It’s known as Indy Japan The Final, the last time Indy cars will compete at Honda’s track in Japan. Earthquake damage to the oval’s banking put the series’ trip to Japan in jeopardy. Turns out it makes no economic sense to rebuild the oval for a single race each year. Then it was decided the open-wheelers should compete on Motegi’s road course.
And, because everyone asks, the track is set in beautiful forested small mountains about 80 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
The day before first practice, Dario Franchitti spent some time in the 1965 Honda RA 272 for Road & Track. This is the car in which American Richie Ginther won Honda’s first Formula 1 race, the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix. You’ll read about Dario’s drive of the car in an upcoming issue of R&T, and get a chance to hear the 1.5-liter transverse 48-valve V-12 shriek on video at roadandtrack.com. After the test, we had Dario, his teammate Scott Dixon and the Target crew pose with the Honda and Dario’s current Target Indy car.
Friday, as temperature again soared into the mid-90s, Dario and the rest of the Izod IndyCar field got down to work learning the 2.98-mile circuit. With only a 5-point lead over Will Power and just three races remaining in the season, Dario has his work cut out for him.
Saturday is qualifying and Sunday—Japan time, so check your TV schedules—will be the last time Indy cars compete at a track that it as used since 2003. Even the food stalls know how to make something of this last race at Motegi, one featuring a meal called: Indy Car, The Final Burger.
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