Dai Yoshihara Goes Down Under with Evasive Motorsports for 2024 WTAC

We had high hopes for ENEOS ambassadors Dai Yoshihara and Evasive Motorsports, as the team prepared to embark on an incredible voyage to Australia for the 2024 World Time Attack Challenge. The goal: to set the fastest lap time for an American-built Honda, utilizing Evasive’s S2000RS, which was revamped for overseas time attack duty.

However, the dream would be short lived, though no fault of the team’s doing. Customs held the container long enough (due to another vehicle sharing its space) to prevent the team from finding a cost-effective alternative to help the S2000RS reach Australia in time for the race.

Dai and Evasive decided to move forward with their adventure, however, sans S2000RS, to see WTAC for the first time, meet with the race organizers and experience the motorsports festival. Dai would also have an opportunity to borrow a couple of JDM vehicles from local shops GT Evolution and Dahtone Racing to cruise the streets of Sydney.

While this was the first time Evasive attended WTAC, it wasn’t for Dai, who was invited in 2015 as a special guest drift judge, but didn’t have a chance to walk around, drive the circuit or meet with the public. He finally got his chance to take a few hot laps around Sydney Motorsports Park in the JDMYard FL5 Civic Type R for the first time in his pro driving career.

WTAC’s organizers were kind enough to provide Dai with his own private session, which he utilized to his full extent. With zero distractions, Dai noted the course was “very flowy”, not very high speed with the exception of Turn 1, where he felt more practice time and additional aero/suspension tuning could help him take it at full speed. They also discovered similarities to WeatherTech Laguna Seca, where the S2000RS clocked a 1:25.526 lap time in a previous exhibition, so they feel confident it could also perform well at Sydney Motorsports Park, should they decide to reattempt the race in the future.

Though not a competitor, Dai was still regarded as a guest of honor for WTAC. Fans lined up to see the Japanese drifter at the Yokohama Stage autograph sessions, bringing rare Dai memorabilia for him to sign. He was also invited to be a guest speaker alongside several other time attack legends, and was interviewed one-on-one on the WTAC livestream, which organizers say received record views.

While WTAC didn’t go exactly as planned for Dai and Evasive, the team still had a memorable time at what they consider to be a premier time attack racing series. And don’t count the S2000RS out yet…we should be seeing it back in action much sooner than anticipated!

Photos and additional reporting: Pit+Paddock