Bonding and Bonded - fujitsu.com · Mr. Ota said describing his personality. So when he retreated into his own shell, his friends joined hand in hand to break the shell. Mr. Ota's

Racing driver / Automotive critic

T e t s u y a O t a

　Probably not many people have

been to a racing circuit. Not to mention,

driving a car on a race track may be

something you've never imagined doing

in your life.

　But actually, many race circuits allow

anyone to drive their own vehicle if

they take training courses to obtain a

license. By reserving a race track, auto

parts shops, amateur racing clubs and

the editorial teams of car magazines

organize track meets and sandlot car

races, which gather auto enthusiasts to

compete with their stock-cars.

　Among these amateur racing clubs,

the most unique of its kind is “Tetsuya

Ota and the Middle-aged racers”

(officially called TEZZORACERS CLUB).

The club is headed by Mr. Tetsuya Ota,

a race driver & automobile critic who

made his name in numerous races

including appearing four straight-years

in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and is also

known to be the “Japan's best Ferrari

handler.”

　But here's the problem: in order to

join the club, you have to be not less

than 40 years old. “When you become

forty, you gradually get the idea about

where your life leads to and begin to

wonder about whether you can take

on a new challenge. But you know,

no matter how old you are, you can

challenge new things and stay cool.

Using cars as the driving force to

encourage more adults to be like that,

I think it will give dreams to children

and put the brakes on the current trend

of young people losing their interest

in cars,” Mr. Ota explained about the

purpose of the club.

　Besides this, he also engages in

many other activities. He runs a driving

school at the racetrack to coach people

about the necessary driving skills

needed for safe driving on the road. In

order to teach the young generation

the can-do spirit, he started a non-

profit organization “KEEP ON RACING”

and visited many schools all over

the country to lecture children about

the importance of taking on new

challenges, as well as to provide

support for the recovery of the disaster

affected areas. On top of this, he owns a

tuning brand “TEZZO” that specializes in

his signature tuning, and a showroom

that displays and sells custom cars.

　For anyone, this looks like a rose-

tinted, second career for a successful

racing driver who turns 53 this year.

But to get this point in life, it was not

that simple. In 1998, at the age of T e t s u y a O t aI N T E R V I E W

In no year before this last year after the devastating earthquake, have so many people felt that death is something that is all around us. Today when we are at a crossroads where the possibility of living our ephemeral life in the most sincere way is called into question, Tetsuya Ota shared his insights. All he needed to take the challenge was a bond of support and encouragement.

How to be a cool role modelthat inspires people to engage in life

Second Life to Sharethe Meaning of Challenge

38, he was critically injured in a crash

during a race, which not only put his

career as a racing driver on hold but

put his life on the verge of extinction.

He described his struggle as saying,

Text:Akira YokotaPhotograph:Yukio Yoshinari

Below pic: After the quake on March 11, 2011,

Mr. Ota immediately acted to set up “Keep on

Racing” - a team of volunteers to assist the

recovery of the disaster-stricken area. The move

quickly gathered support from the motorsports

community. Mr. Ota with Shinichi Ito, a

motorcycle road racer, who himself was affected

by the disaster, but came out of retirement last

year in order to give courage to the survivors, and

won the Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance Race. Shot at

the disaster-affected area.

Above pic: “Tezzo Racers Club” members in

matching racing suits strike a gallant pose at the

track.

KIZUNA – The Human Bond Bonding and Bonded　2

No Human can live alone. Every individual is supported by many other people and every individual supports many others. We are all intertwined by human bonds and we live our lives laughing at times and crying at times. What is created from the bond that ties us together?

2 FIND Vol.30 No.2 3FIND Vol.30 No.2

No Escape From the Deepest Bottom of Despair

him forcefully dragged him out to the

track for a meeting organized by his

publisher and reminded him of the joy

of driving on the racetrack. His wife

encouraged him to write his memoir

and introduced him to the book editor

by tracking down her acquaintances.

