Koichiro Iketani is the dedicated leader of the Akina SpeedStars street racing team. He works a part-time job at a gas station in Gunma Prefecture with his friends Takumi Fujiwara and Itsuki Takeuchi, all supervised by Yuichi Tachibana. He drives a lime green Nissan Silvia S13 and is intensely passionate about honing his driving skills, often practicing e-brake maneuvers on Mount Akina. During one practice session, he pushed to match the pace of the more skilled RedSuns team but struck a sharp bump in the road, lost control, and crashed his car. A significant event occurs when his repaired S13 is tested on Mount Akina and is ambushed by Shingo Shoji of the Myogi NightKids, who drives a red Honda Civic SiR II EG6. Shingo deliberately bumps Iketani's car, forcing it into a spin. This mirrors a previous impromptu battle on Akina where Shingo used the same aggressive tactic, bumping him from behind and causing him to spin out to avoid a worse crash. After the ambush, Iketani confronts Shingo and demands an apology. Shingo agrees only on the condition that Iketani's colleague, Takumi Fujiwara, loses a specially arranged "Duct Tape Death Match," a race where the driver's right hand is taped to the steering wheel. Shingo also declares that should he lose, he will attempt to overthrow Takeshi Nakazato as leader of the NightKids. Iketani is defined by his powerful dedication to his team and his friends. He is stubborn and possesses a strong sense of pride, which drives him to desperately seek help from Bunta Fujiwara to represent the SpeedStars after his own crash. His role frequently places him as a witness and participant in key events that draw other characters, particularly Takumi, deeper into the street racing scene.