2nd hairpin and of course the start of the main straight which is on an incline and you have no idea what's beyond it until you hit the top! Add to that pouring rain and slippery conditions and you have a lot on your hands ! But I enjoyed it thoroughly and it showed in my lap times throughout those 5 sessions !
My results were as follows :
Session 1: Running Cars - 15 : Best Lap - 1'17''607 : Position - 3rd
Session 2: Running Cars - 16 : Best Lap - 1'13''806 : Position - 5th
Session 3: Running Cars - 16 : Best Lap - 1'16''583 : Position - 1st
Session 4: Running Cars - 16 : Best Lap - 1'15''816 : Position - 4th
Session 5: Running Cars - 16 : Best Lap - 1'13''139 : Position - 3rd
I was especially happy with those results because besides another Integra DC2 in my class there were also many much faster EVOs which I somehow managed to stay on top of !
Here is a photo of me taking the 2nd hairpin head on !
I like the track and I hope to get back there again ! If only it wasn't so damn far away !!
Here is an High Definition video I created showing bits and pieces of my day !
Oh and before I forget ! Tom took me for a ride in his Roadster in one of his sessions which was an interesting experience ! More so because I could experience his way of driving and picked up a couple of useful pointers. So much so that when it was my turn in my session I was immediately able to shave off a couple of seconds simply by applying what i'd learnt as a passenger in his car !!
When the day was all done I was exhausted ! Tom and I took a few snaps of ours cars in front of the Safari Park (which you can find on his blog) and we drove down to the nearest Denny's to get some food before a loooong drive back to Tokyo !
On our way back it was pouring rain and I guess it must have been those Kiwi Juices I drank at Denny's which almost burst my bladder and resulted in me pulling aside on a busy highway and in a literal downpour taking a leak which seemed to take foreeeever !!
One more thing I want to mention ! I got home, opened my boot and took out some stuff, then without thinking got back in to reverse into my bay and BANG ! I smashed the spoiler against the ceiling of the bay and ripped it right off of the boot. Stupid !
Here is a photo showing my car without its spoiler that same day
So what's next ? Well I hope Derek organises yet another day like that soon ! But in the meantime more Fuji Speedway for me and Tsukuba 2000 awaits !
Till then ! Safe driving !
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