Oku: "I came to L.A. to study car modification and engine turning. Although I had decided to make a change my life, I was supposed to go back to Japan within a few years. However, I met with a lot of people, saw a lot of things and heard a lot of stories. During the time I've been here I've seen the automobile industry in this country completely transform into and advanced one."
Oku came to the U.S. in May 1971. He had been hired by a well known Volkswagen tuning shop and worked as a head-man, a cylinder head rebuilding specialist. He met Jim Mederer, who became his business partner after several weeks, while they were working at the VW shop. Mederer was a race engineer in Can-Am, a top racing category at that time. Oku and Mederer were on the same wavelength. Oku established his own tuning shop for Mazda Rotary-engined cars itself just newly launched in the U.S. in July of the same year.
Oku: "Having my own shop was something I wanted very much, so I worked everyday without taking a day off. At the beginning, I worked for Racing Beat during the night since I was working for the VW shop as a regular staff member during the daytime. It was a really hard time, but the time went by very quickly."
Racing Beat was increasing its brand awareness in the US through drag racing, the Bonneville Speed Trials, and IMSA. They got a good result in IMSA with the RX-2 in a joint project with the automobile magazine Car & Driver.
They took part in the Bonneville Speed Trials with an RX-4.
They got other good results too, including victory in NHRA drag racing in 1977 with an RX-3.
Throughout the 1980s, Racing Beat made huge leaps. They took a clean sweep of series' victory and second place in IMSA GTU with the RX-7 SA22C in 1979.
Afterwards, they sent the Manufacturer's championship trophy to Mazda Hiroshima headquarters.
The relationship of trust between Racing Beat and Mazda North America was built during this period. Then they contributed as an engine tuner in IMSA GTP, Formula Rotary, and Off-Road Racing and so on.
The first generation RX-7 took victory in the 1979 GTU series.
Oku: "We had races almost every week and prepared our racing cars by constantly working all-nighters.
Therefore, although we were invited to parties put on by Mazda North America, we couldn't stay very long. If we stopped concentrating even a few moments, we would lose the race.
Ideas for making our racing car faster came up one after another.
All my memories of the races at that time are very distressing.
However, it was very pleasing when we were faster than the upper class cars in qualifying, honestly."
An RX-7 won at Daytona and Mosport in the 1983 season.
The event which popularized the Racing Beat brand name was the unending straight stretches of the Bonneville Speed Trials.
They participated in this maximum speed challenge that takes place on a salt lake, requiring a unique type of concentration.
In 1986, they reached 238.4MPH (381.44km/h) with a second generation RX-7, the FC3S.
In 1995, they set a new record, hitting 242MPH (385.6km/h) with a third generation RX-7, the FD3S, in a car equipped with a special three-rotor twin turbo.
Its unique appearance and method of deceleration using a parachute was shown to the U.S. and Japan.
Oku: Bonneville was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our cars' speed.
This large scale American event took place on a dead straight eight-mile course marked out on a salt lake in Utah.
We needed to make special settings, not only for the engine but also the aerodynamics and chassis. Also, we needed to keep an eye on the condition of the surface of the salt lake because there had been at least one rainfall during race week.
There were strategies and tactics."
A top speed of 238 mph was recorded by an RX-7 FC3S at Bonneville in 1986.
"I don't like to talk a hardship story," said Oku.
"The very significant aspects to success in the U.S. are; never think you'll lose or be defeated, to maintain a hungry spirit, and to be proud of yourself."
"In 1980, I spoke with the Mazda engineers about the race.
We applied a special tuning that Mazda would never apply to its engines, but I was very glad that the Mazda engineers listened to this insignificant tuner's opinions.
This is the 39th year since we started Racing Beat.
I'm very happy that I've continued working in the racing field for such a long time," he said with a smile.
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