Narita Dogfight

09/06/2026

Reminiscing about mornings in Osaka. Good coffee, good friends, and RX7s

08/06/2026

A quick look around Yusaku Shibata’s ARVOU S2000 during our last visit to Tsukuba Circuit this past February.
For the current season, Shibata has continued refining the established package around its 2.35 liter TODA Racing engine, built in house at ARVOU, and HKS supercharger, now producing around 500 ps following the increase made for its WTAC campaign. The car remains on ARVOU spec Ennepetal dampers, with 18×11-inch ADVAN GTS wrapped in 295/35R18 ADVAN A050s. Combined with the Voltex Circuit Version aero, and Shibata's own personal tuning methodology, it remains one of the most thoroughly developed S2000s currently competing in Japan.

His best lap of 53.173 places the car 13th overall in the Tsukuba tuning car rankings and makes it the second fastest S2000 at the circuit, behind only the Top Fuel turbo car.

No doubt that, next season, he'll continue to spec the car to accommodate the new Advan A1 compound, and push the AP1 deep into the 52 second territory, putting him squarely within Tsukuba's top 10 //

04/06/2026

We got to see Kiyotaka’s return to Tsukuba Circuit at the end of the 2025 season, present and with fresh developments. For a project that originally began back in 2006, it's been cool to follow his journey for the past 15 years. A lot has changed since then, bu you can still find those early features and galleries of the TFR FD on the site, including shots at Evome in 2013, and a profile in Volume 2 of 80R, published in 2019.

Kiyo and the bright yellow FD didn’t exactly go unnoticed in the early 2010s, especially as he was already running laps in the 56 second range at TC2000. But it wasn’t until the 2018 season, when the Panspeed widebody was introduced, that the car really started drawing broader attention. That period also coincided with a sharp rise in time attack’s popularity in Japan, bringing a new wave of fans and media into the sport. After a strong showing through Attack Tsukuba 2019 and into early 2020, Kiyo stepped away from the spotlight for several years.

His return during the 2024/25 season came with the continued support of TFR and engine builder Toru Kumaki, who has been overseeing the build and tuning of the cross ported 13B. Back in January 2020, Kiyo set his personal best of 54.585 at TC2000, reportedly with a Garrett GT4088 making around 700ps, though exact figures were kept relatively quiet. That lap still places him 35th overall at Tsukuba, down five positions from the start of this season, and currently makes him the 10th fastest FD3S at TC2000.

For the 2024/25 return, the car saw some notable updates, including a Garrett G40 with a significantly higher flow rate, and the introduction of a paddle shift system tuned in-house at TFR using MoTeC ECUs. The sequential setup was something Kiyo had wanted to integrate for a long time, and seeing that vision realized after so many years with the same build is part of what makes the car so interesting.

The last time we saw the FD was in February of 2025, and as far as we know, Kiyo did not take part in the opening of the 2025/26 season. Hopefully we see him back out at the start of the new 2026/27 season //

02/06/2026

It's always nice to run into Suzuban and his yellow FD3S at Tsukuba.We got to see him run a few times this season, most recently at Attack Tsukuba, and then a week later at Aoki's Attack Cat Run.

Choosing to pursue his goals on radial tires, he was able to record a 1'00.982 at this year’s Attack Tsukuba, with less than ideal conditions, before going on to set his current best of 59.956 at the Attack Cat Run event on February 21st the following week.

While Suzuban himself does most of the installs and maintenance on the car, the FD3S is tuned and suspension alignment is handled by the experts at Sakamoto Engineering. Using a Link G4 ECU the normal port, twin turbo 13b produces a healthy 340ps. At 1200kg, that's a very useable amount of power. The FD's coilovers are RGN DG5 units, and the stance is a good balance of street and track. At any given event, you can find the car sitting on a variety of Enkei wheels, switching between Shiba 200Rs and Bridgestone Potenza RE-12D Type A street tires.

Suzuban also owns a body shop, and coincidentally was responsible for painting Sakamoto Engineering’s new demo 86; a detail that speaks to the close working relationship between the two. That relationship shows here as well, with the car carrying a simple but very complete setup that feels true to the spirit of radial class Tsukuba cars.

