Keiichi Tsuchiya is remembered for many things. His drifting expertise, his way of wrestling with GT-Rs, and his prowess at Le Mans are just a few. He’s a versatile driver who leaves nothing in reserve, and his sense of humor endears many to the sport, but few remember him for his time behind the wheel of a Porsche.

After his time spent campaiging the R32 GT-R in the All-Japan Touring Car Championship, he took the wheel of an Advan-liveried Porsche 964 for the 1994 All Japan GT Championship. It benefited from rear-engined traction and turbocharged thrust, but wasn’t an easy car to handle. Tsuchiya’s never-say-die approach and quick hands come into play here, and make this battle one of the most enjoyable to watch.

There’s no denying the R32 GT-R was the car to have in Japanese GT racing in the early nineties. Its combination of traction and power was unparalleled then, but by the mid-nineties, it was growing obsolete. Nevertheless, its strong suits showed in this incredible duel.

Tsuchiya is forced to concede the corner at the end of Sugo’s main straight, where the power of the RB26 motor, an opportunist move in traffic, and good slipstreaming allow the GT-R to outbrake the Porsche at 11: 17.

The two cars are equally matched, but, crucially, the driver of the GT-R is able to pull away with 4WD traction and a well-balanced chassis in the slower corners. One other advantage the GT-R holds is its ability to find traction off-line. If pushed off the beaten path, where the rubber particles flung from the tires typically collect, it can become quite difficult to find traction. Four-wheel drive grip helps in these situations, and this is what allows the GT-R to fend off Tsuchiya’s attack at 15:14, regardless of his superior track position and momentum.

In comparison, the Porsche likes to oversteer in and occasionally understeer out, and though fairly neutral everywhere else, remains a bit of a handful. Nevertheless, it’s agile, and in the faster corners, seems to neutralize the Nissan somewhat. It’s managing that nimbleness bordering on nervousness that Tsuchiya always seems to revel in, and through the daunting right-hander leading onto Sugo’s front straight, he seems to be able to close the gap with the Skyline, which seems planted but less willing to change direction.

Tsuchiya, in his flame-spitting Porsche, tries another dive down the inside.

Once again, Tsuchiya tries another pass at the same location as before, and the two nearly collide. Whereas some hot-blooded drivers might curse the offending party’s mother’s name there, Tsuchiya and the man in the GT-R casually reassure one another with a hand gesture. With comical composure, Tsuchiya can be heard saying “daijoubu” at 16:41, which translates to “fine.”

With that tooth-and-nail driving, a brawl in the pits might be expected, but as the two drivers come in to pit, there’s no such squabble. Tsuchiya collects himself in silence, while his teammate, Kunimitsu Takahashi, gets going to eventually win the race. Had it not been for Tsuchiya’s brave and respectful fighting, that win might have eluded the team; Takahashi spun with only seconds between himself and the GT-R.

Nice try.