In 1958, the “Third Asama Volcano Race” led by the Japan Motorcycle Sports Association, which was mainly composed of motorcycle manufacturers, was forced to cancel due to a sharp decline in the number of participating manufacturers. Amidst the grief of sports fans across Japan, the All-Japan Motorcycle Club Federation (MCFAJ) was established as a new motorsports organization that brought together amateur riders from all over the country, “with the aim of running and continuing motorcycle races, which were just beginning to sprout at the time, by the riders themselves. The first All-Japan Motorcycle Clubman Race was held on August 24 of the same year at the Asama Kogen Automobile Test Course, taking advantage of bad weather caused by a typhoon that had struck earlier in the year.

　However, after receiving strong protests from participants who said that it was “strange for factory racers who are not on the market to compete in an amateur race,” the organizers hurriedly set up a fourth race, a “Clubman Model Race,” consisting of a mixed 125, 250, and 350 race, for riders who were driving the new OHC 2-cylinder Benrii 125 and other machines. The organizers hurriedly set up a fourth race, the “Clubman Model Race,” consisting of a mixed 125, 250, and 350 race, for riders of Benrii 125s and other machines running the new OHC 2-cylinder Benrii 125s.

　The “3rd Asama Volcano Race” was held on August 22, 23, and 24, 1959, at the Asama Kogen Automobile Test Course, co-hosted with the “2nd All Japan Motorcycle Clubman Race. Blessed with fine weather, the races were held under the same conditions as the previous year, and fierce battles unfolded. On August 23rd, Fujii entered the “Endurance Ultra Light 125cc Race,” an inter-maker race, with the Honda Works Team. The works team’s machine was a modified version of Honda’s 125㏄ two-cylinder RC142, which had been matured after its first attempt at the Isle of Man TT in June of that year, for the Asama race. The race featured the latest model racers from powerful companies such as the Light Cruiser SL, Tohatsu LD, and Koreda RB.

　However, Fujii, riding his air-cooled DOHC 2-cylinder 125㏄RC142 on his return trip from the Isle of Man, showed great determination in the 14-lap, 131.014 km race on unpaved roads, finishing in a time of 1 hour, 25 minutes and 33 seconds. Although he finished a close third, just 23 seconds behind the genius Gen Kitano, Fujii’s ability as a rider was highly acclaimed. Incidentally, the heart of the Honda RC142, a DOHC 4-valve engine, was driven by a vertical shaft system with bevel gears on the left side of the cylinder.

　This will be the last year that Asama will host a race due to safety concerns and other reasons. However, it is no exaggeration to say that Asama is the starting point for all motorsports competitions, both two-wheel and four-wheel, that are now commonly held in Japan.

　In 1962, Honda Motor Company set aside a budget to train successors to the Honda Speed Club (HSC) riders who had made great successes from Asama to the World GP, and launched Technical Sports (TS), an organization to select promising young people from outside the company and train them to become first-class riders. TS later became the name of the company Fujii established in Suzuka (now TSR). In the front row on the left is Kenjiro Tanaka as director, and on the right is Fujii as general manager and playing manager. Both were formerly involved in auto racing, and as instructors, they guided the selected contestants to become full-fledged drivers, including on-the-road driving.

　On the far left in the back row is Rokuzo Orikake, a fierce Asama Volcano Race participant and instructor; next to him is Nobukazu Otsuki, who won the 5th Clubman Race 50 held at Gannosu in Kyushu that year at the age of just 17; and on the right is Nobukazu Otsuki’s rival who won the 125th race, the inaugural race at the Suzuka Circuit, which was completed in the same year. The youthful faces of such drivers as Katsutoshi Atsumi, who regrettably died in an accident while training to participate in the 1st Suzuka All Japan Road Race in November, can also be seen in the photo.