--- title: "Japan Has a Tow Truck Competition Where Pros Race to Gently Tip Over Cars" description: "Japan is turning [driving a tow truck]() into a competitive sport, and the public's invited to watch. The annual JAF Road Service Competition puts emergency-response workers head-to-head in several events, including pulling a rolled-over car back on its wheels as…" date: "2024-11-04" modified: "2024-11-04" authors: - name: "Ronan Glon" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ronan-glon" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/japan-has-a-tow-truck-competition-where-pros-race-to-gently-tip-over-cars" categories: - "Culture" - "News" --- # Japan Has a Tow Truck Competition Where Pros Race to Gently Tip Over Cars ![Japanese tow truck putting a car back on its wheels]() *\JAF\* Japan is turning [driving a tow truck]() into a competitive sport, and the public's invited to watch. The annual JAF Road Service Competition puts emergency-response workers head-to-head in several events, including pulling a rolled-over car back on its wheels as smoothly as possible. Organized by the Japanese Automotive Federation (JAF), which is like Japan's equivalent to AAA, the Olympic Games of roadside assistance bring together emergency-response workers from Tokyo and nine other prefectures. What follows is not a Battle Royale-style brawl where folks beat each other over the head with traffic signs, but a friendly competition to teach the public about JAF's role in keeping motorists safe. ![Japanese tow truck pulling a motorcycle on a trailer]() *JAF* ![]() The first competitive event involves using a tow truck equipped with a winch to pull a rolled-over car back on its four wheels. While that sounds relatively simple for trained professionals, the goal is to put the shiny side up slowly and delicately to avoid further damaging the car. Cast in this light, it's an intricate operation that requires a thorough knowledge of where to attach the winch and in which direction to pull. Participants will also be judged on their ability to lift a motorcycle laying on its side without dropping it in the other direction and load it onto a trailer. This isn't exactly a clip of the competition, but it does give you a preview of what a JAF wreck recovery looks like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USTiEWTbQdA And here's how they pick up motorcycles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfpH7c8QD3k Activities for kids are on [the program](), too. JAF workers will notably teach elementary school students how to change a wheel using real tools. While the Road Service Competition isn't a new event, it will be open to the public for the first time in 2024. It's [taking place on November 24]() in the parking lot of the Aeon Mall Makuhari New City shopping center in Chiba City, which is located close to Tokyo, and admission is free. ## Author Ronan is a contributing writer for The Drive. He draws on over 15 years of experience to cover breaking industry news, cool one-off builds, and anything in between. He began writing for The Drive in 2021 and stepped into his current role in 2024. His obsession with cars started when a relative gave him a Majorette die-cast shortly after his first birthday. It hasn't flickered since. Ronan lives in France; He swapped Utah's Rocky Mountains, where he grew up, for the Alps. He's an avid hiker, mountain biker, and musician. He also restores classic European cars and mopeds, including a 1978 Citroen 2CV that he's rebuilding from the ground up. ### Author social links [Twitter]()