Indy Japan 300
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Venue | Twin Ring Motegi |
|---|---|
| Corporate sponsor | Bridgestone |
| First race | 1998 |
| First IndyCar race | 2003 |
| Distance | 300 miles |
| Number of laps | 200 |
| Previous names | Budweiser 500k (1998) Firestone Firehawk 500k (1999-2001) Bridgestone Potenza 500k (2002) |
The Indy Japan 300 presented by Bridgestone is an Indy Racing League IndyCar Series race held at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan.
The first American open-wheel race in Japan was held in 1966 at Fuji Speedway. Jackie Stewart won the Fuji Japan 200, which was held as an exhibition race, and no championship points were awarded. USAC did not return.
For a short period in the late 1980s and early 1990s the CART series explored the prospects of holding a race in Japan. Possible locations would be either Suzuka, Fuji, or a street course in another city. The FIA objected, citing conflicts with Formula One and other interests. In addition, rules were put into place requiring that any CART race outside of North America be held on an oval. Despite the objections, in 1991 CART made their first trip across the Pacific Ocean, and held a street race at Surfer's Paradise, Australia. The plans for a race in Japan were scrapped.
In 1994, Honda joined the CART series, and by 1996, was widely successful. Interest in holding a race in Japan resurfaced, and upon the completion of the Twin Ring Motegi oval, a race was first held in 1998 without FIA objection. The race continued as a Champ Car event through 2002. In 2003, Honda switched alliances to the Indy Racing League, and the race became an Indycar Series event.
From 2003-2006, the race marked the final IRL race before the Indianapolis 500. The extended travel time required typically found the race held the weekend before or after Easter, leaving one or two weeks of travel and rest time until practice began at Indianapolis in early May. This situation was widely unpopular for fans, and for television, because it would leave a large gap in the schedule, and disrupt continuity leading to the series' premier event. Starting in 2007, the race at Kansas Speedway was moved immediately after Motegi, and would serve as a more popular lead-in to the Indianapolis 500.
[edit] Past results
| Season | Date | Winning Driver | Chassis | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAC Championship Car history (Fuji) | ||||
| 1966 | October 9 |  Jackie Stewart |
Lola | Ford |
| CART Champ Car history | ||||
| 1998 | March 28 |  Adrian Fernandez |
Reynard | Ford-Cosworth |
| 1999 | April 10 | Adrian Fernandez |
Reynard | Ford-Cosworth |
| 2000 | May 13 |  Michael Andretti |
Lola | Ford-Cosworth |
| 2001 | May 19 |  Kenny Bräck |
Lola | Ford-Cosworth |
| 2002 | April 27 |  Bruno Junqueira |
Lola | Toyota |
| IRL IndyCar Series history | ||||
| 2003 | April 13 | Scott Sharp |
Dallara | Toyota |
| 2004 | April 16 | Dan Wheldon |
Dallara | Honda |
| 2005 | April 30 | Dan Wheldon |
Dallara | Honda |
| 2006 | April 22 | Helio Castroneves |
Dallara | Honda |
| 2007 | April 21 | Tony Kanaan |
Dallara | Honda |
| 2008 | April 20 | Danica Patrick |
Dallara | Honda |
- Qualifying record: Dan Wheldon 201.165 mph (323.743 km/h), 2004
- Race record: Dan Wheldon 166.114 mph (267.334 km/h), 2004
- Note: Because of Open-Wheel Reunification in 2008, the 2008 Indy Japan 300 race was a half-field race. "Transitioning" teams at Long Beach raced for full IRL points despite using the former Champ Car codes.
[edit] References
| Previous race: | Current Indycar Series Races |
Next race: |
|
|||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
