[Roadsters] Mr. K is 100 Years Old This Year

[MH]

Scott,
Thanks for sharing the opportunity to participate in giving honor to Mr. K.
on a very special day.

I followed your suggestion and included my year, make, model, VIN and Eng.
numbers, as well and location, (USA in my case).

Geez,....... I'd like to think my roadster will last that long, but I
seriously doubt I'll be around to find out....

Mike Hudson  '67 - Stroker / 5-Speed


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Sheeler" <poontang188 at hotmail.com>
To: "Roadster List" <datsun-roadsters at autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 2:35 PM
Subject: [Roadsters] Mr. K is 100 Years Old This Year


> >From my 2006 email to The List:
>
>
>
> To members of the Roadster List and other friends:
>
> It has occured to me that everyone who has enjoyed, or is enjoying, a
Datsun
> roadster - in any shape or condition - should understand its roots.
Without
> being long-winded (but I probably will be), the Datsun roadster owes a
great
> deal, if not all, of its success to Mr. Yutaka Katayama - "Mr. K." as he
has
> come to be called.
>
> Rob Beddington of fairlady.org writes:
>
> "If you do a website search of 'Katayama' on www.fairlady.org you will see
> that not only was Mr K the driving force behind roadster racing in the USA
> but his acts of support to individuals and teams at grass roots level were
> legendary.
>
> Among many acts of generosity (and corporate shrewdness) Mr K. gave Bob
> Sharp 5 'salt-damaged' Datsun 2000s on the East Coast in recognition of
his
> success with the 1500 and 1600, he by-passed an unhappy Dick Roberts at
the
> Datsun's Competition department to arrange the two 2000's for Pete Brock
> direct from Japan, and he gave Jack Scoville an engine for the car that
went
> on to win the Datsun 2000 its first national championship.
>
> So without Mr K there would have been no BRE roadster team (so no BRE 510
or
> 240Z), much less of a racing heritage, which is still recognised today,
and
> of course, less Datsuns on the road - "race on Sunday, sell on Monday."
>
> Thanks, Rob.
>
> On September 15, 2009 Mr. K will be 100 years old.
>
> I would like to ask everyone on the list to send Mr. K an email birthday
> wish - nothing fancy - just
>
> Subject - "Happy Birthday"
>
>
> "Mr. Katayama, thank you for your years of support for the Datsun
roadster -
> my roadster has given me a lot of enjoyment and great times. Best wishes
on
> your 100th birthday"
>
> or something like that. His secretary says that attachments cannot be
> received so the "shorter the better" and no pictures.
>
> The email address should be: mr.k at able.ocn.ne.jp
>
> It won't take long and will be a nice gesture to a man who, 49 years ago,
> laid the groundwork for the reason this "list" even exists.
>
> Please remember to send it on September 14 since that will September 15 in
> Japan.
>
> Thanks in advance for the support.
>
> Scott Sheeler
> The Datsun Roadster Book