Capeta is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masahito Soda. The manga won the Kodansha Manga Award for the shōnen category in 2005.[1]
The series consists of three separate arcs. The first is about Capeta's first experiences with kart racing at the age of 10. The next arc, which starts four years later, deals with Capeta trying to handle his growing financial issues due to the high cost involved in kart racing. The third is about Capeta trying to realize his dream of beating his rival and becoming a professional racer, venturing through into a more senior category: Formula Three. Both the anime and manga features numerous references and homages to Initial D and Best Motoring International, as well as Formula One. In addition to this, there are many karting and racing references that not only add flesh to the story, but are also factual (such as comments about racing lines, tire usage, slipstreaming and general commentary on the world of four-wheel racing).
Kappeita Taira (平 勝平太, Taira Kappeita), otherwise known as "Capeta" (カペタ, Kapeta), is a ten-year-old boy whose single-parent father, Shigei Taira (平 茂雄, Taira Shigei), works for a paving company. While completing a paving job at a go-kart track, his father sees a young boy racing at the track and is amazed at the speed and seeming thrill of the sport. Realizing that his young son has an interest in racing cars (particularly Formula One), Shigei asks the circuit steward as to whether he is able to take some old worn-down parts out of the circuit's trash pile. Taking these back to his workplace, he manages to construct a rundown yet drivable kart. Shigei's boss, Mr. Ikari, (initially begrudgingly) supplies a 4-stroke generator engine to power the kart.
Determined, Capeta, in his first time on a race track, manages to not only master the mangled racer, but also catches and attempts to overtake Naomi Minamoto (源 奈臣, Minamoto Naomi) on the inside line, a talented young racer who drives for a works karting team, Endless Autohouse Racing. This overtaking maneuver shocks Naomi so much so that he drops the accelerator of his kart, accelerates past Capeta. This infuriates his mother and team manager, Nanako Minamoto (源 奈々子, Minamoto Nanako), as he over-revved a brand new engine which he was supposed to be merely running in. Nobu Andou and Monami Suzuki, Capeta's best friends, support him in his karting – Nobu as his technical assistant/manager and Monami as the self-appointed team manager.
Capeta, unaware of the difference in machinery between his own kart and Naomi's works-grade kart, does not understand why it was impossible for him to catch Naomi. Nonetheless, onlookers are amazed that a child from out of the blue is able to push his machine to such a limit, let alone unnerve the track's local hotshot. Nanako, also amazed, offers to help Capeta's entry into the world of kart racing, secretly as a rival for her son. After what is a difficult conversation for Capeta, the Taira father and son turn down the offer to enroll Capeta in the Endless Autohouse Racing team and run their own single kart team on their own instead.