Omega Drag Races 2007: Okinawa
The past weekend was a pretty successful and productive one. Friday was a Japanese public holiday due to it being Japanese Thanksgiving and so I decided to make use of the day off. So at 8am I met up with a dive student to finish her Advanced Open Water licence. She did very well and is a very competent diver. Couldn’t believe when I checked my logbook that it had been 5 weeks since I’d been in the water. No wonder I’d be getting withdrawal symptoms! The water has cooled down a little but it was really good to get back into the ocean. In addition, I managed to see 2 of my favourite marine creature: the cuttlefish. I think out of all the marine life you see, they look most like something not of this world. I’m always fascinated whenever I lay eyes on them, and this time was no different. It also felt good to get another diver signed off, and it means I’m only one more certification off improving my instructor status to Master Scuba Diver Instructor, which I’m pretty stoked about. Staying on the diving theme, Kadena Marina have also got into gear and have sent me a contract for working with them part time. I’ve got to finish reading it and making sure exactly what I’m signing but hopefully I’ll be able to get it back to them at the weekend and will be on their books some time in early December.
And then on Sunday I went to the Omega drag racing tournament in Nago yesterday as a spectator. I was so close to entering but decided that I really needed a new clutch (and a clue about how to do drag racing!) so I just decided to watch this time. Was good fun though, and the Japanese really know how to power up their cars. S13s, Skylines (a lot of them), and even an old skool Datsun was there doing runs, and some of them were hella-quick. But standing out from the pack were 2 Evos: an Evo I, and an Evo III, being driven by my friend here in Okinawa. It was the first event she’s entered in Japan and she was the first woman to ever enter this drag racing event. She certainly ruffled some feathers and after a slightly nervy start, came in 3rd place in her class. Not bad at all considering the majority of the car is stock and the track is slippery as ice (coral-based roads are killers in Okinawa). I think the Japanese drivers were mostly in a state of shock and shame that a foreign woman was keeping up (and beating) them! Just goes to show the early Evos can hold it with the best of them.
So without further adue, here are some shots of the event:
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