Fuji Speedway Banking!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Skid Mark 33
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Skid Mark 33

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Watch this video. It has clips of the Old Fuji Speedway banking which of cause is no longer used today. What makes these clips even more special is that you are not allowed walk on the banking today although you are allowed to walk to the end of the runoff at turn one sometimes to look through the safety fence to see it sometimes. But this video lets you see it in action!



Also, clcik on this link, and there will be a picture of the banking as it is today!

http://www.formula1.com/gallery/race/2007/784/general/thursday.html

Does anyone else have photos or videos of this amazing piece of history? 👍
 
Awesome!!!! :drool: :drool: :drool: (and drools some more.....)

A great find indeed. Just like the F40 video. :)
 
You should probably explain why the banking is significant. A banking by itself isn't very exciting without some history. I knew once, but I forget exactly why they got rid of it. I remember it was dangerous for some reason.

Best Motoring and that skyline exhaust note FTW.👍
 
There's already a thread about great sounding cars, and this video has been there for ages.




But I've never seen a mention of Fuji's old banking. I've never even heard of it. I'd like to see more pics and info!
 
Fuji "speedway" was going to be exactly that, a speedway. Big oval. They ran out of money before they finished it, but I think a part of it was still built into the rest of the track. There was a lot of crashes on it if I remember correctly. I don't remember all the details, since I saw this on a video, so I can't just go look it up on wikipedia or something.

If anyone can add something, please do.

EDIT:
Wikipedia
Fuji Speedway Corporation was established in 1963, as Japan NASCAR Corporation. At first, the circuit was planned to hold the race of the NASCAR form in Japan. Therefore, the track was originally designed to be as a 4 km (2.5 mile) high-banked superspeedway, but there was not enough money to complete the project and only one of the bankings was ever designed. Mitsubishi Estate Co. invested in the circuit, and took the management right on October 1965.

Converted to a road course, the circuit opened in December of 1965 and proved to be somewhat dangerous with the banked turn regularly resulting in major accidents. A new part of track was built to counteract the problem, and the resultant 4.359 km (2.7 mile) course proved more successful. The speedway brought the first Formula One race to Japan at the end of the 1976 season. The race had a dramatic World Championship battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda, and in awful rainy conditions, Hunt earned enough points to win the title. Mario Andretti won the race, with Lauda withdrawing due to the dangerous conditions.
Click to expand...

EDIT#2: A crash on the old banked corner.


EDIT#3: Theres a picture of it here: http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2007/9/6869.html

But I can't post it here.
 
the old fuji speedway was 1 of my favorite tracks. the new one just doesnt have the same character...
 

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