RACE REPORT25th BRADLEY CUP CHALLENGE
2023 LANDCRUISER TRAINING MEETING

On March 19 (Sun.), the 25th "BRADLEY CUP" trial event was held at the "SANAME" Trial Field (in Aichi Prefecture), which is also known as the "Mecca for Land Cruiser enthusiasts" and is named after the 4x4 Engineering Service wheel brand BRADLEY. The event was held at the SANAGE Adventure Field (Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture), which is also known as a "mecca for Lancre enthusiasts.

The official name of the event is the Bradley Cup Challenge, subtitled "Land Cruiser Training Meeting. As the name suggests, the event focuses on Land Cruisers and Prados, with FJ Cruisers and Toyota Jeeps also eligible to participate.

It is characterized by the fact that it is not just a trial competition, but also includes an element of training. By taking part in the competition, participants are encouraged to get to know their cars, improve their driving skills, and acquire knowledge.

The number of participants this time was 71, up from 47 a year ago, which means that the number of participants had increased considerably. There were about 10 newcomers who participated for the first time, and many returning competitors who had not participated in a competition for a long time. This episode shows the excitement of the four-wheel drive industry.

Among the challengers, the Land Cruiser 300 attracted the most attention, as it is a new model that has just been introduced and was frequently the topic of conversation at the event.

Let me briefly introduce the competition. The Bradley Cup is a four-course competition, with one car on each of the four courses. The four courses are "Rock," "Mogul," "Forest," and "Forest & Rock.

The goal is to complete each course within the time limit by following a predetermined route, but there are no paved roads on these routes. The "Rock" course is piled with rocks, while the "Mogul" course is full of bumps and uneven terrain. The "forest" route is a forest road, but it is actually very bumpy. It is impossible to clear the route by simply pressing the accelerator pedal!

There are poles and tapes on the course, and points will be deducted if you accidentally touch them. Points are deducted for backing up, and points are also deducted for stopping for more than 5 seconds. The ideal is to pass through the ideal line smoothly, but this is difficult. In order to complete the course within the time limit, not only the performance of the car parts but also precise driving skills are required. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

The "medium" and "heavy" points are what make the competition so competitive. There are options for the course, and extra points are awarded for clearing the course by following the route set for "medium" or "heavy". However, the difficulty level is higher than usual. If you are confident in your skills, you can take on the challenge, and if you do well, you will be ahead of your rivals.

Looking at the wheels on the cars of the riders, one gets the impression that the number of users of the BRADLEY series has increased.

The greatest appeal of the BRADLEY series, which is also the name of the competition, is its high rigidity.

Machine setting is also an important preparation for the challenge of grueling trial competitions. Among these, the ability required of wheels is, above all, toughness. It is no exaggeration to say that the fact that many hobbyists who challenge trial competitions choose BRADLEY wheels proves the outstanding toughness of BRADLEY.

The simple and beautiful design also looks great in the mud.

It was no surprise that the standard "Bradley V" was installed in a high percentage, but we also saw three challengers equipped with the forged model "Bradley Forged Takumi," the highest model in the series. The staff of 4x4 Engineering Service, the sponsor of the event, was very pleased to see this.

The fun and grueling day ended successfully, and the final event was the awards ceremony.

The winner of the 25th Bradley Cup was Shoya Kato, number #54, and his car S-PZJ70 Custom.

Kato received fewer point deductions than the other contestants, and he also took on the medium and heavy courses and cleared them all. His advanced driving skills and careful maneuvering led to his victory. In the previous round, he came in 7th overall, and in the previous round, he came in 15th overall, so he has steadily improved his ranking to win this championship. The audience applauded him for his bold challenge and excellent performance. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

The winner, Kato, received a set of BRADLEY V wheels as a prize from the tournament sponsor, 4x4 Engineering Services.