Fuji Speedway is the premier place for Japanese race fans to go. The stunning backdrop of Mt Fuji combined with a racing track that boasts the world’s longest straight line – an uninterrupted speed run of 1.5km – provide a driving environment like no other.
Despite its stunning scenery, however, the track has not had such a glorious showing on the world stage where a series of accidents gained it a reputation for reckless endangerment in the 1960s and allegations of a pro-Toyota bias effecting it when the circuit once again hosted the Japanese F1 race in 2007. The race was more of a success the following year, but financial troubles at Toyota have convinced them to stop promoting the race for now and the next Japanese GP will be returning to Suzuka, the figure of 8 circuit in Mie Prefecture that is owned and operated by Toyota rival Honda.
I went to Fuji Speedway recently as part of an organized race weekend that was open to private drivers, wannabes, amateurs and other petrol-head types. Some who went were sponsored by local racing clubs, others by small car manufacturers and the like but many were there also just for the chance to drive their own Ferrari, Porsche or Skyline at the speeds they were designed for and that Tokyo living just doesn’t allow.
After a few safety lessons on the etiquette of driving at high speed, we were allowed to enter a race. The first few laps are tense; you are worried abut any small mistake, you don’t want to make a fool of yourself and you are gripped with a sense of whether or not you can really do it. Once a few laps have zipped past, though, you begin to loosen up and get a feel for it. The nerves are replaced by a sense that you are the next Jenson Button and then you can really start to enjoy your day.
For those who can’t drive, or want to experience the thrill of racing at Fuji Speedway from afar, the track appears in various computer games including the Gran Turismo for Sony’s PlayStation and at Aqua City shopping mall in Odaiba where, in the nearby car museum, a giant simulator recreates the experience, vibrations and all.
