Tsukuba Circuit Time Attack

Growing up, one of the things I loved following was Japanese tuning shops battle it out at Tsukuba Circuit for time attack supremacy. For those of you not aware what time attack is, it's where you go out on track with the intention of laying down the single fastest lap on a given course, and attempting to claim the course record with your car. In Japan, one of the main courses used for this event is Tsukuba Circuit, and a few events are held each year to see who reigns supreme, and if a new car will take down the existing course record. Tuning shop course records are limited to using street legal tires, no racing slicks allowed here. Anything under 1 minute is considered fast.

For the past while, the record was dominated by 4wd cars, and in most recent memory, the course record was held by, and battled for by 2 cars in particular, the HKS all carbon CT230r, and the Cyber Evo. While Cyber Evo broke the course record with a blistering lap in the 54.xx range, it was short lived as HKS layed down a faster 54.xx second lap. HKS then later bested themselves with a 53.589, and then retiring their Time Attack beast.. The fastest RWD car was still in the 55.xx second range at this time, being a RX7, and the fastest GTR to date was the M-Speed GTR (sickest gtr) lapping at 54.481 seconds.

This past year, 2 RWD cars proved to make a real challenge for the Time Attack record at Tsukuba. The Team Revolution RX-7 managed an insane 53.6 second lap, coming the closest out of anyone to touching the record held by HKS which was set in 2007. They were never able to best this lap again though. Then came along a PRIVATEER who goes by the name Under Suzuki. He has built his S15 for the past 10 years with the intention of breaking this course record, and after revamping his aero for this year, he posted a blistering 53.637 second lap time at the super lap battle. Unsatisfied, Under Suzuki decided he was gonna go for the record... he rented out Tsukuba Circuit with the intention to break the record. What followed was simply amazing. 1, being that he is a privateer, 2, the fact that it's a RWD car, 3, he only had a half hour to himself on the circuit, so the pressure was immense, and 4 this is a Privateer driving his own car... unlike tuning shops who hire professional racers to put down laps for them. Here is what transpired as a result of his efforts:



Yes, someone just ventured into unseen territory. 52 seconds. A privateer driving his own car at that.. simply amazing. Congratulations! He still has more planned for his car, and 51 seconds may not be out of the question. Never count this guy out.

Here are just some of my favourite time attack cars from over the years, feel free to post up yours!

The M-Speed GTR. One of the most beast GTR's ever built.


Mine's GTR. I can only imagine how fast a Mines car would be if they built a strictly track car. (They don't gut their interiors to save weight, or anything. These are TRUE street cars)


Garage Ito R34


NAMS R34


Cyber Evo


HKS CT230R


Pan Speed RX-7


R-Magic RX-7


Under Suzuki's amazing personal S15.

Time to make a 10thscale On-Road Time attack

I always thought it would be cool, but it would def. have to incorporate some 1:1 aspects of it to be cool imo. Like using street car bodies, instead of race bodies, and having tire regulations or using treaded tires to keep it a bit more scale. In the end though, I don't really see it ever catching on though lol.

[robb41488]

Your talking about world gt or vta alot of tracks run either in conjunction to the full race style.  

I love world gt it seriously looks like drifters who go race

Your talking about world gt or vta alot of tracks run either in conjunction to the full race style.  

Yea, something like World GT, minus the racing aspect lol. Time Attack is like Formula 1 qualifying, you try to get on track in clear air, do your warm up lap, then you go for that perfect lap and pit in. You can work on the car in the pits between sessions though unlike Formula 1. Kinda why I don't see it ever working it's way into a 1:10 version haha, we already have VTA and World GT which is plenty fun =D

I love world gt it seriously looks like drifters who go race

Totally agree with this haha. But seems VTA is just way more popular in most areas.

[Chiefy707]

That's freaking awesome coming from a privateer!   Time attack is something I like doing in every racing video game

I've been to Tsukuba many many times to witness the time attack
Often Dino from Speedhunters and I would attend the Super Lap Battle in December.

I'm an FD fan as you know. http://re-xtreme.blogspot.com.au/search/label/TSB . This link will showcase a lot.

In 2002 RE-Amemiya ran the above 500hp "street registered' car up to a 56.8 and that stayed for a long time.
It was one of the first machines to use a sequential box and that fact alone saved about 1.5 seconds per lap.

As tyre tech and the surface has improved a lot of similar cars can achieve 57 second laps or faster these days.

A fast car used to be gauged as 1:00minute lap on the 2klm course.
Now days an decent tune RX8 with a few mods comes close to that.

then you have the new extreme machines.

As far as favourites go.

the M-Speed GT-R is a favourite, but I like the cars that aren't too extreme and could be driven on the road.





But I love the balance of the Feed Fd3s RX7s over the years. RE-Amemiya and Fujita Engineering were big influences on my own road cars.

Oh man, how could I forget the FEED RX-7, and RE-Amemiya RX-7's lol.

I liked J's Racing's and Amuse's street tune S2000's as well. There's so many cars that have caught my eyes over the years, from all classes and levels. I've always been a GTR fan, and so I'd have to say an overall favourite of mine has always been the Mine's GTR.

I'm pretty jealous right now that you got to accompany Dino to these events lol, I've heard that they are quite the private events D: I've been a huge fan of the Tsukuba time attack for quite some time now. With tire technology constantly evolving, I wonder how some of the now retired cars would fair. It's hard to imagine that car's are knocking on the 51 seconds door, when 55 seconds seemed like a tall hill to climb back in the day.

BTW, your personal RX-7 looked great! Is that Dino's GTR next to it?

I've seen the Mines cars lap at 57seconds. very no-fuss

Most events are not private. You just need to organize your entry.
I've always entered as "Press" though my website.
That was a Nishiki Suspension Day at Fuji. I've known the big D for many years. That Gt-r is not his, just another 500hp Mines Tuned GT-R.
Many of the GT-R guys I knew in Japan had cars tuned by Mines or Top Secret from 500hp up to 1100hp. The GTROC forum is still very active.

Japan is a dream land for many, but if you want to go, do it. Tokyo is not so difficult.

It's changed from the days of constant C1 laps at midnight to pretty much a circuit only scene.

but  



If you want to experience a drift matsuri in Japan and the madness with that, contact Andy from powervehicles.com. He operates drift heaven weeks at Ebisu circuit. He can supply cars and everything you need for a fun time.

http://re-xtreme-extra.blogspot.com.au/2...ideos.html

Thanks for all the info. I really want to vacation to Japan in the near future, and checking out a Time Attack event would rank up there on my list of things I'd want to do.