Teenage Sensation Becomes First Female To Win Japanese "Auto Race"

There's often a culture shock for those who travel to Japan, as
there are many differences between the U.S. and the Land of the
Rising Sun. Only in Japan would you find a sport like "Auto
Racing."
No, get that NASCAR image out of your head. Japan's Auto Racing is
done on motorcycles - modified sportbikes that whip around asphalt
tracks at 150 miles per hour. So where does the "auto" come from?
These bikes have no brakes. The riders have to wear steel-tipped
boots to keep from hurting their feet as the bikes scream around
the tracks.
The latest sensation in the Japanese Auto Racing scene is
19-year-old Maya Sato. Last month, Sato became the first female to
ever win an Auto Race. As soon as the sport was opened to women a
few years ago, Sato dropped out of school and joined the program.
The training center for becoming a full-time rider is akin to a
military boot camp, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). Riders have
just five minutes to eat their meals and there are no mobile
phones, television or outside communication of any kind.
"I'd be lying if I said I never felt like crying," Sato told AFP.
"But I hate to lose. I had my hair cropped short to build up my
fighting spirit. I have long dreamt of becoming a professional
motorcycle racer, and my resolve was too strong to make me think
about quitting."