Japan Has a Tow Truck Competition Where Pros Race to Gently Tip Over Cars

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.

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:

And here’s how they pick up motorcycles:

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.