Tsukuba Circuit 01/14/06

Reid · Post by **Reid** » January 17th, 2006, 9:02 am

Shortly after my last track day at Mobara, I learned there was a very well-known track day at Tsukuba Circuit on the 14th. The entry list was available online and it listed what kind of car was signed up, along with what kind of tyres they will be running and how much hp the car has. All the cars that had signed up were on race tyres and had a lot more than 200hp.

Track time is track time though, so I signed up to run.

I've watched the Top Gear video, in which Jeremy Clarkson drives a NSX in GT4 at Laguna Seca, then tries to match his time in real life. I did something similar, but not for the same reason.

I had never run at Tsukuba before, while everyone else who I would be running with had lapped the course many times before. I tried to minimize how much of a rolling roadblock I would be, by lapping Tsukuba in GT4 with an ITR. I added brakes, suspension, intake, exhaust, and sports tyres (S3) to my ITR in the game. I then setup the suspension to reflect how the car was setup in reality. The best time I was able to get was a 1'10.347 on a dry course.

The day before the track day, I learned it would be raining hard at Tsukuba. With this in mind, my goal for the event was to run a 1'25.

I left the house at 4:00 AM to head to Tsukuba. I filled the car up with gas, and myself up with a couple of JDM Red Bull equivalents and some caffeine pills (I'm not a morning person). My navigator was predicting that it would take us 3 hours to get to the track.

Two hours later, we arrive at Tsukuba circuit.

We are one hour early and it is near freezing and raining at the track. Upon heading to the pits, I am greeted by this sign:

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There is no one else at the track, it's cold, it's raining, and I'm still tired.

I ended up running a 1'10.115, which put me 27th out of 36 cars. I was surprised to have beaten my time in GT4, especially considering I was running a dry course in the game and a wet course in real life.

The fastest car at this event was a third gen RX7 that ran a 1'01.783. The GT works ITR ran a 1'03.474. It had very short gears and a lot of power and was well into fifth gear in places that I was only in fourth gear.

The silver S2000, E46 M3, and a bunch of Silvias got rolled by my ITR.

If anyone wants more pics of any of the cars in the pits, I can try to look for some. Just tell me which car.

Bbasso · Post by **Bbasso** » January 17th, 2006, 9:47 am

Big time jealous!!!

RagingAngel · Post by **RagingAngel** » January 17th, 2006, 4:28 pm

Awesome review and pics.....I'd like to see more of the race prepped blue DC2 though....

I think Reid sux at GT4....

...Glad you've gone beyond your own expectatons though.... !

Reid · Post by **Reid** » January 18th, 2006, 4:35 am

RagingAngel wrote:Awesome review and pics.....I'd like to see more of the race prepped blue DC2 though....

I think Reid sux at GT4....

...Glad you've gone beyond your own expectatons though.... !

Let me know what you guys can run on Tsukuba Circuit with the same setup as me. I'd actually be curious if anyone can get into the 1'08's with such light mods. I'll try to better my times later tonight, just for you, Patrick.

I'm surprised no one asked for more pics of the GT Works car sooner. I took the most pics of that car and chatted with the owner through a translator. He's a very nice guy.

RagingAngel · Post by **RagingAngel** » January 18th, 2006, 7:29 am

Thanks for the additional pix....!

Give me a day or two to get back into the GT4 groove and uh....I need a translator too....

my version of GT4 is in a language I cannot read.....

In the 3rd last pic and even the last pic you posted.... the fenders are vented in that fashion - I assume to release the pressure that would normally be built up at time attack/racing/lapping speeds?

Is that a special fender he purchased or was it custom fabbed to have that....lack of a better term....."gap?"

I'm looking at the rest of his aero components and they appear to be fabbed in-house...particularly nicely done rear diffuser....

I find it interesting that the rollcage has so many removable joints in the pic where you posted the battery. Nonetheless, it's great to see different approaches....

Reid · Post by **Reid** » January 18th, 2006, 8:11 am

RagingAngel wrote:In the 3rd last pic and even the last pic you posted.... the fenders are vented in that fashion - I assume to release the pressure that would normally be built up at time attack/racing/lapping speeds?

Is that a special fender he purchased or was it custom fabbed to have that....lack of a better term....."gap?"

Those are stock fenders.

Fenders bolt to the car at the top, in the engine bay and at the bottom of the fender near the sideskirt. He welded metal extensions at the bottom of the fender near the sideskirt, to give it the "flared" look. Very nicely done and a far better solution than the hideous vented FRP fenders I've seen on the market.

Though, I'm not so sure that vented fenders are even beneficial on cars like ours, but that's a whole other debate.

I was surprised that the car's chassis was not stitch welded as so many other cars I've seen at Mobara, Auto Salon and Tsukuba were stitch welded. One would think stitch welding is an easy process, judging by how "common" it is here.

I suppose stitch welding would be a lot more common in the States if it was SCCA legal. I have pics of a reinforced Accord Euro R (TSX) chassis from TAS, I'll upload those when I find them.

Kengs · Post by **Kengs** » January 18th, 2006, 10:03 am

Nice pics!

The exhorst is Ti ri? I think some dude on Yahoo JPN Auction had it for sale (E-Free or some chit like that).

And what Cashiew parts are used in that car?

Reid · Post by **Reid** » January 18th, 2006, 11:25 am

Kengs wrote:The exhorst is Ti ri? I think some dude on Yahoo JPN Auction had it for sale (E-Free or some chit like that).

Yeah, it's Ti. The welds are horrid though.

Black_R · Post by **Black_R** » January 19th, 2006, 12:17 am

omg!!!

we have tskuba time trials all the time between friends here on gt4...

I can't imagine driving it in real life. I would love to have the opportunity!

RagingAngel · Post by **RagingAngel** » January 20th, 2006, 12:19 am

What kinda rotors is that DC2 using? I see it's some two piece setup....the color of the hat makes me wanna get Project Mu?

Be sure to tell the guy to stake his axle nuts....would be pretty shitty to have it come loose....

Reid · Post by **Reid** » January 21st, 2006, 2:53 am

RagingAngel wrote:Be sure to tell the guy to stake his axle nuts....would be pretty shitty to have it come loose....

I don't stake my axle nuts on my track ITR.

The axle nut torque is on the checklist before each event. I've never had a problem with them coming loose. On a street car, I'd stake them, but on a track car it's not necessary, IMHO.

MikeB · Post by **MikeB** » January 21st, 2006, 9:27 am

Reid, you are a very lucky many to race over there. Those pictures are awesome and thanks for sharing them with us. BTW, Im starting to like ITRCA.com more than HT.

ITRbroham · Post by **ITRbroham** » January 21st, 2006, 8:00 pm

Seems you had a really cool experience, Reid!

BTW, that blue Jun-works DC2 can be found here: http://www.jun-works.com/works/bunzoDC2.html

ActiveAero · Post by **ActiveAero** » January 28th, 2006, 8:32 am

Reid you suck at GT4.

I think I was in the 1:07's with a bone stock Type-R on street tires. Let me see if I can find the little ITR forum competition but I'm pretty sure I'm right.

Regardless of that I'm very jealous. Congrats and maybe next time it will be dry.

Edit: My best time is 1:06:395. Arcade mode, tsukuba, SM tires, and using the wheel.

Reid · Post by **Reid** » January 28th, 2006, 4:01 pm

ActiveAero wrote:using the wheel.

That's the key to everything.

I didn't bring the wheel with me to Japan though.

jdmsi · Post by **jdmsi** » January 29th, 2006, 7:49 am

damn pic dont work for me