Our thanks to HS30-H for some sweet pictures from the Nismo festival in Japan.

You can check out the pictures by clicking here.

There are some pretty sweet replicas in that gallery!

Mike, thanks for making a NISMO FESTIVAL category for the photos and moving them in there.

Just in case anyone was wondering, the NISMO FESTIVAL is a yearly one-day event in Japan ( held at FUJI SPEEDWAY, right under Mt. Fuji ) where NISMO and Nissan basically have a "thank you" day for their race fans. They pull out a lot of contemporary and historic race cars, and demonstrate them on the track. There are big club displays and many of the private race teams and tuners have cars and parts on display. There are also usually many bargain parts on sale, and lots of give-aways.

This year's event ( Sunday 1st December ) was dominated by the retirement of one of Japan's most successful racers - Mr Kazuyoshi Hoshino. In a career spanning more than three decades, Hoshino won just about everything there was to win in Japanese domestic racing. Some say he was the best driver Japan has ever had, but did not make the right moves at the right time to have international success. Hoshino is of interest to "us" early Z fans, as he was one of the so-called "7 Samurai" of SCCN Works Z / GT-R / Sunny etc. Nissan drivers. Some of Hoshino's old race cars were demonstrated on the track, and some replicas of cars that no longer exist were allowed to take part.

The Saturday "practice" day was dry and sunny, with a crisp breeze blowing over a snow-capped Mt. Fuji. I was lucky enough to be granted a "Press" pass by NISMO on behalf of the Japanese magazine that I work with, and this gained me entry to the track on the Saturday which is not normally open to the public. I was able to meet up with my friends Mr Terashima and Mr Matsui, who both had cars running in the event.

Sadly, the main day on Sunday was spoiled by absolutely miserable rain and very cold winds. This put something of a damper on the whole event, and the track demonstrations were severely restricted by standing water on the track. However, we made the best of it and there was still a very big turnout of club cars and spectators. The car parks are arguably just as interesting as the main event at the NISMO Festival!

Apart from the all too real rain clouds, another dark cloud hung over the event. Nissan have just sold Fuji Speedway to rivals Toyota, who have plans to redevelop the track and modernise it to current F1 standards. Nissan have managed to sell off one of their great heritage sites ( Fuji was always seen as Nissan's "Home" race track ) and pretty much ensure that it will never be the same again. The bulldozers were already waiting....................

Hard to say whether there will be a 2003 NISMO Festival at all, let alone where it will be held.

Alan T.

When I click on Mike's link, I get to a page that has places for images, but in each place is a notation that "Image is pending Approval" or somesuch thing. Am I doing something wrong? I love to see the photo's

Carl

Hi Carl,

It should work now. The system was waiting for me to approve more images submitted by Alan.

Hi all,

I've put a few more images up now, but could't help noticing that the pictures of the Z33s are getting more hits than almost all the others.................

What does it mean?!? Does this signify something that I don't understand?!? Is this site populated by secret Z33 admirers?

Comments welcome.

Alan T.

Actually, it does look better in racing trim than it does in street trim.....Guess that's why everyone wants to look at it, to see if they have made a "silk purse out of a sow's ear"ROFL

Ok - I take it back. Some of the other pics have caught up again now. Thought it was weird how many initial hits the Z33 pics were getting............was it my imagination?

Funnily enough, some of my friends who were with me at the 2001 event ( and its hoo-ha "launch" of the Fairlady Z33 with Katayama and Ghosn driving it around the track ) started saying that they have now changed their minds about the car ( eek! ). We found ourselves looking at the racer and a couple of the other tuned Z33's knocking around the paddock, and finding that we did not find them quite so repellent as last year's "launch" car. I thought familarity bred contempt, not acceptance............. was Nissan putting something in our drinking water?!? Have they changed the car since last year?

We were still joking about those door handles over dinner though. Could they be some kind of surreptitious door spoiler? Did they find something amazing in the wind tunnel? Have they now replaced the refrigerator door handles in their design studio?

Alan T.

Alan,

the pics are fantastic!

is there anyway i can ask you to email me more?

or do you have a server i could DL them from?

my email addy that can take large attachments is:

ericbinjapan@yahoo.com

how wide are the wats on the black ZR in the back??? 10 or 12? to fit so nicely under the works flares.... wow... awesome!

-e

Hi Eric,

Thanks for the positive comment on the photos. Haven't had many other comments at all.............

Sorry to say that I do not have a server where you could download the photos from. I could send you some photos in a higher resolution than the ones I put up here, but it would be much better for me if you told me what particular car / cars you wanted to see and what kind of resolution you want them in ( depends on what you will be doing with them? ). I would not be able to send too many in a high res. at it would take a lot of time. All the photos I took are on transparencies or high re. digital, and reducing / saving them for the gallery took a lot of effort. Let me know what you need.

Mr Terashima's 240ZR replica ( that's the green and white car - not black ) was running 12J x 15 Watanabes at the back, and 10J x 15 at the front. He would have preferred to run 14 inch wheels for more authenticity, but Dunlop Japan could not supply any race tires for them - so he had to go for 15's.

By the way, his car is a near-as-dammit replica of one of the SCCN Works cars that ran in the 1973 Suzuka 1000km race, driven by Takahashi and Tohira, in case you are interested.

Regards,

Alan T.

You're right, no way we could take those nice shots for granted, we are spoiled!!!! You deserve a big "BRAVO" Alan, first for the picts, nicely done, you've got an A+ on History Shot, do you have any wild shot? those ZG sure have some nice curves to explore...

And you deserve the Super Sweepstake because all of you should realize that those shot where taken in Japan... and Alan leave in London, quite a trip for some week-end shots...

fred

Hi All,

Firstly, welcome back to Alan.

Alan, those photos are beautiful!!! They really made my day, came home really tired from a 14hr day at work and seeing those pics instantly made me have a HUGE smile

You are really a lucky bugger, all the S30 literature that you have, and being able to attend those kinds of events is as good as winning the lottery (if not better)

Some have it all ...

Alan,

words fail at times. Your knowledge and devotion to all things Zed earns a "distinguished honour"and Masters in Zedology.

Step worth and recieve your masters degree. Alan T MA[zed].

Changing subject, is there any interest in the Works or replica Rally Cars in Japan?

I didn't notice any posted [excuse me if you did]?

Alan,

I notice 3 pictures of a Z432 appear in the gallery. Did you get any pictures of the engine bay on that car?

Hayden.