Tora Takagi, What Happened?

[GP Racer]

Tora Takagi, started out like a ball of fire this season, and looked like a threat to win some races, but he has since fallen off the radar screen. His one time student, Matsurra, has overtaken him now, and is making Tora look like the rookie.

So what happened? The car seemed to be fine, early on, as he took 4th at Homestead, 8th in Phoenix, and 10th at Motegi. But in the rest of the races, he has only one other top 10 finish, at Texas, where he finished 10th.

How much longer does Takagi have?

[Kicking-back]

The crash in qualifying at Motegi seemed to sap his confidence - and the team don't seem to have a handle on the setups needed with the new 3l engines.

He'll definitely see out the season but I don't know if he'll be back next year.

[Tim Northcutt]

Wonder how much of Mo Nunn's money is tied to Takagi???

and if he is gone, where does that leave Mo Nunn???

[GP Racer]

I was wondering if there was a money tie-in myself.

If there weren't, than I think Tora would be gone already...

But good point KB, about the team not doing well since the introduction of the 3.0ltr engine. That could have something to do with things.

[Kicking-back]

I don't think Takagi is bringing the money - Mo is carrying the same sponsors as he had in the past with Kanaan and Zanardi - it's just that Toyota like Tora.

[Down F0rce]

I belive that it's Pioneer's Japan division that's the sponsor too...

[GP Racer]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
it's just that Toyota like Tora.

Thats got to be troubling for Mo, to be strapped with a driver that isn't doing well, that doesn't speak much English, which means little feedback for set-up and the like, and from what I've heard, has no real repore with the team.

[Kicking-back]

Takagi is a strange one.

Peerless in Formula Nippon - but the same problems as you mention in F1, Champ Car and IRL.

[brightline]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
I don't think Takagi is bringing the money - Mo is carrying the same sponsors as he had in the past with Kanaan and Zanardi - it's just that Toyota like Tora.

While the Mo Nunn car is carrying Pioneer colors in the same paint scheme, I believe it is the Japanese division that sponsors Takagi now, while when Kanaan and Zanardi raced in CART that was the American Pioneer division now associated with Rahal. Takagi also had Pioneer colors with Walker at the same time in CART. Same name different dollar/yen source. Although, I could be wrong.

[evo]

Yeah, the American Pioneer sponsors Rahal-Letterman

[BootsOntheSide]

Maybe Nippon is a much lower standard of racing, and he simply isn't good enough for anything higher? He didn't make good use of Toyota power last year, and hasn'r recovered from Motegi. If Mo can get another fundng source for another driver, I'd rather see him get the focus, perhaps keeping Tora on for Toytoa's sake.

[Tim Northcutt]

In another thread where we talked about Sharp and Carpenter, I raised the same point about Takagi's dropoff and the tie to the 3.0 L engine coming about....and also his inability to communicate with his engineers....

You can't fix a bad set-up if the driver isn't giving you enough info that you can translate into changes to the car...

Indy really illustrated this when Simmons jumped into a second car and in short order was faster than Takagi had been all month long...

Why???

Simmons gave the team feedback so they could tune the set-up...

[Tenoch]

I think you hit the nail right on the head there Tim, I myself a have been Studying Japanese for four years and everything is completely different. I feel that Tora has sort of gotten the vibe that the team seess as a token Japanese driver so maybe he himself isnt that motivated to perform on a team with such regards to him.
But Tora will always be one of my favorite drivers because he is the TIger!!

[Kicking-back]

He's a bloody good driver though.

He could do with either a) a Japanese engineer or b) a team-mate

[Team Owner]

I think Tora got spooked somewhere along the line. The only time the team sees him is just before session or the race. He has virtually no contact with the team and that doesn't wash well with the mechanics.

[Tim Northcutt]

Didn't Tora have a wallbanger at Motegi???

He also had a hit or a minor incident at Indy in practice, if I remember correctly....

Anyone remember for sure???

That could be what has "spooked him"....

Because I do remember reading "Pit Notes" in the Star that made refereneces to Takagi's people saying that he wasn't keeping his foot into it going to the corners in May...

[Kicking-back]

He did have a big crash in Motegi practice.

[Tim Northcutt]

Thanks, Kicking-back...I thought he did have a hard hit...

[GP Racer]

It's odd though, that most veteran drivers get over a hard hit, and just move on. It always amazed me how they are able to do that, but they just do. But it does seem that the hit at Motegi has ruined Takagi.

Really, there are other drivers that I would like to see get that seat. If Mo going to get to the sharp end of the field, he needs another driver.

[Tim Northcutt]

I'd have to agree with you GP Racer....

As competitive as the IRL has become, you can't be spending the money they are spending to have a pilot in the seat who won't put his foot into it and drive it hard and fast...

But I don't know how dependent Mo Nunn Racing is on whatever $$$ are tied to Takagi...

He may be stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one...

[Kicking-back]

Satoshi Motoyama might be worth a shot.

[GP Racer]

I'm thinking Roger Yasakawa. Where is he these days, and didn't he have Toyota ties?

[BootsOntheSide]

He has Honda ties, so that won't happen. Motegi and Indy are all the racing he's likely to do this year.

Maybe Tora can rebuild his confidence over the winter, or by taking a break for a few races. Hopefully Pioneer Japan would allow them to have Simmons in the car for a while, or even fund a second car for him for a few races.

[Kicking-back]

Yasukawa is American, not Japanese.

[GP Racer]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
Yasukawa is American, not Japanese.

That I knew KB. Second generation Japanese though, so it would be the best of both worlds to me!

Good driver and nice guy. He would make a nice addition. I thought he had Toyota ties, but Boots corrected me...