Sports Car Digest - The Sports, Racing and Vintage Car Journal
Sports Car Digest focuses on Classic Car Auctions, Concours d’Elegance, Vintage Car Racing, Road Rallies and other historic automotive events.
A long-term resident of Tokyo, Len Clarke has been promoting motorsport – specifically Japanese motorsport – for the past ten years. An expert on what is a highly-organized and mature sector in Japan, Len reports to publications overseas on the current state of all the international-level series in the country. Clients include some of the top Japanese manufacturers, including NISSAN (NISMO) and SUBARU (STI).
Director at RACENOW Japan, Len’s experience and relationship strength in the Japanese motorsport field allows unparalleled access to teams, constructors, series’ organizers, circuits, drivers and decision-makers. Sponsor activation and client support is also a major part of the RACENOW Japan service menu – aligning primarily out-of-sector clients with the most cost-effective solutions with the most successful teams in Japanese motorsport. www.racenowjapan.com
Report and photos by Len Clarke Rally Nippon had its fourth running over November 3-6, 2012, this year's route taking the more than 80 classic cars through eight of the nation's 47 prefectures as it wended its way from Kyoto to Tokyo over a demanding and fast-paced four-day schedule covering nearly eleven hundred kilometres (675 miles). By far the youngest event on the historic rallying … [Read more...]
Tried and True – Continued success on Japan’s oldest Autumnal rally Report and photos by Len Clarke La Festa Autunno 2012 was held October 19-22, starting and ending in Tokyo. The third weekend of October saw the cream of Japan’s crop of historic rally machinery take to the highways and byways in and around Tokyo for the annual jaunt in honour of the world’s most famous rally, … [Read more...]
Report and photos by Len Clarke The Japan Classic Car Association (JCCA) has just had their second gathering of 2012 at a blustery Fuji Speedway. In what is traditionally the first on-track outing of the year for the “minor touring” cars and other classic Japanese tintops, it was a busy paddock in the shadow of the great mountain. The day comprised a full schedule of on-track action in … [Read more...]
Ferrari Racing Days at Suzuka Circuit, March 17-18, 2012 Report and photos by Len Clarke The first-ever Ferrari Racing Days event in Japan attracted a bumper crowd of more than 21,700 fans to Suzuka Circuit over three days, with an estimated 600+ Ferrari owners in their predominantly red mounts turning the paddock parking area into something very impressive visually. Amazingly, this figure … [Read more...]
New Year Meeting 2012 - Starting the Year Off in Style Report and photos by Len Clarke For auto enthusiasts in Tokyo and its surrounding areas, the end of January means the New Year Meeting, an annual event that brings together an almost unimaginable array of cars and assorted vehicles, both domestic and foreign, for a day of auto-sensory overload. It’s a car lover’s dream. Organized … [Read more...]
Rally Nippon 2011 – From Japan’s Modern to Ancient Capitals Report and photos by Len Clarke The 2011 running of Rally Nippon, quickly establishing itself as the last big event on the historic calendar here, went from Tokyo to Kyoto, making stops at some of the country’s most beautiful temples and shrines along the way. First held in 2009, Rally Nippon has gained a remarkable amount … [Read more...]
Report and photos by Len Clarke La Festa Autunno was held October 8-12, 2011, starting and ending in Tokyo. Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2011, La Festa Autunno is Japan’s most well-known historic rallying event, and attracts some of the finest machinery in this, a country filled with automotive works of art. Begun in 1997, the event, originally known as La Festa Mille Miglia, … [Read more...]
Rally Nippon 2010 – A Pleasant Assault On The Senses Story and photos by Len Clarke The first weekend of November saw the running of Rally Nippon 2010, an event that, despite being only in its second edition (after debuting in 2009), has become the end-of-season round in the Japanese historic rally season. Featuring cars that would make any aficionado’s eyes weep, this is a … [Read more...]