“I'm actually very pessimistic in nature,”

Mr. Ota said describing his personality.

So when he retreated into his own shell,

his friends joined hand in hand to break

the shell.

　Mr. Ota 's books depict these

extraordinary struggles of a man to get

back on his feet in a rather ordinary

manner. And the real heroes in the

books are his wife and two children, the

doctors, and his friends. The story, in

tribute to these people who sometimes

had to play bad guys to help him

sustain the bond between him and the

world, has produced a new growing

bond.

　“One high school girl who read ‘Crash'

sent me an invitation letter for an event

that brought together students from 50

high schools.”

　On the day he appeared in public for

the first time since the accident, he held

a steering wheel with his casted right

hand and drove up in his Ferrari in front

of students. He instantly became the

center of attention, just like the same

hero prior to the accident.

　“When girls asked for autographs, I

felt like, ‘I'm a hot shot.' Come to think

about it, kids today rarely see grownups

taking on real challenges.”

　A criteria for a cool role model that

kids admire is that it is never just

about your appearance. It is about the

attitude to keep on challenging things.

“At that time, I bitched at the doctors

who saved my life, ‘why the hell did

you make me live?' All these fan letters

with a message ‘don't give up' didn't

make sense to me at all.” But going

through this turbulent stage helped

him build who he is today. So this is

literally a “second life” for him.

　Among top athletes including racing

drivers, many of them are trained solely

for their specific sports from a very

young age. But such was not the case

with Mr. Ota.

　“I joined an amateur racing club

through my friend during my college

years and helped with the sandlot car

races, but never thought of becoming

a professional. I had no plan for the

future and eventually I fell behind in

job hunting. So I reluctantly followed

my father's advise right before college

graduation to study accounting. But I

knew that wasn't in me.”

　Living in a perplexed adolescence is

something called “bluebird syndrome”

today. However, “One day I saw a

professional racing driver on the race

circuit for the first time, and suddenly

the picture of my career became so

real.”

　His talent has blossomed quickly. In

an amateur race he entered with a used

car, he finished on the center of the

podium right away. While taking part-

time jobs day and night to raise money,

he made the step up to the entry-level

formula races and demonstrated his

ability. In his third year, he signed with

a racing team as a professional driver.

　However, “My father didn't think

that a racing driver would work out as

a career. So when I told him that I'd

be a professional racing driver, he just

cut me off with a shilling,” he said. It is

part of parental love to wish that their

children pursue a career of their choice,

while not wanting them to walk on a

tightrope.

　But his professional career was not

always a smooth ride. He signed with

an auto manufacturer's team, and just

when he thought everything was going

well, the team had to be dissolved

after the bust of the bubble economy.

At the last minute before he would

have ended up on the street, he finally

managed to get a sponsor.

　Even after that, unlike the previous

team, the situation was not always

ideal. With support from many people,

he entered a race with a handmade vehicle

and a pickup team, and eventually his

approach has garnered more fans.

When he finally built his own team

and was about to reach his prime as

a professional racing driver, the crash

happened.

　It caused severe burn injuries that

covered 40% of his body. Right after

the accident, the doctor pronounced

that he would survive for only 72 hours,

and when everyone around him was

preparing to accept his death, his life

was miraculously sustained. But it

was the beginning of an agonizing

journey. Time will heal external

injuries involving bone fractures and

bruises when the crisis passes, but

in the case of burn injuries, it is a

different story. Thinking back to those

days, he said “The doctor said it would

take 3 years, but I thought not a chance

in million years.”

　Not only did he have to endure pain

of going through multiple operations

and rehabilitations in order to recover

movement of his burned hands and

legs, but he had to confront deep

despair. Being devastated by his own

appearance, where his eyelids, nose

and lips were all burned away, he made

a desperate attempt to go up to the

roof of the hospital and throw himself

off, but he found out that the rooftop

was surrounded by a protection fence.

