JapShow June 2008 Report - Sunday 22nd June

View photos photos from JapShow 2008 on the JapShow 2008 Gallery page.

The JapShow took place on Sunday the 22nd June, with a test day on the 21st and once again, it was a stunning weekend of racing, drifting, show cars and a massive gathering of clubs too.

Saturday got off to a slow start with drizzly rain which didn’t stop until after lunch, and then occasional showers which repeatedly stopped action on the track. To make up for the lost time, the track was kept open late so everyone eagerly waiting to get on track was rewarded with at least a chance to get a run in. In that short space of time, there were some great RWYB times set that carried over to top the charts at the end of the weekend, and the HKS Drag Series racers who were out to test also had a tough time, with breakages and Johnny McKeon having a full-360 deg spin when his car dumped coolant onto the tyres! The good news in this area however was the new RE:WORX Mazda RX8 was out for the very first time and running strongly even on the mildest of tune-ups.

Sadly, the rain came again, just before 7pm, and then even heavier overnight, so Saturday was a tough day for both racers and campers.

But it was all-change on Sunday morning! A strong wind and blue-skies meant that the track dried out quickly and we were all set for a day of track action. Headwinds would mean lower terminal speeds, but the fun wouldn’t be affected in the slightest.

The sunshine brought thousands of Japanese car fans from all over the UK (and the world as it turned out) to the Pod, and club stands filled up with beautifully presented cars. The drift track echoed to the sounds of tortured rubber before some people were even out of bed and the Meguiar’s Show Car Paddock also filled with the finest gleaming metal. All was set for a great day.

The main action on track took the form of the HKS Drag Series, where the very fastest Japanese cars in Europe did battle across three classes. There were some excellent races in both qualifying and eliminations, with the final results as follows:

Pro Class John Bradshaw, Nissan Skyline GTS, 8.137 @ 167mph defeated Andy Forrest, Subaru Impreza, 9.977 @ 138.56 mph

Street Class Gary Passingham, Nissan Skyline GTR, 9.806 @ 136.41 mph defeated David Greenhalgh, Nissan Skyline GTR, 11.663 @ 119.24 mph

FWD Class Guy Chamberlain, Honda Civic Type R, 10.477 @ 136.45 mph defeated Neil Knight, Honda Civic Type R, 11.953 @ 112.33 mph

The full HKS Drag Series Round 2 report can be found at www.japdragseries.co.uk.

Also on track was the Run What Ya Brung competition, split into manufacturer-based classes running across both days. The winners were:

Class A – Nissan/Datsun Bob Bentley Skyline GTR R34 11.0513 @ 126.18mph

Class B – Toyota/Lexus Keith Carr Supra 11.9253 @ 121.78

Class C – Honda/Acura Yosir Dar Civic 12.6079 @ 122.14

Class D – Mitsubishi Steven Bowen Lancer Evo 8 12.0615 @ 122.69

Class E – Subaru Paul Eggerton Impreza WRX 12.0101 @141.03

Class F – Mazda Lee Mills Mazda RX7 12.4038 @ 116.25

Class G – Suzuki/Daihatsu/Isuzu Wesley Coley Suzuki Swift GTi 16.6714 @ 78.10

Class X – Non Road Legal Stephen Forester Mazda RX7 10.6888 @ 144.75mph

Congratulations to the winners for battling it out in yet another tough and hard-fought competition. Every class was generating some great times.

Over in the show car paddock, the judges were given a tough job of picking the top five cars from a mixed bunch of vehicles that included restored classics and heavily modified modern cars too. It’s a cliché to say that some went home without trophies that deserved them, but this lot were the ones that stood out:

Best of Show Luke Borg, Nissan 300ZX An absolutely flawless paint-job matched to a smooth and detailed body made this car the stand-out winner in the show-paddock. The interior was also packed with luscious touches.

Top Five Simon Alexander, 1981 Honda Prelude Most Preludes of this era are in scrapyards, but Simon’s car was in showroom condition. A true concours classic with a few super-subtle mods.

Top Five Mark Lampard, Honda S2000 A subtle but comprehensive range of modifications make this the best-looking S2000 in the UK

Top Five Paul Cooper, Toyota Celica A rock-hard exterior was matched to an interesting V6-conversion in the engine bay to make an awesome all-round car.

Top Five Phil Fletcher, Toyota Celica This one not-so-subtle, but definitely the best interior at the show and loads of sumptuous work on the outside too, it would have been rude not to give this car a prize.

For those who were less worried about looks, but without the outright power to win the RWYB classes, there was yet another way to participate in the show. The handling track allowed anyone to get out there and throw their car around some super-tight corners dodging cones and attempting to beat Terry Grant’s time. Not only did Luke Devitt top the tables in his Honda CRX, he also beat Terry Grant comprehensively to take home £250!

Handling track times are on the Handling page.

On the subject of Terry Grant, his stunt show took place 3 times throughout the day in the Live Action arena to provide the crowd with dizzying show of donuts, two-wheeling and precision drifting.

Over on the other side of the track, the drifters kept the heat up with a full-day of tyre smokin’ action. They just don’t tire of it, and neither do the crowds! Thanks to everyone involved for putting on a great show.

Thanks also to all the clubs who put on great displays, the JapShow wouldn’t be the same without you. Despite so many clubs putting on a great show, Subaru Central were the ones who took home the best club display for a superbly presented display of their cars.

The clubs who came to JapShow 2008 included: Mazda Rotary Club, Japtorque.com, Mark IV Supra Club, GTROC, Tengoku-Racing, Passion Jap Owners Club, HJSCC, Imprezasport.net, Type RA.co.uk, The Z Club, Toyota GT Turbo.com, Japmids, Jap-N-Crazy, Club-Jap, Coltuk.org/ Coltclub.eu, Team Garage DWYB, Prelude UK, Skyline Owners.com, Banzai Club, Nipponsquad, Mitsubishi Lancer Register, Banzai Performance Car Club, Honda Owners.net, Supersonic Blue + Civiclife.net, Red Sun Racing UK.com, GTIR Modifiers Club, Jap-Girls, Civic Jordan.co.uk, Honda Evolutions, Jap - Edition, TB Developments, Miss Banzai, Team Shock, FDUK, Motorworx, MR2OC, Celica - Club.co.uk, Club VR4, UK Streetcars, Track - Attack, FTOOC, Subaru Central, MKIII Supra.net, The Red Lion, Street-Legal.Biz, Surrey Scoobies, Skyline Owners Club, and Cabletie Racing.

View photos photos from JapShow 2008 on the JapShow 2008 Gallery page.