Takumi Fujiwara vs Sakamoto

The battle between Takumi Fujiwara and Sakamoto is the thirty-fourth battle of Initial D.

Prior to the Battle
Project.D arrives deeper in Saitama after dispatching Kyoko Iwase and Nobuhiko Akiyama, and they're scheduled to battle in the tricky Maze Pass. Using what limited data he could gather from being annhilated by Takumi, Nobuhiko hires Sakamoto, a rally driver, and furnishes him with a small Suzuki Cappuccino. The race is run under heavy rain.

During the Battle
Takumi is utterly dumbfounded, as he had so far relied on his car's agility advantage to win - however, the diminutive Cappuccino, driven by an experienced driver with plenty of knowledge on how to handle minimal grip situations, is impossible to defeat in a cornering battle. Takumi spends most of the battle confused and desperate until he remembers Kyoichi Sudo's technique and successfully emulates it - culminating in a suicidal move that almost destroys the 86. Unfazed by the mistake, he nevertheless pressures Sakamoto into blocking wildly in a straight, upon which he chooses to forego his pride and overtakes in the straight using a Blind Attack to negate Sakamoto's weaving, as the Cappuccino was not wide enough to cover the whole course.

After the Battle
Takumi's victory comes at a cost: Ryosuke says that had he let his pride get in the way and not passed Sakamoto at the straight, he would not have won, and the scare from the earlier mistake while trying to copy an AWD car's handling could have had disastrous consequences. Regardless, he takes it as a learning experience.

Fourth Stage

 * Drivin' Crazy - Ace
 * Raising Hell - Fastway
 * Movin' Up Moving Now - Jean Love
 * On My Wings - Manuel
 * I Believe In Lovin' You - Brian Ice

Battle Stage 2

 * Sun In The Rain - Manuel
 * Play Loud - Go 2

Arcade Stage 8 Infinity

 * Kiss - Bamboo Bimbo

Arcade Stage 8 RivalSide Info
Story arc: Northern Saitama Alliance

Driver: Sakamoto

Car: Suzuki Cappuccino (EA11R)

Opponent: Takumi Fujiwara

Team: Project D

Car: Toyota Trueno GT-APEX (AE86)

Mission: Outrun the Rival

Course: Sadamine

Rule: Downhill

Start: Standing

Weather: Rain

Time of day: Night