2007 Bridgestone Indy Japan 300
Some familiar faces make the trip to Tochigi worth every toll (and speeding ticket)
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2005 IRL series champ Briton Dan Wheldon |
Courtesy of Len Clarke/Racenow Japan |
If it’s speed you’re looking for, your search is over. Japan’s hottest annual motor sport event, the Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 takes place on April 21. Now in its fifth year as an IRL event, the 300-mile race is sure to be a feast of fast-paced fun for Japan’s community of speed freaks.
Located at Honda’s state-of-the-art Motegi track two hours north of Tokyo, Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 is a must-see event for any fan eager to see the laws of physics defied as cars blast around the 1.5-mile (2.4km) elliptical oval in just under 28 seconds. Add to that the fact that you can see the entire race from every seat in the open-air house means the excitement only wanes when the safety car is out.
Oval racing originally came to Japan in 1996, the year Motegi opened. At the time, it was CART (now Champ Car) that ruled the roost in American so-called “open-wheel” racing. The then-fledgling IRL was little more than an upstart compared to the decades-old CART series, but things couldn’t be more different now.
The sea change occurred primarily due to the fact that many of the big teams in US open-wheel racing moved over from the Champ Car series in 2002 and 2003. The introduction of iconic names like Penske, Andretti Green and Ganassi Racing not only raised the bar, but also gave a boost to the legitimacy of the IRL. The Indy Racing League has grown every year since its inception 11 seasons ago.
So who should you be watching in Motegi?
Two years ago, all eyes were focused on young female hotshot Danica Patrick, widely expected to take her maiden victory in Japan on the relatively compact 1.5-mile oval in Tochigi. That didn’t happen (she came in fourth), but her underdog status provided some serious racing entertainment. Make no mistake: Patrick’s still a force to be reckoned with—it’s just that the talent pool in the IRL has gone through the roof over the last few seasons.
On the Japanese side, there’s Kousuke Matsuura, protégé of Aguri Suzuki and his Super Aguri Panther Racing squad. The sole Japanese driver in the series came in a respectable seventh last year, and continues to be a crowd favorite.
Traditionally made up solely of American drivers, the IRL now boasts its most international lineup yet‚ with over half of the racers hailing from outside the US. This isn’t to say the Americans aren’t pulling their competitive weight—one of the favorites this time around is the 2006 rookie of the year, 20-year-old Marco Andretti, son of Michael (for whose team he competes) and grandson of racing legend Mario.
The Bridgestone Indy 300 is traditionally the race that precedes the most famous oval event in the world—the Indy 500, now in its 91st year—so the action in Motegi will be all the more competitive.
But whoever takes the checkered flag after 200 furious laps, there can be no doubt as to which engine will take victory in Tochigi: Honda.
This is the second year in which Honda will be the sole engine supplier of engines to the IRL. And for the first time, IRL engines will be using 100-percent ethanol fuel, a change from the 90/10 methanol/ethanol mix previously employed. Engine displacement has also changed, with Honda’s new H17R V8 power plants upgraded to 3.5 liters. And that means speed like you’ve never seen before.
Apr 19-21, Motegi Twin Ring Circuit. See sports listings for details.
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