Fascinated by the kei-car races he saw as a child

The Tohoku 660 series is a light car-only race in which many racers, from youngsters to veterans, compete. In this issue, we introduce a young man who has just made his racing debut. He is one of the racers who has experienced the fun of driving as well as the rigours of racing and is looking forward to growing up. What is the practice method he used to use when he was at university to improve his driving technique?

Get support from a pro shop that knows kei-car racing

The Tohoku 660 Championship has so many students and entrants in their 20s, and one such entrant is Mr. Tsuguto Kawagoe, who made his debut in a special round in the 2023 season and will start full-fledged competition in 2024.

He grew up surrounded by car-loving relatives, especially his parents, and was taken to the circuit for the first time when he was three or four years old. He was particularly drawn to the K-car endurance race at Sendai Highland, and the sight of mini cars in heated battles remains in his memory.

After graduating from a local high school, Mr. Kawagoe went on to university in Miyagi Prefecture. He found out about the Tohoku 660 Series due to the proximity of Sportsland SUGO, and his desire to compete on the same stage grew, so he was looking for a race car when he came across the pro-shop Suzuki Jiko, which had also participated in the K-car endurance races he had longed to race in.

The representative, Mr. Shigeru Suzuki, was also active in the Tohoku 660 Championship, and he became increasingly fascinated by the fun and depth of light car racing. The machine he has acquired is an HA23 Suzuki “Alto”, a race car that was once used in the Tohoku 660 Championship. With the support of Mr Suzuki and others, he sets his debut race as a special race in 2023, and experiences his first circuit run in a practice session on the day before the race.

The result was a 2 min 6 sec time, which was good for a first run, although there was a slight course out. He studied the points of line-taking and shift changes on the in-vehicle video, and made modifications to suit his driving during the actual run.

He learned driving techniques by commuting two hours each way to school

It wasn’t just the fact that it was a place he had been familiar with since childhood that made him feel at home on the circuit for the first time in his life. When he returned to his parents’ home in his fourth year at university, he commuted two hours each way to school in Miyagi Prefecture, where his father had given him some kind of ‘theme’ on driving. It was a year of education for the truly gifted, such as being conscious of not putting too much strain on the brakes, and making sure that the time required each day was as consistent as possible.

They dared to use public roads with a lot of winding roads, probably so that they could learn the basics of driving with their bodies. The next day’s race, which included a crash, was a 60-minute semi-endurance race with a driver change halfway through. In the parental love of those around him, who wanted him to experience the ‘slippage’ of the tires and brakes, he was in charge of qualifying and also drove through the 50 minutes of the race by himself. Kawagoe says he was able to experience tyres that became increasingly slippery as they lost grip, and brakes that became unstoppable.

Although he finished last in the results, he must have gained a lot of experience that can only be gained in a real race, such as the tension before the start, the tactics with rivals and the management to make the tyres and brakes last. In this season, which will be his full-fledged debut, his main goal is not only to achieve a good time and a good position, but also to set up his car to his liking. He is also looking at reducing the weight of the bonnet and rear gate, and remaking the exhaust system.

And his goal is to take the chequered flag in front of Mr. Suzuki, even though the class he participates in is different. The day is not far off when he will be able to show his matured self to the man who inspired him to enter the Tohoku 660 Championship and taught him the joys of the circuit!