Keisuke Takahashi vs Hideo Minagawa

The battle between Keisuke Takahashi and Hideo Minagawa is the forty-third battle of Initial D.

Prior to the Battle
Following the battle between Takumi Fujiwara and Kai Kogashiwa, Keisuke is promptly matched with Hideo Minagawa for the next battle. Minagawa notes that Keisuke has consecutive wins against 4WD cars and chooses him to start in the lead position, telling Keisuke to "let me see your proud sprint dash". Keisuke tells Kenta Nakamura that this battle has a "special meaning" to him.

During the Battle
Keisuke starts in the lead position as Minagawa wished. The battle begins and Keisuke appears to hold back as usual, waiting for the right moment to sprint off. Minagawa arrogantly states that the "amateurs" Keisuke previously faced couldn't use their car's full potential, stating that he could overtake Keisuke simply by using tire management. Ryosuke Takahashi discusses his decision to choose Takumi Fujiwara over Keisuke for Project D's battle with Tachi Tomoyuki. While spectating, Eiji Kubo and Go Hojo evaluate Keisuke's potential, noting his refined accelerator work. They state that Minagawa has a few advantages but point out that his Supra has an incredibly heavy body as compared to Keisuke's light, nimble FD3S. As the battle continues, Ryosuke states that Minagawa's professionalism is something that street racers cannot attain. He also has a flashback to himself giving Keisuke a "training" menu to improve his accelerator proficiency following the Project D expedition in the Tochigi prefecture.

Fifth Stage

 * Rockin' Hardcore - Fastway
 * Crazy On Emotion - Ace

Arcade Stage 8 Infinity

 * Adrenaline - Ace

Arcade Stage 8 RivalSide Info
Story arc: R.T. Katagiri S.V.

Driver: Hideo Minagawa

Car: Toyota Supra RZ (JZA80)

Opponent: Keisuke Takahashi

Team: Project D

Car: Mazda RX-7 Type R (FD3S)

Mission: Preserve the Steering Gauge

Course: Nagao

Rule: Uphill

Start: Standing

Weather: Clear

Time of day: Night