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Sand Flats Speedway, located on the coast of Japan's Ishikawa province, is a rally for oldtimer racers, where every year on a weekend in September, races are held... on the beach. The layout of the races is reminiscent of the Dragter races in the USA, but the style is very much Japanese. In a deafening atmosphere of custom vintage motorcycle engines and hot rods (old cars from before 1948, with modified engines and exteriors), the beach is the scene of the festivities, with participants and spectators making this peaceful coastline on the Sea of Japan their own. True mechanical fanatics come from all over Japan, and even from abroad, motivated to compete against the Japanese. Most of them belong to vintage motor clubs, which shows the enthusiasm for this practice and the intense competition to defend the club's colours, but all in an atmosphere of great respect and festivities. The vintage style of the 'machines' also appealed to the participants, taking us back to a distant or even science-fiction era.