Twin Ring Motegi
| Information Location: Motegi, Japan | Track Specifics
Type: Road Course & Oval | Races
Current Series: |
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| Oval Layout This track has been used with the permission of www.etracksonline.co.uk |
Twin Ring Motegi is an automobile racing track located in Motegi, Japan. Its name comes from the fact that there are two race tracks at the facility: a 1.549 mile oval (2.493 kilometers) and a 4.8 kilometre (2.983 miles) road course. It was built in 1997 by Honda, as part of Honda's effort to bring IndyCar racing to Japan, as well as increase their own knowledge of that form of racing.
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[edit] Road Course
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| Road Course Layout This track has been used with the permission of www.etracksonline.co.uk |
The road course is 4.8 kilometers long, and is unique in sharing garage and grandstand facilities with the oval course, but being entirely separate otherwise. Although they are separate tracks, it is impossible for races to occur simultaneously on the two courses at the same time; to access the oval track, teams must cross the road-course pit and front straight. The road course also runs in the opposite direction from the oval; clockwise, rather than counter-clockwise.
The course itself is built in a stop-start straight/hairpin style; this less than flowing arrangement has attracted criticism from various figures, including Valentino Rossi. By Japanese standards the circuit is exceptionally flat, with only a slight elevation rise towards the hairpin turn. The road course is much busier than the oval track, with Formula Nippon visiting twice, Super GT and Super Taikyu cars once each, and local events almost every weekend. The road course can be used in three ways: the full course, or two 'Short Courses' can be made, using connecting roadways. These short courses are usually used for junior formula events, such as Formula 4 or FJ1600.
The road course is also a popular motorbike racing spot, with the MotoGP usually visiting once a year, as well as several Japanese national bike racing series.
[edit] Other facilities
In addition to the main racing complex, Twin Ring Motegi features a second road course (called the North Short Course) for karting and Formula 4 events, as well as a 1/4 mile dirt track for modified and sprint car racing.
Outside of racing, the biggest attraction at Twin Ring is probably the Honda Collection Hall, which features historic Honda racing and production cars and motorcycles. Honda also operates a technology demonstration center on the site, as well as educational centers.
[edit] Track Difficulties
Twin Ring was the first ever separate-but-combined road-and-oval track (as opposed to 'roval' tracks common in the United States), and the decision to include a full road course contained largely within the oval necessitated some design compromises. For the spectator, sightlines can be extremely poor for road course races, as the grandstands are much further back than is usually the case. The oval course blocks the view of much of the road course, including the best passing point on the track, and several large-screen TVs are needed. Seating outside of the grandstand is limited to certain areas of the infield, and along the backstraight of the road course.
Access to the track is a major point of concern, with only two entry and exit points by two-land public road. Motegi is not a particularly large town, and accommodation is virtually non-existent close to the track, outside of the on-site hotel. The stated capacity of the track (about 65,000) is dictated largely by traffic flow, not by actual seating capacity (estimated to be nearly 100,000 for road-course events, 80,000 for oval).
[edit] Records
| Series | Driver | Speed | Vehicle | Date | |
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| SERIES | Qualifying | DRIVER | MPH / KPH | MAKE | Date |
| Race | DRIVER | MPH / KPH | MAKE | Date |
[edit] Winners
[edit] IndyCar
| Season | Date | Driver | Manufacturer | Speed |
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| YEAR | Race 1 | DRIVER | MAKE | MPH / KPH |
[edit] CART/Champ Car
| Season | Date | Driver | Manufacturer | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEAR | Race 1 | DRIVER | MAKE | MPH / KPH |
[edit] Video Gallery
[edit] Picture Gallery
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