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Vol.12 : 18, July 2007
For NZ, my aim is to focus on speed
- Takuma Kamada -
SUBARU Rally Team International driver
For Takuma Kamada, who's been in the P-WRC since 2006, Round 4 of this year's championship, the Acropolis Rally, was his first challenge in the category this season.
The SUBARU Rally Team International squad has been sharing the entry with American star driver Travis Pastrana, scheduled to contest Mexico, Argentina and season-ending Wales Rally GB rounds. |
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Vermont SportsCar, headquartered in Vermont, U.S.A. has been providing service and maintenance support to him. For Greece, New Zealand and Japan events, Kamada will drive a car prepared by ARAI Motorsport, the firm led by Toshihiro Arai, making this a truly global team effort.
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Kamada had something of a baptism of fire last year on the Acropolis, but that has only hardened his resolve for this season. This year, he moved to Arai Motorsport, doing the standard marketing and event coordination jobs while he contemplated what Arai had done to become "Arai of the world."
Toshi Arai is mentally very strong and is thus able to keep moving forward, without getting discouraged, regardless of what his opponents are doing. Also, he is an athlete that says the reason for his confidence is his physical strength.
People who know Arai's daily training menu call him a training maniac. If he wants similar success, Kamada knows he must follow this regimen. Thirty-three years old this year, Kamada follows Arai around frantically. As the days pass, Takuma might have gotten some hints as to what "strength" really means.
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Late in May, Kamada came to the airport in Athens with a strong determination. However, what awaited him there was more trouble. His rally car, which had been sent from Japan by ship and had to arrive in Greece before the driver, had not come. The team did everything they could, but the problem remained unsolved. As more time passed, they realized his car would not make it in time for the start of the rally on Thursday.
However, the entrants in the P-WRC, all international rivals, are also friends who help each other. Helping out rivals when they are in trouble - that's what fair play is all about. Thursday morning, a white 2005 Impreza Group N machine appeared at the shakedown stage with Kamada and co-driver Kase in it. Both were in their SUBARU RALLY TEAM INTERNATIONAL racing suits, each adorned with elaborate embroidery.
"We borrowed Subaru Rally Team Russia's Recce car, and with Team Arai being so experienced; after a lap around the service park we had everything we needed for the race. We are very grateful," said Kamada, smiling.
"The car was in official Group N trim, except for the hand brake - which was in the original style. Driving with the hand brake at the side was not easy."
Everybody else must have thought that since they were renting the car, they would have had some fear of wrecking it and thus probably wouldn't be able to do a very good race.
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Copyright © STI |
However, what was most different from last year was Kamada himself. He was very calm and had enough capacity to understand his situation quickly. He didn't lose his cool or panic and wreck 3 out of 4 tires after catching up to the car in front, like had had done last year. His times steadily improved as the stages progressed, and he was able to raise his pace little by little.
After returning to the Service park, he said: "The conditions are rough, and there are many rocks on the stages. But I'm confident I can avoid them, and I don't feel there will be any trouble. If I want to go faster, I can; I just feel completely different from last year."
As his opponents disappeared one by one with rolls and crashes, Kamada steadily moved up the order. At the end of the event he was 6th, taking home three valuable championship points as a result. And, he was able to return the rally car to the Russian team with barely a scratch.
"I had extra capacity going into the rally. Mr. Arai's physical and mental training has certainly done me good. I was in NZ last year, and at that time I thought I didn't do too badly, so if I maintain the positive feeling of Greece, I think I can show everybody a much better pace in this upcoming event. I want to come back to Rally Japan in October after getting a good result in NZ." he said.
Subaru Rally Team International General Manager and a long-term supporter of Kamada, Masaru Kurisawa said: "I'm very happy that Takuma's skills are improving. Following Arai and his physical and mental training has made him stronger, and that was exactly the aim from the beginning. If he wants to become an international rally contender, he needs to strengthen his communication skills so he can face people from other countries. These three points are the most important things, and if he can conquer them all, he will become a very strong driver."
Let's count on the new and improved Takuma
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