Reproduction of the 1974 Fuji GC Victory 200km race specification car

On 29 October 2023, an event named ‘Power & Torque’ was held at Fuji Speedway, where a slot was set aside for stock car racing vehicles. The Mazda Savanna RX-3 was one of the cars that took part in the event, which was called the ‘Festival of Stock Cars 2023’.

Fully tuned based on late models

Three Mazda Savanna RX-3s were entered, one of which was the Savanna RX-3 Yoshimi Katayama specification car. This car was reproduced in the works colors of the Katayama Racing’s car that competed in the 1974 Fuji GC Victory 200 km race.

Kunihiro Shimano drove this car at the Festival of Stock Cars, but it was Hideki Narita who built the Savanna RX-3 Yoshimi Katayama specification car with the same passion as the Savanna RX-3 Yojiro Terada specification car. We had the chance to interview Mr. Narita in the pits on the day of the event.

“It’s fun to see the “Hakosuka” Skyline GT-R vs the Savanna RX-3 on the circuit. I’m from that very generation, so I’m glad to see it at Fuji Speedway, the same circuit as back in the day.”

According to Mr. Narita, he received a 1976 Savanna RX-3 GT (late model) from a fellow circuit enthusiast, and without hesitation decided to fully tune it, recreating the Yoshimi Katayama specifications that competed in the 1974 Fuji GC Victory 200km race.

By the way, Mr. Shimano, who drove the Savanna RX-3 Yoshimi Katayama specification car at the Festival of Stock Cars, commented as follows.

“The tires were not ready in time and did not grip at all, so I drove carefully. The engine is in good shape.”

By 1974, Nissan had already ceased works activities, and with no rival in the form of the Skyline GT-R, the Savanna RX-3 driven by Katayama was said to be unbeatable. The “Hakosuka” GT-R, which was his rival, is still in existence in large numbers and there are many opportunities to come into contact with its racing history, but the Savanna RX-3 is a rare find, so we hope that young people will learn about Yoshimi Katayama and the speed of the rotary engine through the works-spec modified car that Mr Narita has built. We would be happy if young people could learn about Yoshimi Katayama and the speed of the rotary engine through a car modified to works specifications built by Mr. Narita.

translated by DeepL