Super Taikyu Fuji 24-hour race watching Day1

Porsche EBI Team WAIMARAMA

Recent FavoritesI had McCoffee put in a Porsche Rally bottle, and I started again in the morning.

… The things I do are the same every day (laughs).

This weekend, where did I go this time? I went to the Fuji Speedway 24-hour endurance race of the Super Taikyu series, which was held from May 22nd to 23rd, 2021.

Many drivers I met participated in this FSW 24h, so I just want to see and support a lot of teams.

Porsche truck experienceThose who taught me inSunako JukuThose who taught me inCar test driveThose who met inThose who met at the eventAnyway, I want to support you all.

But after all, there was one team that I decided to "support here this time!" While supporting many people.

Yes, of course ...

Hi, the vehicle is Porsche after all.

I decided to support the Porsche team of the EBI group that I usually take care of, and I watched the 2021 FSW 24h endurance race with the Porsche EBI team ^ ^

This is the crystal room that I used to support the Porsche EBI team, and it is located right above the pit of the EBI team.

Looking down from the window of the room, you can see the team name "Porsche Team EBI WAIMARAMA".

Hmm?

Is the official team name "Porsche Team EBI Waimarama" instead of "Porsche EBI Team"?

Waimarama?

WAIMARAMA?

WAIMARAMA was the name of a winery in New Zealand.

This time, Team EBI sponsored by this winery WAIMARAMA.

Oh, and because the winery is a sponsor, I was able to sample wine in the Crystal Room.

Of course, if you drive again on this day, adjust by counting back until the driving time and not drinking or drinking early.

I got it too, but it was delicious. It was good if I had you put it in the Porsche bottle I had, not just one cup (impossible) ^ ^

This time, the car that this team EBI Waimarama runs is Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Club Sports.

The car in this photo is nicely wrapped in gray and orange based colors.

I saw a lot of car designs in FSW24h Endurance, but I liked the coloring of this Porsche team. It shines quickly and I think Cayman looked cooler ↓

Total loss of the vehicle before the final

This lovely 718 Cayman GT4 club sport.

We will go to the Fuji Speedway (FSW) site on Saturday, May 22nd, when the final will be held, and support us! It was the Thursday night just before that.

The news came to us as well.

The content of the announcement was that the car was completely damaged.

No no no.

Just before the final, he said, "I lost everything."

This means that this Cayman GT4 club sport can no longer run.

During the night official test on Thursday night, it was raining heavily and I lost control due to hydroplaning and collided with the guardrail from the right front.

This is the figure of Cayman who was totally lost, which was posted on the EBI group's Instagram. This is ... terrible (tears) ↓

Normally, if the vehicle is completely damaged in the test just before the final, it is likely to be "Oh, this time's participation will be abandoned." I also thought, "Oh, Cayman isn't running even if I go to support FSW anymore."

After all, the race I'm competing in is a 24-hour endurance race that doesn't mean that I only have to run a few laps, and the EBI team doesn't have another car.

Yes, it usually ends here.

Retirement confirmed.

But.

But the EBI team was different.

It was different.

Even with this sudden total loss of the vehicle, the team did not give up on the finals.

At around 20:30 on Thursday night, the parties concerned suddenly purchased the Porsche Cayman GT4 Club Sport, which had only one in stock in Japan, from Porsche Japan.

The setup and scrutineering were all done within the next 24 hours, and I was taken to the FSW24hrs endurance race.

This is just a few lines in a sentence like this.

However, in reality, the events described in these few lines must have been such a difficult time that even one second could not be wasted from the time when the vehicle was totally lost.

This is the 718 Cayman GT4 Club Sport that the EBI team bought a new car from Porsche Japan in a hurry ↓

I think the paperwork was also difficult. It will be a sudden purchase.

Furthermore, what is waiting after that is the maintenance of the vehicle. It's not just about buying a new car and running leisurely around the city, but about 24 hours later, it's a super-long endurance race of 24 hours.

We have to finish the new car from scratch so that we can participate in the 24-hour endurance race. Moreover, you must pass a vehicle inspection before entering the final.

I can't imagine how hard it was. The engine started at 3 o'clock in the middle of the night the day before the final.

But at least "Team EBI Waimarama never gave up on the finals as a team" and really "finished a new car overnight and participated in the 24-hour endurance (also officially recognized). Was achieved.

I'm impressed with this alone.

I was sleeping all night without knowing how hard it was, and even though I wasn't doing anything, I was so impressed that I almost cried when I heard this story later.

And on the day of the 22nd, although I was informed that I was able to participate in the final, I think that the Porsche team will participate in the pure white Cayman of the new car itself. But even that was different.

When I looked inside the pit on that day, was that there? ?? It's not a pure white car!

I was only surprised, but while the car was being maintained so that I could participate in the race, the wrapping team was also wrapping the car, and in the final the original wrapping gray x orange body was used. To participate in! !!

When I saw this, I really got goose bumps.

Great, in every field, each person has done everything he can in the last 24 hours.

I was so impressed that I had the first reception at the Crystal Room, but this is the one I received at that time.

The pamphlet for the race of the day was said to be "This is the autograph of all 6 drivers this time!"

No no no, wait a minute.

I instinctively said, "Did you let the drivers do this (sign) when it was really hard to recover from this total loss !!" (laughs) ↓

However, even in such a difficult time, I was very happy to think that all the drivers signed for each one, thinking "for those who come to support me".

