Track Focus – Tamiya Raceway

Track Name – Tamiya Raceway
Country – USA
Location – Aliso Viejo, California
Surface – Asphalt
Direction – Anti-Clockwise
Previous Reedy Races hosted – 7

Combine what the World’s best touring drivers continually describe as their favourite track with their favourite race format and you have the Reedy International Race of Champions at the famous Tamiya Raceway in California.  Built next to the then American headquarters of Tamiya, the track opened in 1994 and hosted its first Reedy Race in 2002.  After a run of 6-years however a restructuring within Tamiya USA saw the entire site put up for sale with 2007 marking what was then thought to be the end of the road for the track and the hosting of the Reedy Race.  Luckily for racers, however, the new owners of the large former Tamiya building where Tamiya warehoused all its products had no interest in the track and it remained in the ownership of Tamiya USA whose offices are now 8-miles away in Irvine.

Following the building’s sale parking would become a new issue for the track and it wasn’t until last year with the clearing of an adjacent field that the Reedy Race’s return was possible. With the return to Tamiya Raceway combined with Scotty Ernst taking over the running of the event, 2014 saw a big revival of interest in the race that now remembers one of the sport’s great pioneers Mike Reedy.  Following on from last year’s successful return to its spiritual home, the event which this year celebrates its 18th continuous running has attracted its best quality of invite entry since its heydays.

Built in an area 170 ft wide by 70 ft deep, the first thing that hits you on seeing the track for the first time is how small it is but ask any of the drivers about this and it turns out to be irrelevant. They love it because of the opportunities it offers for overtaking, making it perfect for the 12 rounds of heads up racing that make up the Reedy Race schedule.  Having only raced on the Tamiya track once before the race had to find a new home but winning it on its return last year, Ronald Volker said the track is ‘perfect for heads up racing’, adding the ‘size and layout of the corners make for a few chances each lap to pass your rivals’.  The four time Euro Touring series Champion said having the straight in front of the drivers stand also adds an interesting element to the racing.   Commenting that the high curbing needed to be avoided, the German said the middle kink is the track’s key feature as risks through it can either help you gain time or send the car flying.  A four time winner of the event sharing the title of most crowned champion with Barry Baker, Marc Rheinard called the track ‘One of the best’. The Tamiya driver added ‘it’s small but nice’ and ‘even if it does have a few bumps, the layout is perfect for great racing’.

For the 12-months between Reedy Races, Tamiya use the track for marketing activities including the running of their Tamiya Championship Series. On a weekly basis every Saturday the track is opened to Tamiya customers to come and run their cars.  Every six weeks the track also runs a one day race event open to all brands of cars and later this year it will play host to the US National Championships.