I am entering Coppa di Himeji 2022, held over two days, 4–5 June 2022, for the first time.
https://coppa-di-himeji.com/
Coppa di Himeji runs from Himeji Castle across the Banshū road and through green country into the Tamba region.
I am covering only day one, 4 June, starting from Himeji Ōtemae Park.
This whole year I have been aimed at the huge challenge of 14,000 km, Peking to Paris, and I had all but given up on entering any Japanese classic car rallies —
and then a chance arrived, carried by human love. Practically an act of God!
This time the car is a 1960s Alfa Romeo Sprint Zagato, prepared for me by the organisers.
And above everything —
the person I get to drive alongside is Kei Takeoka, a television personality and motoring journalist.
Beside a professional driver and personality, there is just me, someone who simply loves rallying with everything she has.
When I said, worried, “I can’t really talk about cars or mechanics, will that be all right?” —
she said, warmly, “This time I deliberately wanted someone who isn’t from the usual mechanic or motoring circles — it’ll be lovely if two women just enjoy chatting about their own experience rallying at home and abroad!” Another act of God.
And so off I went in good spirits. Two hours dead asleep on the shinkansen, then straight into the work, fully fired up!
For someone who has poured every waking and sleeping hour into this challenge to Peking to Paris, this looks like a rare moment of relief.
As for the competition — apparently there is no instrument fitted this time, so I hurriedly borrowed one from a friend and brought it along, though whether I can actually set it up is another question.
Well — my purpose in driving a rally is to hand people a smile, so (laughs)
this time I mean to bring a special smile from Himeji.
Continued in the rally report, part 2 …