Max Surprise Circuit 2020

The Max Surprise Circuit 2020 (Japanese: MAX サプライズサーキット2020, Makkusu Sapuraisu Sākitto 2020) is a series of Mini 4WD circuits built by Tamiya for the 2020 season of Tamiya Japan Cup.

General info[]

Following the Miracle Baron Circuit 2019, it is the 3rd circuit to have more than one layout. Unlike the Miracle Baron Circuit however, the difference between layouts, which now called 'Bypass', is the Surprise Road section, which changes every race stages.

After passing through the first two straight after the start line, the car has to pass through a slope, a slight V-shaped wave, a straight and a 45 degree bank, which tests the car's stability.

Following the four straights and a left U-turn curve is a Musasabi Changer section, a unique lane changer where car in one lane has to jump over to other lane. This lane changer test the car's speed and stability, as one wrong move could cause the car to fly off the track.
After passing through the lane changer, the car has to passing through the right Slash Bank section, in which individual lane were tilted at 30 degree right and the left fences were heighted. This section will forcefully makes the cars to run on the fences, and if the car is too long or having too much brake, the car could slows down during the Slash Bank section and flips over.
Passing through a right U-turn and a left 20 degree bank, the car has to pass through the Surprise Road section, the circuit's main feature where the road is split into one 2-lane track and one 3-lane track. There are five variants of the section:
- In Bypass-1, the track is split in two using the slight S-curves on each, then go through the long straights, before merging back into one track.
- In Bypass-2, the track split in two similar to Bypass-1, but instead of long straight roads, the cars has to go through different routes. For cars in the right 2-lane track, they have to go through a lane changer, a slight S-curve, a left curve. a lane changer, a slight S-curves, a left curve, a straight and a right curve, while cars in the left 3-lane track has to pass through a left curve, a 20 degree bank, a slope, a straight, a left U-turn curve, a slope, a straight and a left curve. The tracks then merged back into a single track.
- In Bypass-3, cars in the left 3-lane track has to pass through a long straight with tabletops, while cars in the right 2-lane track has to pass through curves and pass through under the tabletops.
- The Bypass-4 is similar to Bypass-3, but with the 3-track track having a single long tabletop. The 2-lane track is also adjusted.
- In Bypass-5, cars in the right 2-lane track has to pass through a slight S-curve, two successive lane changers, a long straight and a S-curve, while cars in the left 3-lane tracks has to pass through a left curve, a right 20 degree bank, a left curve and a long straight, before both tracks merge back into single track
After passing through a right New Era Turn, a left curve, a long straight and a right curve, the start line will be crossed.

The 2020 season had been hindered by the on-going Covid-19 pandemic, as Tamiya has to reduce the stages for the 2020 season from the usual 16 to just 4 following many stages' cancellations to avoid any infection.

In 2021, a version of the circuit, Max Surprise Circuit Remix 2021, was revealed.