
The recent Rally Challenge Toyota featured a big-name newcomer, with Kamui Kobayashi making his first appearance. Morizo assigned co-driving duties to automotive analyst Shinya Yamamoto, giving him a front-row view of the action.
Drive-through deliciousness

As the co-driver, I placed the order on my phone (it turns out you can’t buy more than 20 items at a time). Things got a bit tense as we waited for the “order ready” notification, but when we arrived at the store, thankfully everything was already packed.
We safely made it to TC with very little time lost. Still, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine showing up to McDonald’s in a racing suit… Not something I would encourage everyone to copy.
And we didn’t forget to pay our compliments: “In racing, a drive-through is a penalty, but this one was plain delicious. How about becoming a sponsor? (laughs)” The burgers we bought really were served up as lunch for the other team members, including a very pleased Morizo. “I’ve never had one of these before—it’s really good!”

After a quick service, we headed to Toyota Stadium for the final stage, SS4. As in Rally Japan, two cars ran at the same time, and our opponent was a turbo Mira e:S driven by fellow automotive journalist Mitsuhiro Kunisawa.
Here too, the course was straightforward enough for me to keep directions to a minimum and simply enjoy the driving. We lost a little time on the long first corner, with cold tires making for a slightly rough start, but aside from that the driving was close to flawless.
Kamui’s time was second fastest overall, just 0.3 seconds shy of first place! “It was difficult to choose gears on many of the corners,” Kamui commented. “I was looking to finish on top, so the result was a bit disappointing.”
In the final standings, Kamui ended up seventh. It’s tempting to blame that SS1 error, but then again, that’s part of rally. Regardless, the way he jumped behind the wheel and instantly adapted to the situation was also the mark of a true professional.
I finished the day by asking him to share his thoughts on the whole experience. “Above all, it was an awesome day, and a lot of fun,” he replied, looking very pleased. “In racing, I rarely drive circuits that I don’t already know, so the exploration side of rally was really fresh and exciting. Although I’m sure you’re supposed to prepare better pace notes and go in with more confidence… At first I didn’t care about the results at all, but after finishing, I felt a twinge of disappointment. I hope I have a chance to take part again.” In the end, the competitive side always comes out.

After the event, I bumped into Takamoto Katsuta, the first person Kamui had turned to about competing in rally. He immediately asked how Kamui had fared.
When I told him that he had a lot of fun, loved the experience, and wanted to do it again, Katsuta looked pleased. “I’m so glad to hear he liked rally. I’ll be waiting for him in the WRC (laughs).”
Having a driver as influential as Kamui Kobayashi experience rally and share its appeal in various ways will no doubt help in reaching new audiences, those with no previous knowledge or interest in the sport.
Ultimately, I hope that these efforts will make not just rally but all motorsports more accessible. In the meantime, we can look forward to seeing what motorsport crossover Kamui tackles next!