The “Mira YS” of the D-SPORT Racing Team participates in the All Japan Rally Championship
The D-SPORT Racing Team will hold an event in Gamagori, Aichi Prefecture, from March 1 to 3 as part of their efforts to “make better and better cars” based on motorsports and to create fans through activities that expand the reach of sports motorsports He is participating in the first round of the All Japan Rally Championship, “Rally Mikawa Bay 2024”, which will be held in cities like the city.
The participating vehicle is not the previous Daihatsu “Copen”, but the “Mira eS” which participated in the “K4GP” light car endurance race in 2023, and the engine was replaced with the Copen’s turbo specification to make it more fun to drive in the motorsports landscape… The transmission has also been replaced with a 5-speed Copen MT. Furthermore, the lightened version has the roll cage, suspension, brakes, wheels and tires replaced with the sports version.
D-SPORT Racing Team driver Taisuke Aihara (left) and co-driver Tsukasa Hagino (right) participate in Round 1 of the All Japan Rally Championship “Rally Mikawawan 2024”
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As for why he chose to enter the All-Japan Rally with the Mira Y instead of the Copen, driver Aihara said, “The reason I created this vehicle in the first place was how to make the Mira Y, which is an eco-friendly car, turning it into a loved car that car enthusiasts would be thrilled about. The starting point was, “Is this any good?” and we are currently working on that by sharing ideas with all car enthusiasts. car.The Mira YS weighs 710kg even with the roll cage fitted.If it doesn’t have the roll cage it’s around 600kg.If you boost the turbo engine it will produce around 80hp so I think we can propose that this is enough to enjoy motorsports,” he says, explaining the purpose of building the car.
The first round of the All Japan Rally Championship “Rally Mikawawan 2024” will be held from March 1 to 3. We asked D-SPORT Racing Team driver Taisuke Aihara why he participates in the Mira YS.
Mr. Aihara continues: “During the summer endurance race I participated in last year, the poor heat dissipation became obvious and I realized that countermeasures were necessary. Therefore, in preparation for my participation in the All Japan Rally Championship , I installed an intake duct in the hood. , we added two heat exhaust ducts. We also drilled a hole at the base of the A-pillar and installed a one-off heat dissipation fin duct. This was an idea of a mechanic. When we used to build a car like this, different departments work together. Progress tends to be slow when you’re in a situation like this, but now the company’s way of thinking and everyone’s mindset in DGR (DAIHATSU GAZOO Racing) have changed, and as a team, we’re all expressing opinions like, ‘It would be great if we had something like that.’ I’m doing it while I’m there,” he says.
A new intake duct and two exhaust heat ducts were installed on the hood. The exhaust heat duct was installed at the base of the A-pillar. The duct that sends air to the intercooler has also been designed to not be affected by heat in the air. engine room as possible. A heat-resistant adhesive is said to have been glued onto it.
He also said the brakes were borrowed from the Copen which took part in the rally last year, saying: “The car models for which you can use the parts are good value for money in many ways, and they can be sold as aftermarket models, and they can be imitated. It’s easy to tune. Maybe if we get a lot of feedback from users who say, “I want this kind of car,” the manufacturer might take action, or there might be a way to sell it as kit with the D-SPORT brand to customize used cars. No, nothing has been decided yet. My dream is to be able to accommodate four people and participate in the All-Japan Rally with my father’s pocket money!”, he says , as he continues to explore various possibilities while building the car. Aihara says he is putting them into practice.
The brakes are from Copen which participated in the rally last year. One of the advantages of choosing a usable car model is that the wheels have also been changed from the endurance race, and the “PROGRESSIVE MODEL TE37KCR”, which is said to balance all aspects of Rays safety, comfort and power performance. The size is 15 x 5.0 J
It’s only the first race since the version was updated for rally use, and as it’s cold weather we’ll continue to monitor progress to see if there are any heat countermeasures in place. However, we felt it lacked rigidity around the front, so we will be using the tower bar in the future. The company is also considering installing a reinforcing bar that connects the base of the A-pillar to the front. Pay attention to its future evolution.
Bulbs such as headlights, taillights, turn signals and position lights have been replaced with PIAA products, which have excellent vibration resistance.
The Mikawa Bay Rally will be live-streamed on YouTube until March 3, including SS9 and SS12, so be sure to check it out.
RALLY Mikawa Bay 2024 Live SS9
RALLY Sanhewan 2024 Live SS12
[#2]Mikawa Bay Rally 2024 Morizou Challenge Cup SSS KIZUNA/Demo Run Live Broadcast | TOYO TIMES SPORTS One of the attractions is seeing rally cars racing around the city. Driving scene on the SS7 passing the roundabout in front of Gamagori station
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