Keisuke Takahashi's Mazda RX7 was overtaken by a black and white Toyota AE86 on a foggy morning while they were on Mount Akina. This event led Keisuke to believe that he had seen the ghost of a racer who passed away on the mountain. Determined to defeat the phantom, Keisuke gathered the Akagi Red Suns and challenged the local Akina Speed Stars racing team to an exchange race. He planned on enticing the elusive "Ghost of Akina" out into the open through fierce competition, giving him the chance to avenge his prior loss. Takumi Fujiwara, unlike his friend Itsuki Takeuchi, did not share a passion for cars and racing. He failed to comprehend the adrenaline rush experienced by racers, and instead, his focus was on delivering tofu for his father in an old AE86. Takumi had memorized every hairpin, brake point, and turn on Mount Akina as a result of his early morning routine. When the Akagi team challenged the Speed Stars to an exchange race one night, they were only doing so because they were confident in their ability to win. However, they soon found out that they were outmatched. The only way the Speed Stars could compete against them was if Takumi came on board with his panda-colored AE86. With some persuasion, Takumi agreed to take the wheel and headed to Mount Akina to defend the honor of all racers in Akina.