What started out eight years ago as a simple idea quickly turned into one of the most interesting spec-racing classes we’ve seen. We’re talking about the D-VAN Grand Prix.

The idea of these Dodge Ram vans being raced wasn’t totally a serious idea, but more like an idea that came about to kill time and have some fun using tangible resources. The vans were used to transport motorcycles for Arakaki motorcycle racing school, until one day when Takuro Abe and his colleagues wanted to take the vans out on the track on their lunch break for fun. The track personnel told them that no tall cars were allowed on the circuit, but they did it anyway. The interest began to grow because it was cheap, simple, and anybody could get into it.

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Although the vans don’t look heavily modified in the video, besides the Yokohama Advan tires and the magnesium Watanabe wheels, the Ram vans have a lot going on underneath the subtle body work. You’ll notice that some of the vans have naca ducts, polycarbonate windows, carbon fiber hoods some have rear wings, and some are really low. The engines in these vans are heavily modified as well, with components from Comp Cams, Edelbrock, JEGS, and Hughes. The vans are slouches by no means.

Despite it not being a famous, factory-backed sport, all of the enthusiasts and drivers still pour their heart and soul into these vans, and it shows. It almost reminds us of the Transit Trophy series in the UK, but a little less flashy. We hope to see more of the D-VAN Grand Prix around the interwebs. It is really quirky, but hey, watching vehicles race that weren’t meant to is cool in itself.