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Tokyo to Himeji and Back in 33 Hours
Right after joining the company, Katsutoshi Shimada worked on the suspension of the first-generation Skyline, and two years later, on the ALSI-2 minor-change version, he was in charge of developing the wheel brakes under his superior's guidance. Before moving on to racing-car development, Shimada and two colleagues of his own age took on a long drive from Tokyo to Himeji and back in an ALSI-2 that the company lent out in turns. Stopping only for fuel and the toilet, they covered the round trip of 1,300 km in 33 hours. The car had hardly any trouble, and they confirmed its durability to withstand long continuous driving and how little fatigue it caused. But the gasoline cost about 20,000 yen, and the accounting department threw the receipt back at them. At that point Shinichiro Sakurai took their side, saying, "If it won't go through all at once, just claim it in parts."
