Suzuka Circuit

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Coordinates: 34°50′35″N, 136°32′26″E

Suzuka International Racing Course

Location	Suzuka, Mie, Japan
Time Zone	GMT +9
Major events	Formula One
Circuit length	5.807 kilometres (3.608 miles)
Turns	17
Lap record	1'28.954 (Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2006)

Suzuka International Racing Course (Suzuka Circuit for short) was a 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 in 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 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-meter 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 meter radius, and then a second featuring a 340-meter 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 track's first major event since the revisions during the 2003 MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan, MotoGP rider Daijiro Kato was killed when he crashed in the new section headed to the braking zone for the Casio Triangle. MotoGP has not returned to Suzuka since the incident.

Other than the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka also hosts 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 organised a pair of exhibition 100-lap races on the East Circuit, a 1.4 mile layout which utilises 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.

Along with the Fuji Speedway, the Suzuka Circuit was one of the four tracks featured in the video game Pole Position II (the first game featured only the Fuji track). The Suzuka Circuit was also featured in the Final Lap and the Ferrari F355 Challenge arcade games and video games like Gran Turismo 4 and R: Racing Evolution. Suzuka Circuit is also featured as the final race in Taito's racing game Continental Circus. Also, the circuit has appeared on most F1 games that has been published since 1987.

Suzuka recently lost the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix to the Fuji Speedway (owned by Honda's perennial rival, Toyota Motor Corporation) after the latter underwent a transformation and redesign by famous race circuit designer Hermann Tilke. Many however believe that a Pacific Grand Prix at Suzuka may be a possibility due to the track's popularity with both drivers and spectators.

In his 2006 year-end CEO speech, Takeo Fukui, president & CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., explicitly announced that Honda will continue negotiating toward hosting a Formula One race again at Suzuka Circuit while renovating it with the goal to achieve the further evolution of mobility and motorsports. The renovation will include refurbishment of the Traffic Education Center, but among others, the planned overhauling of the pits and paddocks on the race course should carry a far more significance for those motorsport fans who look forward to a comeback of the world’s greatest motor race to Suzuka.

[edit] Deaths

• Hitoshi Ogawa, died in a wheel-over-wheel collision with Andrew Gilbert-Scott on the pit straight.
• Elmo Langley, died of a Heart Attack in the esses in the pace car
• Mamoru Yamakawa, killed after crashing into barriers during the Suzuka 8 Hours motorcycle race.
• Daijiro Kato, motorcycle racer, crashed at first GP of the MotoGP 2003 season

[edit] External links

• Suzuka Circuit
• Suzuka Circuit History and Statistics
• Ciro Pabón's Racetracks 3D views and virtual laps of all F1 circuits, including this one, via Google Earth
• Satellite picture by Google Maps

Racetracks of the Super GT Grand Touring Series
Suzuka Circuit • Okayama International Circuit • Fuji Speedway • Sepang Circuit (Malaysia) • Sportsland SUGO • Suzuka Circuit • Twin Ring Motegi • Autopolis • Fuji Speedway