Sumiyama with Swift Sport showed well speed on Japan round of WRC, Rally Japan!
| FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) round 10,”Rally Japan” was held from 9-12 September, based Sapporo city, Hokkaido Japan. Belonging CUSCO RACING, Yuya Sumiyama drove Suzuki Swift Sport on this event. | |
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| This edition’s Rally Japan had new base “Tsukisamu Dome” which was used for winter Olympics in past. The rally was consisted by total tremendous 26 stages including eight runs of Super SS which were set at Sapporo Dome. Total stage distance was fairly close to average as its 303.54km, however with its huge number of stage, crew would be required to vary their mental during four days competition Additionally gravel roads of the rally was extremely rough in places. As they were likely to be rutted easily, number of machine became victim of the condition. | |
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| Sumiyama who challenged actual rally competition with Swift Sport had pre-event test using forest road to check their setting. On Thursday 9 September, crew faced opening two runs of Super SS which gathered 10,000 spectators at Sapporo Dome. Proper rally event was started from following day around Tomakomai, south of Sapporo. After many of powerful WR car passed, the road was getting rougher and rougher which made blistering input from the ground. Sumiyama, who attended the Rally Japan first time since the event base moved to Sapporo, had cautious driving at morning section and planned to push from afternoon. However at the afternoon section, his machine dropped on a gap and bent the lower arm. Sumiyama continued the driving with caring the lower arm, however both of them were broken eventually. He returned to service park some how, and finished the day in 45th overall and top in N2 class. | |
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| Route for Day2 was set around Shikotsu lake area, south-west of Sapporo. But still the input from the road was forgiving and Sumiyama’s Swift Sport had same problem as its lower arms broken after their ball joints were fell out. With result of the trouble, Sumiyama withdrew from the day. After backed to the service park, mechanics swapped the lower arms, also fixed exhaust pipe which damaged badly after run on unusually rough gravel roads. With refreshed machine, Sumiyama started Day 3 under Super rally regulation. | |
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| Route for Day 3 was set around Bibai and Sunagawa area, north of Sapporo. As being former dirt-trial champion, Sumiyama was expected well performance at the dirt-trial circuit which was included on that section. However before reached the dirt-trial stage, on SS20, his machine hit a log for road repairing which jut out on exit of a corner and broken lower arm and drive shaft. He had second retirement on this event. Of course the log was not confirmed when they had recce, however, on WRC event with many top drivers run same course, way of road change would be largely different with usual rally. He bitterly learned it. | |
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| The Swift Sport will have its maintenance immediately and is scheduled to competing Japanese Rally Championship round “Shinshiro Rally” end of this month, driven by Akira Bamba. | |
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| Yuya Sumiyama “For me, it was first time to compete Rally Japan since its base moved to Sapporo. I was considering the change of road as so many fast cars such as WR car run, and also number of entry itself was high. But the road became rougher than I expected. As I usually use Mitsubishi Lancer for competition, Swift Sport was quite different with basic strength or potential, so I may wrong the way of how push and how save. I had experience to drive FF machine only for test, but first time on actual competition. The way of control is different to powerful 4WD machine, so it would be good experience. That’s why I’m so shame as I was not able to complete the event. Also many Swift fans cheered me, so I fell so sorry for them. However we showed Swift Sport with Cusco Racing colour for many people on stage and liaison, so it was good.” |
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