Keisuke Takahashi vs Aikawa

The battle between Keisuke Takahashi and Aikawa is the thirty-seventh battle of Initial D.

Prior to the Battle
During a practice run, Keisuke's FD runs over an oil slick (placed by the Lancer Evo drivers) and crashes hard, destroying the front-right axle. Utterly dejected, he considers withdrawing, but Ryosuke has other plans; aware that Kyoko Iwase has been tailing them, he reaches out to her, and she gratefully lends her FD as a replacement. Her words are "Don't lose, Darling!"

During the Battle
While initially struggling to adapt to a vastly different car to his, even if they are the same model, Keisuke quickly picks up and pressures the Evo V into an extremely tight gap he knows he can shoot and ends the battle with a quick pass through a construction barrier. Aikawa states that they're nearly about to crash near the barrier since they don't have space and curses in anger just as he concedes the race.

After the Battle
Aikawa brashly claims that Keisuke played foul by running him out of space, but is refuted by Keisuke himself noting just how much space there was to the outside - far more than was enough, far less than what the Evo V's driver's skill could manage. Ichijo then began to race Takumi, who assured the latter that he will lose.

Fourth Stage

 * Blood And Fire - Powerful T.
 * Kingo King'O Beat - Fastway

Battle Stage 2

 * Just For Me - Vivi

Arcade Stage 8 Infinity

 * Far From The Light - Leo River

Arcade Stage 8 RivalSide Info
Story arc: Tsuchisaka Lan Evo Team (Men in Lan Evos)

Driver: Aikawa (Man in Evo V)

Car: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V RS (CP9A)

Opponent: Keisuke Takahashi

Team: Project D

Car: Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S)

Mission: Preserve the Steering Gauge

1-ryu Condition: Keep at least 1 Steering Gauge intact

Cho 1-ryu Condition: Keep at least 2 Steering Gauges intact

Course: Tsuchisaka

Rule: Outbound

Start: Standing

Weather: Clear

Time of day: Night