Yokomo GT & 2WD Touring Car All Japan Championship 2017 Race Report

On Sunday, November 5th, the Yatabe Arena On-Road Grand Prix course hosted two major title competitions: the annual "GT All-Japan Championship" and the newly launched "2WD Touring Car All-Japan Championship." The 2WD Touring Car All-Japan Championship was held as a one-make race using Yokomo RWD (rear-drive) drift car chassis converted to grip-racing specifications, divided into two classes: the [YD-2TC Scale Class] using scale bodies, and the [YD-2TC Class] using touring-type bodies. The GT All-Japan Championship was contested in two classes—the [GT Stock Class] using standard 30.5T motors and the [GT Open Class] using 21.5T motors—with tire rotation speed limits applied to all four classes. The circuit layout was modified the day before to run in the reverse direction of the standard course, with the backstraight shortened and other minor adjustments made throughout. Drivers seemed to have no issues with a lack of grip and found the track easy to drive right from the first pack. There were over 100 entries for this event, including many participants from far away. With many drivers visiting the Yatabe Arena for the first time or newer to racing, the event provided a great source of excitement, from the tension and joy to the moments of frustration. As organizers, we are left with the hope of hosting an even grander event next year, and we look forward to seeing everyone participate again.

■YD-2TC Scale Class Final
Tomoyuki Araki, who set the top time in the best round of the two qualifiers, secured pole position. The final was held with two drivers advancing from the B-main, with Yuji Okazaki and Yoshifumi Yokouchi earning their spots in the A-main. The 5-minute A-main final saw Hidetoshi Suzuki, who started 5th, jump up to 4th immediately after the start. Starting from 3rd, Masahiro Tanabe made a clean pass on 2nd-place starter Hiroshi Ishiguro. The order for the first half of the race was Araki, Tanabe, Hiroshi Ishiguro, and Yoshinobu Ishiguro. Yoshinobu Ishiguro then moved up to 3rd, while Tanabe dropped back after a costly crash. Araki established a solo lead and took the checkered flag, claiming the title of the first-ever YD-2TC Scale Class All-Japan Champion. Yoshinobu Ishiguro finished 2nd, and Hiroshi Ishiguro took 3rd.

■GT Stock Class Final
The top qualifier was Ken Inoue. Advancing to the final were Nobuhisa Watanabe from the B-main and Yuji Tsuchimoto from the C-main. In the 8-minute A-main final, pole-starter Inoue maintained a strong pace from the start. While a fierce battle unfolded between 2nd-place starter Yoshinobu Ishiguro and 3rd-place starter Hiroshi Kumagai, Inoue established a solo lead to claim the GT Stock Class All-Japan Championship title. Hiroshi Kumagai finished 2nd, and Yoshinobu Ishiguro took 3rd.

■YD-2TC Class Final
　Kenji Nishimura set the top time in the qualifying rounds. Advancing to the A-Main final were B-Main qualifiers Akihito Miura and Keiji Kubo.
　In the 5-minute A-Main final, Taiyo Sato, who started 5th, moved up to 3rd immediately after the start, and 6th-place starter Keisuke Nakagawa also made a jump up the field. Throughout the middle of the race, a fierce battle for the lead raged between Nishimura, Okumura, and Sato, all within one second of each other. Later, Okumura dropped back and Sato pursued Nishimura relentlessly, running tail-to-nose, but Nishimura held on to win, securing the title of the first-ever YD-2TC Class All-Japan Champion. Sato finished 2nd and Okumura 3rd.

■GT Open Class Final
　The top qualifier was Toshihiko Nimura, and the B-Main qualifiers advancing to the final were Tamotsu Nozaki and Ken Inoue.
　In the 8-minute A-Main final, Tomohiro Kato, who started 4th, moved up to 3rd shortly after the start, Akira Morita, who started 5th, moved to 4th, and Okumura, starting from 6th, also entered the lead group. Satoshi Suzuki, who started 3rd, was also in a position to challenge for the lead, but the top two cars of Nimura and Matsumoto pulled away from the pack at a high pace. Nimura and Matsumoto engaged in an intense battle within one second of each other for the entire 8 minutes, befitting an All-Japan Championship, and Toshihiko Nimura, who never relinquished the lead, became the GT Open Class All-Japan Champion.

The Yokomo GT & 2WD Touring Car All-Japan Championship will continue to be held starting with regional qualifiers in 2018, so we hope you will join us again and challenge yourself to be the best in Japan. As for the regulations, we will continue to make adjustments so that all drivers can participate on as equal a footing as possible.

　A sincere thank you to all the participating drivers, the track owners who hosted the regional qualifiers, RC Magazine, RC World, and TN Racing!