The battle between Takumi Fujiwara and Sakamoto is the thirty-fifth 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 annihilated 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. As Takumi overtakes Sakamoto, this shocks Itsuki, Iketani, and the rest of the Speedstars as they back away from the two vehicles.
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.
Music[]
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
1-ryu Condition: Win with a lead of 40 m
Cho 1-ryu Condition: Win with a lead of 100 m
Course: Sadamine
Rule: Downhill
Start: Standing
Weather: Rain
Time of day: Night