His agony grew deeper when he knew

that there was no escape.

　Even after he left the hospital, he

stayed cooped up in the house for

the fear of people's curious gaze and

spent days in smoldering grief. “It was

agonizing. But through that time of

hardship, I've found my answer. Looking

back now, I guess that was a kind of

discipline,” he said.

　His experience is well documented

in his autobiography “Crash” and its

sequel “Rebirth” - exceptional best-

sellers as sports memoirs (both

published by Gentosha). And his books

opened up a new chapter in life.

　It took him a year to accept that his

body wouldn't get back to its previous

state and to make a firm decision to

live. During his readjustment to normal

life and thereafter, his family, the

doctors, the auto racing community and

motorsports media gave their support.

　One day, a magazine editor close to

I N T E R V I E W

Thus, this gave birth to the middle-aged

racers.

　“When I wrote this idea on my regular

article in the magazine, applications

came from all over the country. The club

now has 70 members. We also have a

member who made a race debut at the

age of over 60,” he said joyfully.

　In the beginning, however, when the

club was making an order for matching

racing suits, the middle-agers preferred

to choose conservative white or gray

racing suits. But Mr. Ota set the tone

for them: “only RED is allowed here.”

When one of them got sloppy on the

racetrack, Mr. Ota's sharp words darted

off, “Get off your ass and tidy yourself

up to be picture-perfect.” Even though

they hold modest positions at their

workplaces, they are dowdy old men on

the weekend. But Mr. Ota's “coaching”

gradually changed their appearance.

　Through these experiences, today he

puts up a slogan - “Revive Japan with

Cars.”

　“You know, the auto industry seems

to feel pressure from all directions now.

There's this notion of skepticism about

driving a car in the eco-friendly era.

But you know, cars are indispensable

commodities in the earthquake-affected

areas. Also in Europe, no one says we

don't need cars. In any age, cars are

fascinating icons. That's why, through

this activity, I try to tell people to openly

promote the joy and attractiveness of

driving cars, and let's cheer up Japan.”

　He explained that his standard at the

center of his action is based on “whether

it's good for society.”

　“Since nearly experiencing death in

the accident, I began to have a strong

Sponsored by auto magazines and

car manufacturers, “Tetsuya Ota

Enjoy & Safety Driving Lesson” has

gathered many participants. Learning

the limitations of the automobile on

a safe racetrack can help safe driving

on the road. For more information,

visit http://www.sportsdriving.jp

The World Won't Turnits Back on the Goodof the World

4 FIND Vol.30 No.2 5FIND Vol.30 No.2

P R O F I L ETetsuya Ota / Born in 1959 in Gunma Prefecture.

After graduating from college, Ota made his debut

as a race car driver. His success in the racing scene

including four-straight appearance in Le Mans 24

Hours has garnered him the moniker “Japan's best

Ferrari handler.” In 1998, he was severely injured in

the car crash during the race that left him with no

hope of recovery, but undergoing 23 operations and

2 and a half year rehabilitation, he made a comeback

on the circuit. As an automotive critic, he regularly

writes for many publications and is involved in a wide

range of activities including lectures, a driving school

at the racetrack, and production work for his own

tuning brand TEZZO. For more information, visit:

http://www.keep-on-racing.com

KIZUNA – The Human Bond Bonding and Bonded　2

Pictures courtesy of TEZZO BASE showroom

desire to pass down something to

society while I'm alive. These days, I

begin to realize that, if you do something

good for the society, it will not turn its

back on you.”

　To live is to challenge. Mr. Ota's words

and activities, built on his real experience

in confronting death and overcoming

despair with the bond of support shown

by many others, shed a guiding light

over our path.

　That's right. We should also make our

statement loud and clear: “Revive Japan

with Cars.”

I N T E R V I E W

Kids adore cool cars, not useful cars.

6 FIND Vol.30 No.2