Attack Mode: Full Send At Tsukuba

Attack Tsukuba has become the global benchmark for time attack events. Every year, the event grows, and with it, the popularity of similar series in Italy, the US, and Australia.

It had been a couple of years since I last made it to Tsukuba Circuit for the annual Attack, and for once, the calendar stars aligned. I found a brief window to swing by the famed circuit, 75 minutes’ drive north of Tokyo, and soak in as much trackside serotonin as possible.

While I only had a few hours to spare, I made the very most of it, running around like a madman and grabbing every clear shot I could find. So join me on that mad dash through pit lane chaos…

We will kick things off with Attack’s founder and head honcho, Aoki-san, who I found right at the top garage in his FD3S Mazda RX-7. Sitting proudly atop the car was a nobori flag from the Magione Super Battle – Italy’s take on the Attack series. The event carries Aoki-san’s official seal of approval and also sponsors Tsukuba Attack itself. Magione Super Battle returns in the latter half of this year, and you can expect our coverage shortly after.

Even in just the few years I have attended Attack Tsukuba, spectator numbers have swelled. What was once comfortably busy is now an overflowing pit lane and packed grandstand. Yet despite the surge in popularity, Attack has stayed true to its roots. The small venue remains open and accessible, creating a far more intimate atmosphere than other events of similar scale.

Venturing back into the chaos of the main pit lane and squeezing between towers of warming tyres, enormous carbon fibre GT wings, and sleeping drivers, it is nearly impossible to grab a clean shot. But this is what Attack is all about. A session has just begun, and just as quickly, it’s over, with each group getting only a handful of laps before rotating out.

Running through the pits, you’ll see one wheel brand more than any other: Volk Racing. TE37s are everywhere, as are CE28s and just about every other performance-oriented wheel from the RAYS catalogue.

HKS was in attendance with Nobuteru ‘NOB’ Taniguchi piloting both the company’s new Honda Civic FL5 Type R and trusty Toyota GR86.

Star Road, Japan’s S30 specialist, brought two cars this year. One was its fully aluminium-bodied 240Z, and the other its demo car. Unfortunately, Star Road’s day ended prematurely due to a small engine bay fire.

This FD RX-7 pairing was one of the day’s highlights for me. One yellow and one green, but most importantly, both are still wearing licence plates.