Stage 4, Episode 6
Short summary
The race between Takumi and Tomoyuki begins with Takumi taking the lead in the first corner. During the race, Keisuke, who had been sulking in his FD, finally comes out. He told Ryosuke that he thinks Ryosuke's reason for chosing Takumi to race was because he had become too anxious when heard that they were going against a professional this time. However, Ryosuke says it's partly that but really a bit different. In his theory for the fastest street racing, he sees it through two different approaches, hence the two drivers for Project D. One is an orthodox style, applying circuit derived techniques to street race. The other is a pure street specialist. Because they are going against an orthodox type of driver, he chose Takumi. It was because of driving style, not skill. Meanwhile, at the race, the two racers approach the four snake hairpins. Here, Tomoyuki uses a disappearing line to pass Takumi. He makes himself invisible to his opponent in front by using their blind spot. From the back, Takumi still keeps up and begins thinking of how to take the lead again in the run back up. He realizes he has to pull the same trick and turns off his headlights in the tunnel. This allows him to become invisible to Tomoyuki, and he takes the lead again from the inside. Reaching the hairpins again, Tomoyuki taps Takumi's car, making him lose his rhythm which was enough to allow Tomoyuki to pass. Before the race, Ryosuke had shown Takumi the strategy he came up with for this course. To concentrate on finding this line, Takumi turns off his headlights again and uses Tomoyuki's headlights to focus on the course. Before the final corner, something runs across the street, and Tomoyuki dodges, ruining his line. Takumi sees this opening, drives up to Tomoyuki's side, and turns his headlights back on. The two cars drive side by side for the remainder of the course, and Takumi pulls ahead, giving him the win. The race has ended, and Tomoyuki now understands Toudou's meaning. To maintain a high level of motivation as a professional, one needs somewhere to go back to when struggling or confused. Tomoyuki knows where to go now and feels rejunvenated.
Longer summary
The race between Takumi and Tomoyuki begins with Takumi taking the lead at the first corner. However, Chief Toudou is not sure whether Tomoyuki actually floored it in the beginning. On the other side, Ryosuke talks with his team about the current battle. He explains that having the lead in the beginning isn't always advantageous since going from the start to the first corner at full acceleration gives the opponent a lot of information. In terms of driving techniques and car abilities, Tomoyuki has the advantage, but Takumi has something that not even a professional can match. It is because of this that Ryosuke chose him over Keisuke.
The course they are driving on consists of four sections. The first is narrow with no center line. At the second section, the road becomes wider, giving more freedom in what line you chose. The two cars are now approaching the second section, and despite the bumpy pavement, both cars are still in control. Tomoyuki is still trying to find the meaning of this battle, the answer that he's been seeking. Back at the top, Keisuke, who has been sulking in his FD, finally comes out. Meanwhile, the two racers have reached the third section with Takumi still leading. Tomoyuki begins thinking of taking the lead.
While in the FD, Keisuke began to think over why Ryosuke would chose Takumi over him. He thinks it was because he became too anxious once he heard that they were going against a professional. He felt like they were in trouble, and this was not a good state to be driving in. However, that is only part of the reason. Ryosuke explains that in his theory for the fastest street racing, he sees two different approaches which is why Project D has two drivers. One type takes circuit derived techniques and applies them to the streets, an orthodox type of driver. The other is a pure street specialist that is raised on the street, an unorthodox style. Since their current opponent is a professional, of the orthodox type, it was better to use Takumi. It was because of different styles of driving, not skill. On the other side, Toudou thinks that the concept of needing to cut lap times is something a street racer cannot understand. He does not believe that innate talent can overcome repeated practice.
In the race, the two racers have reached the four snake hairpins, and Tomoyuki passes Takumi easily from the inside in one of the corners. As Kyouichi and Seiji watch from the sidelines, Kyouichi notices that Tomoyuki had used a disappearing line, a high level skill often used in circuit races. It allows the driver to become invisible to the opponent in the front by using their blind spot and cutting across.
Meanwhile at the Fujiwara residence, Masashi pays visit Bunta a visit to talk about the car Bunta wants. Bunta isn't looking for anything specific, just something not flashy. Masashi has asked a trader he knows to look for one, but it doesn't quite suit Bunta to have a four wheel drive car...
The fourth section is coming up now which will have a steep uphill. It's here that Tomoyuki plans on pulling away. However, Takumi manages to keep up, and Tomoyuki realizes the mistake of tuning his car for high-speed straightaways for racing against the FD. Because of this, he is not doing so well on the hill climb. Plus, Takumi's concentration has increased ever since he was passed.
They have reached the end and have turned around for the run up. From the back, Takumi wonders how he can pass his opponent. He realizes he has to pull the same trick. While driving through the tunnel, he turns off his lights, making him invisible to Tomoyuki. Although Tomoyuki cannot see Takumi, he can hear his car close to his. While driving at Tomoyuki's side, Takumi turns his lights back on and passes on the inside, taking the lead again.
Tomoyuki plans to pass again in the hairpins. In one of the corners, he drives up close and taps Takumi's side. It is a tactic often used by professionals to make their opponents lose their rhythm but not spin them out. That was enough to let Tomoyuki pass on the inside.
Before the race, when Ryosuke drove through the course with Takumi in his passenger seat, he actually had not given Takumi any advice. He just showed him the strategy he had come up with for the course. To concentrate on finding the line Ryosuke had shown him, Takumi turns off lights again and focuses on using his opponent's headlights to see the course. Tomoyuki cannot see Takumi but can tell that he is keeping up and is impressed.
It's nearing the end of the race, and Tomoyuki sees something run across the street. He dodges, ruining his line. Takumi sees this opening and pulls up to Tomoyuki's side. He turns his lights back on as the two drive side by side throughout the rest of the course. Takumi then gets ahead, winning the battle.
Talking afterwards, Takumi asks Tomoyuki why he swerved away from his line before the final corner. Tomoyuki tells him about the animal that ran across but still admits his loss and Takumi's victory. He then walks off to talk to Toudou. He understands Toudou's meaning now. To maintain a high level of motivation as a professional, one needs somewhere to go back to, somewhere to go when one is struggling or confused. Tomoyuki knows where to go now and feels rejunvenated.
