SHIBA TIRE AE86 CHAMPIONSHIP

Shiba Tire is a relatively young Japanese tire brand established in 2021 by the Nissan Skyline R31 specialist shop, R31 House. It was created to provide high-performance, affordable rubber for vintage Japanese cars and the drift racing community.

starting in 2019 The parent company, Shibata Motor, decided to manufacture its own tires after realizing the extreme cost of supplying tires for its drift racing teams.

During 2021 Shiba Tire officially began sales, initially focusing on specific sizes for vintage cars like the R31 Skyline, AE86, and Mazda Roadster.

Later in 2024 The brand achieved the fastest radial tire record at the Tsukuba Circuit using their R31 model with the 200R compound.

2025–2026, the brand expanded significantly into international markets, including Southeast Asia and the United States.

In 2023, Shiba Tire held a significant pre-season testing event at YZ Circuit East Course on February 21st. This session featured the SHIBATA Drift Racing Team and driver Koudai Sobagiri as they prepared for the Formula Drift Japan (FDJ) season.

Professional drivers like Tetsuya Hibino have used YZ Circuit to rigorously test Shiba Tire compounds (such as the 140W wet tires) to provide direct feedback to the manufacturer.

Now lets Talk about how we got here! Our trip to YZ Circuit was a spontaneous, high-stakes excursion. I traveled from Tokyo with Chris and Hakeem to connect with a prominent Japanese Honda Civic builder. We selected a meeting point halfway between our locations: a remote mountain peak in Gifu Prefecture. The conditions were challenging, characterized by biting winds and low temperatures.

The gathering served as a competitive Track for both Drifting and Time Attack championships. However, the primary focus for many participants was a specialized tire trial, where drivers tested the limits of new compounds.

As an AE86 owner, I utilized the opportunity to engage in technical discussions with various drivers. I spent the day

consulting with builders to gain insights into their engineering choices.

Documenting the event through detailed photography.

Archiving builds to preserve the unique styles present at the meet.