Reigning Deity Of Japanese Motorsports

THE TWIN-ENGINE Vitara which helped rallyist Nobuhiro Tajima win the worlds second-oldest race, the Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb, drew its share of attention yesterday when he launched the rally clinic for which he has been especially flown in by Suzuki.

q Why do you sport the nickname Monster?

In 1978, at the Southern Coast International Rally in Australia, I was the first tall, well-built, hefty Japanese that the Australians had seen. They thought the Japanese gentle, petite people and I broke their notions when they saw me rallying aggressively without even stopping for a break. The next days newspaper headlines screamed about the Monster from Japan -- and thats how I got the name.

 

q How did you get into rallying?

I started at the age of 16 in local rallies near my hometown, and I started it simply for the pleasure of participating. Later, I turned to professional rallying and I couldnt get into normal racetracks because I had always practiced on dirt tracks and in mountainous regions.

q Which particular race has been your favourite?

My favourite has been the World Championship at New Zealand. Since they communicate in English, I can understand the medium. They have right hand driving, so all the turns and trails are designed accordingly. Also, the people are keen on the sport so they know about safety in driving, the courses are well done and easy to drive on, and in admin aspects theyre well organised.

q What records have you set or broken in rallying?

I have won the 95 Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb in the worst weather conditions the event experienced in 73 years. I defeated Rod Millen and his Toyota Celica by seven-tenths of a second, in a time period of 7 minutes, 52.97 seconds. I have also been the Formula 2 Champion for three consecutive years from 1995 onwards.

q What does your book, a veritable bible for dirt driving, say?

The book on dirt driving was published ten years ago. Its called Dirt Conquer Technique and talks about dirt driving and safety techniques.

q What are you doing to promote motorsports?

I am not just promoting the sport alone but also the vehicles. I work towards the development of vehicles and test drive them before they are launched. I have formed various clubs in Japan where I encourage members to develop a sense of teamspirit. For this reason I have to organise events where the members can participate, and also encourage them to participate in other championships. The best club is the Monster International. I have started safety driving schools where people can learn to drive safely and also opt for motorsports later, should they want to.

q How long will you continue?

When youre a teenager, you start with physical strength. Later, you build up on experience and a knowledge base -- your mental faculties develop. As long as I have got either, or both, I will go on and not retire because both physical and mental resources can be used up in this sport.