Before the start of the final, all 6 drivers came to the Crystal Room.

The driver of this FSW 24h endurance race is:

• Mr. KIZUNA
• Katsumasa Chiyo
• Naoya Yamano
• Riki Ohgusa
• Mr. Tetsuya Yamano
• Giuliano Alesi

is.

In the greeting at this time, he explained the circumstances when the total loss of the vehicle occurred during the night official test, but it was interesting to explain that "the rain caused the control to lose control and the wall collided." ^^

It wasn't the Cayman that collided, but the wall that collided (laughs). It can't be helped anymore. Because it's a shot from the wall.

However, despite the fact that the accident was so shocking that the vehicle was completely damaged, the driver was unharmed and was so energetic that he could participate in the final. ..

It's a shame that the 718 Cayman GT4 Club Sport was totally lost, but I think this vehicle taught me how "Porsche is safe".

Finally FSW 24h start

After the driver's greetings are over, the Super Taikyu 24-hour race will finally start from 15:00 on Saturday, May 22, 2021.

Unless it is the current situation of Corona, I think that the general public could participate in the grid walk, but currently only the people concerned.

Even so, there were so many people, so I thought that the grid walk so far had a tremendous number of people.

While looking at it from above, I was happy to see the drivers who want to support other than the Porsche team ^ ^

Formation lap.

Porsche Team EBI Waimarama seemed to have started without participating in the formation lap because it was a pit start.

Well, so to speak, it's the start from the very end, the end.

The final race started, and Cayman of the last team EBI Waimarama also started running.

I was really impressed now that I could see how the final was running and how miraculous it was. Anyway, there is only "Do your best!"

When the race begins, you can also see the images captured by cameras installed in various places on several monitors installed in the crystal room.

You can actually see the image on the monitor and the home straight through the glass.

The race status (ranking, etc.) is constantly updated in real time, so I couldn't take my eyes off this table.

I saw this screen on my monitor and even on my smartphone, so I checked the current situation on the table here and there.

Once the race has begun, the time to wait from there is "24 hours left". long!

On the way, I had lunch that was prepared for me.

Furthermore, since there is a long time of 24 hours, I will not watch the game from the crystal room all the time, but from other places of FSW.

Please send it to the opposite side of the crystal room by Panamera.

I also watched the home straight from the other side of the crystal room, but the sound is different because it is outdoors! fun! !!

• 

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Porsche Team EBI Waimarama started from the end, but since it is a race where various classes are mixed, at the beginning we will overtake the cars in front of us.

This is the support of believing in such a miracle, saying, "I'm not going to be the number one from the total loss of the vehicle !!!".

I have a lot of time, so I will watch the game from other places as well.

The 24-hour endurance race, those who are running & mechanics, and everyone on the team think that it will be really long and difficult, but from the side of watching the game, there is plenty of time, so there are various things without rushing. It was a lot of fun to be able to watch the game from there.

At Super Taikyu, many people watch the game while camping in a tent.

When I saw it, it was amazing that there were some people who cooked themselves in earnest! !! This seems to be very fun as well as watching the race ^ ^

The Porsche tent installed on this 100R arrived sideways with such tents.

This time, it was also available, so I visited it several times and watched the game from 100R. What a luxurious time.

Porsche will continue to run fast as it is, and will not "win from all losses"! !! I was expecting that, but the reality is not so easy.

When the area became dim, Cayman suddenly made a pit stop. What? malfunction? what happened?

I didn't know what happened, but apparently at this time I had to illuminate the part displaying the vehicle number, but it wasn't shining and I had to fix it. It seems that.

Even though I was normally prepared for this kind of thing, I think it was a lot of trouble because I was suddenly preparing a new car like this time.

Every time I see "something happened" from various minor things to difficult things in the vehicles of other teams, even if it is not about the Porsche team, my thought is "24-hour endurance race" That is to say, rather than winning the race, it was changed to "it's just amazing to be able to finish 24 hours".

You can complete 24 hours. How hard it is.

The next day, my husband had something to do from the morning, so I decided to go home once after a while after seeing the fireworks launched at FSW at 20:00 on that day.

I really wanted to support you 24 hours a day, but I can't help it.

I told the team members, "I'll come back tomorrow to support you! I hope you continue to run tomorrow," and returned home.

When I returned to the car parked in the parking lot, the one parked next to me was ...

Oh.

It was Cayenne, a restaurant known as Museo in Gotemba, which is now called "Ristorante Sakura Kagami" ^^

Even after returning home, I'm still worried about the race situation, so I'm watching the race on the official Super Taikyu YouTube.

I was watching the game thinking "Do your best!", But I had another trouble here! !! !! I wonder if it was past 11 o'clock at night, Cayman suddenly stopped.

After being towed, seeing the pit stop while being pushed by the mechas, it's already crazy ...

I could only hope that "I want to go to support tomorrow, so I'll do my best to come back !! Start running !!!", but I believe that he will come back for the time being, so I'm heading to FSW again the next day. Go to bed.

Porsche Team EBI Waimarama. Good luck! Come back! Please run properly tomorrow. Let me go to support you.

With that in mind, I fell asleep on this day.

Continue.

Continued→ Super Taikyu Fuji 24-hour race watching Day2