Suzuka Circuit

Suzuka International Racing Course (Suzuka Circuit for short) is a co-host of the Formula One Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix, and is one of the oldest and most famous motorsport race tracks in Japan. It is located in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture and is owned by Honda Motor Co., Ltd..

Designed as a Honda test track in 1962 by John Hugenholtz, Suzuka is a unique circuit, being one of the very few in the world to have a figure 8 layout. Obviously, due to the danger of an intersecting track, the track doesn’t actually intersect with itself; instead, the back straight passes over the front section by means of an overpass. Due to its unique layout, Suzuka is a massive test of driver skill and is easily one of the most difficult racing circuits in the world. Nevertheless, the track is loved by drivers and spectators alike for its challenging design and many opportunities for overtaking.

Suzuka is one of the oldest remaining tracks on the Grand Prix circuit, and so has a long history of exciting races. Japan’s traditional role as the penultimate or final Grand Prix of the season means numerous World Championships have been decided at the track.

Safety has been a concern at the circuit’s 130R, a 130 metres (427 ft) radius turn starting past the Crossover, following two tremendous accidents in 2002 and 2003. In 2002, Toyota driver Allan McNish suffered a high-speed crash through the bump, which sent him through a metal fence; fortunately, he was not seriously injured.

Track officials revised the 130R, which has been compared to Spa’s Eau Rouge, redesigning it as a double-apex section, one with an 85 metres (279 ft) radius, and then a second featuring a 340 metres (1,115 ft) radius, leading to a much closer Casio Triangle (chicane), with the chicane becoming a “bus stop” type for motorcycles.

However, the problem continued for the new revised section. During the 2003 MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan, the track’s first major event since the revisions, MotoGP rider Daijiro Kato was killed when he crashed in the new section, on his way to the braking zone for the Casio Triangle. MotoGP has not returned to Suzuka since the incident.

The circuit can be used in three configurations; the full circuit, the “Suzuka East” and “Suzuka West” configuration. The “East” portion of the course consists of the pit straight to the first half of the Dunlop curve (turn 7), before leading back to the pit straight via a tight right hander. The “West” course is made up of the other part of the full circuit, with the pitlane located at the straight before the 130R corner.

Motorsport Events

Suzuka was dropped from the 2007 Formula 1 calender in favour of the Toyota owned Fuji Speedway, but continues to host other motorsport events including the Suzuka 1000km endurance race. Previously a part of multiple GT racing series including the now defunct Group C class of the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, the Suzuka 1000km as of 2006 is now a points round of the Super GT series, and is the only race of such length in that series.

Another major motorsport event is the Suzuka 8 Hours for motorcycles, which has been run since 1978. This event usually attracts big name riders and with the exception of 2005, due to the importance of the big name manufacturers involvement, the FIM ensures that no motorcycle races clash on the date.

NASCAR organized a pair of exhibition 100-lap races on the East Circuit, a 1.4 miles (2.3 km) layout which utilizes the pit straight and esses, before rejoining the main circuit near the Casio Triangle. The cars were Winston Cup and Winston West Series cars and the field was by invitation for the two races, run after the 1996 and 1997 seasons. 1996 saw a dark day in NASCAR when during practice, pace car driver Elmo Langley died of a heart attack in the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car at the esses during an evaluation run. In 1997, rain caused Goodyear to use rain tires in NASCAR for the first time.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Suzuka Circuit website
Suzuka Circuit wikipedia entry
Formula 1 website

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

Leave a comment!