Notable winner of the Suzuki Alto in 2023 at the breakneck pace
The 2024 season of the Tohoku 660 Championship, a race exclusively for Kei-cars, was held on April 14, and the major topic of the 2023 season was the dramatic increase in the number of participants in Class 4, with the majority of them driving the HA36 Suzuki Alto AGS (2-pedal). The winner of the class, Masaki Inomata, is one to watch for the 2024 season.
Graduated from individual participation to an even higher level
Masaki Inomata, driving a Suzuki Alto, also won the second class (AGS and CVT) of the Tohoku 660/HA36 Cup, which he could enter with the same car, and has become a rising star among AGS users, earning him the respect of even veterans. However, it was not all smooth sailing from the time of his debut. In the beginning, Inomata was almost entirely private, from car fabrication to maintenance, and he even experienced a major crash due to machine trouble.
The man who recruited Inomata as his team’s ace driver was Nobumasa Omori, a representative of the oil and grease manufacturer NEXZAS, who also competes in the team himself. Inomata responded to his request by continuing to produce results in the two categories.
In the 4th class of the Tohoku 660 Championship, Inomata won three of the four rounds, finished second in the remaining round, and won a special round in which he teamed up with Omori. He also won all three rounds of the Tohoku 660/HA36 Cup. It was truly a year to be called “Inomata Year.
Inomata, who is only 27 years old, was born to parents who have made motocross their life’s work, and in high school, he was ranked first in the hammer throw in his prefecture and competed in the Inter-Highs. He competed in the third class with HA23 and only switched to HA36 in 2023. Inomata analyzes AGS without a clutch as “definitely quirky,” but through diligent practice, he is gradually acquiring his unique technique.
Inomata has improved his skills and refined his driving
The turning point for him was not the season opener, where he achieved his long-sought first victory, but the final round, which was held on a wet track all day (the HA36 Cup was held in conjunction with the second round). Shortly before that, he took part in a driving lesson given by a professional driver and learned the shortcomings of braking and load shifting, which he had not been aware of before. He was able to put them into practice and drive with confidence even in the slippery rain, and he achieved a complete victory in both categories, taking pole position and the fastest lap without giving up the lead even once during practice, qualifying, and the race.
Another noteworthy point is that in the Tohoku 660/HA36 Cup, he finished ahead of the first class, where he should have had a better start in MT. The Ebisu Circuit West Course, where the event was held, has few places to overtake, and the strict vehicle regulations make it extremely difficult to overtake a car once it has gotten out in front at the start.
“I tried a new way of starting at this point. I don’t think it was anything special, but I think I was the only one who did it, and as a driver, I didn’t tell my rival, Omori-san, about it either,”
says Inomata.
Inomata believes that the HA36 AGS is still in the process of evolution, both in terms of vehicle and driving, and will continue to compete in both categories this season, aiming for even greater heights, while also joining young drivers as Team NEXZAS to compete in the Tohoku 660 endurance race.
In 2023, there was also a major turning point in his personal life. Shortly before the final race, which Inomata recalls as a major turning point, he got married, and his wife witnessed the moment of victory at the Ebisu Circuit on the day of the race. His wife, who had never been involved in cars or racing, recognized his serious hobby, and after the awards ceremony, they took a commemorative photo with the team members. His wife gave him a racing suit as a present, and his goal for this season is to win both series in a row.
translated by DeepL