Drift Tengoku — September 2004 · Page 150

…and Sekito and Kawasaki of Zariganies, whose twin FD drifting has appeared in Drift Tengoku. An impressive lineup indeed. Winner Tagawa belongs to Outface, the renowned Chugoku team led by Hisashi Kamimoto.

Kamimoto judged the event and openly said he'd mark veteran experts—especially his own teammates—about 50% more strictly. His scores for Tagawa were 85 in round one and a harsh score in round two . Tagawa had previously been featured as a promising newcomer in a JZZ30 Soarer and was already well known locally.

After nearly two years away, he'd only just returned this year in a 180SX. So how did he defeat all these strong opponents?…

…a carefully planned strategy, rather than momentum alone. Tagawa's RPS13 has a stock turbo with increased boost. Beyond that, the front-mounted intercooler is about the only power upgrade.

How could that specification compete with cars using replacement turbos? ‘It's all about exiting the last corner,’ he explained. Powerful turbo-upgraded cars typically drift out wide. He took an inside-to-inside line, straightened the car sooner, and spent more time at full throttle on the home straight.

That brought his first-corner entry speed close to theirs. J-CUP's final used solo runs instead of tandem battles, which may also have helped him. ‘I'll keep at it while gradually getting my feel back,’ he said. Another dependable expert has returned!

While a veteran won the top class, younger drivers were rising in the beginner and middle classes. Middle-class runner-up Ayako Morita of Ultra Galaxy, along with Nakamoto, could soon challenge for expert-class honors. The Chugoku region is known for its depth of expertise; anyone fighting at the top here could soon make a national name.

Interesting [heading fragment]

04Rd.3

J-CUP. Sunday, July 11, at Bihoku Circuit. Organizer: J-CUP office. Entries: beginner class 26; middle class 31. Weather: clear. Sponsors: Yokohama Tire / Winmax / URAS…

Outface's Tagawa

Expert class: 52 cars

On location

REPORT

JIC / / R·Y·O, in no particular order, honorifics omitted

Following the previous page…

…here we continue with day two…

…the cup battle held there…

…to show you. J-CUP is a leading drift-contest series in the Chugoku region, with five rounds…

…a competition that determines the annual champion. Top finishers are also recommended as Chugoku representatives for the Chugoku–Shikoku–Kyushu championship held at year's end. Round three ran alongside the summer camp, doubling participation and producing heated head-to-head battles…

It's summer!

Summer festival

We can't let the youngsters beat us!

Still going strong

Summer camp

…unfolded.

Reading the line made the difference in entry speed! More than 100 cars entered J-CUP round three, with 52 in the expert class. It felt as if all the Chugoku experts based at Bihoku Circuit had gathered. A quick look revealed former D1 GP entrants Mifune, Itakura, Tao and Kawamura, last year's winner Koretomo, and Ultra Groover's Yoshioka…

Winner

Masaya Tagawa

Outface

The engine uses the stock turbo with increased boost and a front-mounted intercooler. It looks so ordinary you wonder whether it can make enough power; it is certainly a very conventional engine.

There are ways to win even without power!

Tagawa's 180SX specification: HKS EVC, boost setting 1.0 [unit damaged]; BCNR33 factory fuel pump; ARC three-layer radiator; ; Nismo LSD; T&E front bumper / side skirts / rear bumper / front fenders. Front tires: Neova [size truncated].

JIC exhaust manifold

R:ST115(235/40-

5/40-17)

With limited power, he went all out on weight reduction. The interior is completely stripped, including sound-deadening material; he even removes the passenger seat for driving.

Drift Tengoku — September 2004 · Page 150

Page 150 — English translation

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