The Motor Sports Life of Takuma Aoki Vol.25 Real Training at the Tomakomai Ice Circuit

Takuma Aoki is the second son of the three Aoki brothers, who made a name for themselves in domestic and international road racing in the 1990s. After winning the All-Japan championship, he moved up to the 500cc class of the World Grand Prix, and just before the start of the 1998 season, he suffered an accident during testing that left him unable to use his lower body. However, undeterred by this adversity, he switched to four-wheel racing as a wheelchair racer, and even won the overall championship in the Asia Cross Country Rally in 2023. In this issue, we talk about his visit to Hokkaido, Japan, where he visited to compete in a snow rally and observed the activities of top riders training at an ice circuit! For the previous installment of "Takuma Aoki's Motorsports Life," click here!

There is a feeling that you can only get on the ice!

The other day, I visited the "Ebisu Circuit Ice Circuit" in Tomakomai, Hokkaido. Ebisu Circuit is located in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, and is well known overseas as a "mecca for drifting," but it also operates an ice circuit in Hokkaido that allows drivers to drive on ice by reservation only in the winter. The impetus for this visit came from the owner of Ebisu Circuit, who told me that he was running an ice circuit in Hokkaido during the winter. In fact, the timing of my visit was such that I had already arrived in Hokkaido to participate in the "EZO ENDLESS Rally," a closed rally to be held the following day at Shin-Chitose Motorland, so I headed there with a completely light heart, just to say hello. However, when I got there, I found that it was much more interesting than I had imagined. I thought they were just enjoying drifting cars on the ice, but to my surprise, they were also training motorcycles on the ice. What's more, the person in charge of running the event was a young All-Japan rider, Sodo Hamahara. I was able to speak with fellow bike racer Kokoro Atsumi and his brother-in-law, Taishi Katada, who were also there for training. What they all said was, "This ice circuit practice is really meaningful. On the ice, a low-micron surface with extremely low grip, the machines are always in a state of instability. However, that is the value of this place. Because the limits are so low, you can clearly feel when the machine starts to slide, where it loses grip, and which maneuver allows you to regain your bearings.

What you can do on this ice circuit is not just practice sliding. It is not just about sliding, but about where to apply the gas pedal, how to get the tires to bite the road surface again, and how to move the car forward. The goal is not to make the car slide, but rather how to regain traction after sliding and how to efficiently accelerate. This series of processes can be experienced over and over again at low speeds with little fear. The goal is to create the sensation that the body reacts first, rather than thinking and operating with the mind. That is the main goal of this ice circuit training, and I strongly felt that this is the biggest point of this training as I listened to him. When I asked about future plans, I was told that reservations had been made for those competing in the All Japan Road Race Championship and Suzuka 8 Hours, and that GT drivers with high awareness of four-wheel racing were also coming to practice secretly, without telling anyone. I can understand why. The fundamentals of machine control are the same whether you are driving an automobile or a motorcycle. There are not many places where you can experience "how to recover" at the limit with low risk.

Is it hard work on the part of the management?

However, this ice circuit is not a glamorous world. The machine used is a Honda CRF125, and the tires have countless pin spikes driven into them. These spikes are also very hard to get rid of, and after a day of driving, several of them always come off. In the evening after the day's ride is over, the machine has to re-install each of the pins that have come off. All of this maintenance is done by Hamahara. After the tires are spiked, the machine to be used is serviced, and the riders are welcomed back the next day. In addition to his meticulous work, the staff at Ebisu Circuit also performs this ice maintenance every night to keep the course in top condition, making sure the ice is well nurtured as the weather changes, and removing accumulated snow when it snows.

Nothing fancy, but for those who are serious about "driving," there was no better environment. This special training ground, which can only be experienced in Hokkaido in winter, is easily accessible, just 30 minutes from New Chitose Airport. The Ice Circuit is only open until mid-February. Of course, not only racers but also the general public can participate. If you are interested in improving your motorcycle operation and have even the slightest interest in doing so, don't miss this chance to experience it for yourself. The feeling you get on the ice will surely change your riding in the spring. <Reference URL> Ebisu Circuit Ice Circuit Motorcycle Club Link (Facebook) ( https://x.gd/meSuI ) Takuma Aoki's Motorsports Channel ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6tlPEn5) s0OrMCCch-4UCRQ） takuma-gp （http://rentai.takuma-gp.com/） To the gallery (7) [ getpost id="500445" target="_blank"]