Visually, the FD retains a very period correct presence with the original RE Amemiya AD Facer N1 widebody; a shape that feels nostalgic now, but still completely at home in modern time attack. Suzuban's RX7 is another great example of the 'less is more' mindset that many drivers have been gravitating towards over the past few years //

29/05/2026

Excited to announce that we'll be attending the Italian Super Battle at Magione Circuit this September. This will mark the first time covering a time attack event in Europe, which admittedly is a bit out of my wheelhouse, but this is a special occasion.

I’ll be accompanying three of Japan’s most recognized drivers - Keiichi Tsuchiya, Max Orido, and Tarzan Yamada - to document their experience on and off the famed Autodromo dell'Umbria, along with my typical style event coverage.

ISB has quickly become one of Europe’s most important time attack events, with a clear respect for the structure, atmosphere, and spirit of Japan’s time attack scene. I first met one of the organizers at a Battle Evome event at Tsukuba over ten years ago. Even back then, it was clear that his obsession with Japanese time attack was every bit as deep as my own. That alignment, and continued friendship, is the main reason I even considered traveling to Italy.

As contentious as it may seem, my opinion is that real time attack has never been just about lap times. Ask any driver in Japan what their priority on track is, and they won't hesitate to say, 'looking cool'. That constant balance between function and aesthetic is what continues to make Japan the standard by which time attack culture is measured. The organizers at ISB understand this, and have worked tirelessly to recreate an atmosphere that emulates Tsukuba. This year, having invited 3 of the most storied drivers in Japan to attend the event, is proof of that concept.

And while I'm there, maybe I can also influence a few more cars to look good before they go fast....only half joking....maybe...

I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Italy this September!

29/05/2026

https://thenaritadogfight.com/2026/05/27/event-shiba-tire-attack-suzuka-circuit-full-course-event-%e3%82%b7%e3%83%90%e8%b5%b02025/

Suzuka Circuit Full Course Event - mega gallery and video

Well, it took me 7 months to finally get these photos processed, but as they say – ‘better late than never’. Last year’s Shiba Run event was held at Suzuka International Cir…

27/05/2026

As the saying goes; better late than never! It took me about seven months to finally get around to processing these, but the gallery from last year’s Shiba Run at Suzuka Circuit is now live.

Held on October 30th, 2025, Shiba Run has quickly become one of my favorite early Attack season events to attend. While it is not an official 'Attack' round, the connection is obvious - hosted by Shiba Tire, Attack staff, familiar drivers, super lap sessions, and the same focused paddock atmosphere and builds that makes these events in Japan so special.

Since the first event in 2024, I’ve made it a point to travel to Mie each year for Shiba Run. With drivers like Seyama, Sugikou, Sakurai, and many others in attendance, plus the addition of an S2000 one-make class and over 200 cars moving through the paddock, the event continues to sit perfectly between competition and community. I honestly can't believe that there is only 4 more months until the next one is held. Time flies (hey another saying).

The full gallery is now available on the site along with the event video we posted last year - enjoy!

25/05/2026

Sold out sizes of our dual-bead hose clamps are now available to order, including the full set option.

We should be receiving our new stock of 68-85mm and 85-105mm this week. Limited quantities available //

25/05/2026

One week left remaining on the preorder of our SPL wing stay //

https://shopndf.bigcartel.com/product/dogfight-keel-gt-wing-stay

23/05/2026

It's been awhile since we checked in with the progress of Under's Silvia. While we haven't heard any public updates on the project since our last check-in, he's hardly been sitting still.

Most of his time lately seems to have been spent helping customers, friends, and family keep their own projects moving forward - including his brother Kengo's FD3S, which will be needing quite a bit of attention after the braking incident on turn 1 at TC2000.

As is often the case, taking care of everyone else's cars can make it difficult to find time for your own. Hopefully that means the S15 has simply been waiting its turn. It's been too long since we've seen Under behind the wheel, and the paddock hasn't quite felt the same without one of its most familiar faces.

Here's hoping the people's champ is back on track next season. Enjoy some of these updated edits from when we last saw the S15 in 2024 //