an element of the magic Tsukuba Circuit is known to conjure is encounters like this, that are phenomenally individual and unheard of anywhere else in the world.

this authentic Hakosuka Skyline GT-R is still owned by its original owner, and is regularly used on the circuit and wears the proof of that so very beautifully. my love for human + machinery connection that lasts long periods of time knows no bounds and this was such an extreme example i haven’t stopped thinking about it since. the thought of owning a machine for 60+ years and being entirely enthused by it is unmatched. the car was fast, and the owner did not drive it gently. it would lock up the front wheels into the hairpin right in front of us, go deep and then power right out in a screaming fit, the glorious noise of the S20 ringing through the Tsukuba paddock only interrupted when the next machine arrived at the same corner. there was a level of confidence and bond that I’d imagine is orchestrated by a several decade long bond. the large watanabes under the added flares, the custom composite hood, and the various decals and details all around the vehicle created such an epitomizing vessel of everything I was experiencing. one day in hundreds of years, this could all be gone and in the barren land that was once this incredible circuit, the haunted memory of this machine would likely still be traceable in energy.