The Izod IndyCar Series announced today that it will run the 2.98-mile natural-terrain road course during its final visit to the Twin Ring Motegi motorsports facility in Japan on Sept. 18. The race was originally scheduled for the 1.5-mile, egg-shaped oval, but it sustained damage during the March earthquakes. Raised ridges to the track surface prevent the IZOD IndyCar Series cars from competing on the oval.
“In conjunction with Mobilityland, we have made the decision to move forward with our race in Motegi after closely monitoring the ongoing situation in Japan for several months,” said Randy Bernard, CEO, IndyCar. “After weighing a variety of options, we felt it was best to move the race to the road course. We understand that Japan is steadily moving forward with reconstruction and we look forward to entertaining our strong fan base at Motegi with our inaugural run on the road course.”
“Earlier this year the Izod IndyCar Series announced that the Sept. 18 race will be its final race at the facility. Twin Ring Motegi, which is owned by Mobilityland Corp., opened in 1997 and has played host to open-wheel events since 1998.
Driver Roger Yasukawa, who knows Motegi well, has expressed some concerns.
Says Yasukawa: “Fans in Japan have always respected Indy Cars as being an oval racing series, and not really road course cars. Therefore, if we go there and run slower than the Formula Nippon cars….that would be bad for IndyCar since the enthusiasts will look at Indy as not a top-level series. Maybe the general fans won’t care, but I just hope they change the configuration of the track so the fans have nothing to relate to as far as comparing the times. Considering the weight of the car, I am certain it will be slower than Formula Nippon and probably a bit quicker than GT 500 cars.
“The other concern is the usage of the front straight. I hope they modify the track so it can use the front straight and pit lane that are used for the oval. Otherwise there is 150 ft of distance from the grandstand to the road course’s front straight, and it won’t be enjoyable for the fans.
“And last, my biggest concern is radiation. Not many people realize that Motegi is only about 100 miles from the Fukushima reactor. Although I am glad that the league is supportive of this event, I would hope and think that there is no issue in regard to that, and trust that the organizer is taking appropriate measures and actions to ensure safety of drivers, team crews, and the fans.
“Overall, I’d rather see the cars go around on ovals. I’m sure it was a tough decision for Motegi, since they have already announced this was going to be the last year, Nevertheless, I hope they end the race on a high note.”
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