Tsukuba Brings Out The Best S2000’s During Time Attack
One of Japan’s most popular sports cars takes on Tsukuba, Japan’s most popular time attack circuit.
If you ever want to know what’s on the cusp of tuning and performance for Honda products – or Japanese sports cars in general – you need to look no further than Tsukuba Circuit. Built in the late 60’s, this course was unique for being extremely short: just 1.271 miles in length. While it saw a few professional-level races, it was over-shadowed by larger circuits. Tracks like Suzuka Circuit, Twin Ring Motegi and Fuji International Speedway got most of the racing action.
Despite the relative lack of involvement from pro-level racing, Tsukuba has been the epicenter of Japan’s tuning industry. It could arguably be called the birthplace of time attack. A close proximity to Tokyo means it was, and still is, a popular destination for Japan’s biggest racers and tuners. Tsukuba lap times have reached ubiquity in Japan’s tuning scene. Setting a fast time on the short, but very technical course showcases what the car can really do. Everyone is shooting for the magical 60-second mark. In fact, Attack – Maximum Challenge, who hosted the event in this video will host two events there in their 2018 schedule. One in February, and another in March.
This black AP1 featured in the video has a few modifications, and for those who are more fluent in Japanese, the modifications are in the description. What we do know is that it weighs in at 1139kg, and it has a square setup of Yokohama Advan A050 265/35-18 tires. It was a set up good enough for a 1:02.01 in the NA 1 Class.
