TOUGE REDEMPTION

Touge (mountain pass) racing, as the name suggests, takes place on the Japanese mountain sides. Windy roads form the tracks where the races occur. The battle is always done in a one-on-one fashion.

The aim of touge is not to drift, but to be the fastest on a particular stretch of road. Drifting can be used to block the chaser or as a part of a driving strategy, but touge is traditionally focused on grip.

During the race , if the challenger cannot keep up with the leader, the race is lost. If he or she can keep up with the car in front closely, the battle is usually won by the chaser, or a second run is organised. If the chaser is able to pass the car in front, they automatically win the challange.  

The best cars for a touge course are often light weight and highly responsive, with an emphasis on handling and engine response rather than outright power. A good example of a touge machine is the "touge monster" Amuse Honda S2000 used in several episodes of BMI (Best Motoring).

Placing a series of s or bends in the steep roads that provide access to and from the high elevations of the mountains was intended to be a safety measure, usually to prevent commuters from reaching unstable speeds or creating excessive wear on the vehicles associated with them. It is therefore ironic that these same passes have become popular with street racers and motorsport enthusiasts in the last two decades, providing a dangerous and therefore challenging course where nightly competitions are not unheard of.

There are 3 different types of Touge battles.


Cat and Mouse/Sudden Death

The lead car wins if the space between the cars increases considerably, while the following car wins if the gap between them stays the same, decreases from start to finish or the following car overtakes the lead car. If any car spins out or crashes, the other one wins the race.

This method is used when the road area isn't wide enough to allow passing, but if the car in front does indeed somehow get passed, the overtaken car automatically loses.










Straight up

If the road is wide enough, this method comes into use. Instead of the lead and chase type of start, the cars are lined up next to each other. If there is a handicap in power, a rolling start would be used up until the 1st turn. Whoever is in front at the end of the "touge" road, is the winner.











Time Attack or Ghost Battle

A Challenge in which one car is timed from start to finish, and the opponent attempts to beat the other drivers time. The opponents do not actually race at the same time.