[GTR2] - Fuji Raceway 1970

November 10, 2011

File Name: Fuji Raceway 1970

File Submitter: Alessandro Pollini

File Submitted: 10 Nov 2011

File Category: Tracks

Author : Khan1670

INTRODUCTION

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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 30° 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.

A new part of track was built to counteract the problem, and the resultant 4.359 km course proved more successful.

Initially the course was designed to be run anti-clockwise but there were several huge crashes at the banking

and a number of deaths, and it was quickly decided to reverse the direction of racing.

Even this failed to prevent further carnage. The reason that banking was so horrific,

was that at the end of the straight the drivers went over a blind crest at up to 300km/h and dropped into the banking.

At other tracks (Daytona, Monthlery, etc.) the cars climb up the banking.

One of the results was that although there were many brave Japanese drivers there were not too many

with great skill and the death toll from that one corner was horrendous.

This made Fuji Speedway one of the most dangerous tracks worldwide.

In 1974 the banking was abandoned and the track was redesigned to host fast international racing series like

Formula 1. Despite being out of use for over three decades, a big part of the circuit's banked portion is still in existence,

albeit in a decaying state. It is even still visible on Google earth's satellite pictures.

This GTR2 version of Fuji Speedway features a 1970 layout of the track, including the banking and

the old pitlane, but it is not an 100% accurate interpretation. Working with only a few old pictures we had

to create big parts, such as advertising space, vegetation and in-/outfield, of it by free imagination and for

a good looking and drivable track.

Nevertheless we hope you enjoy driving our virtual version of this part of racing history with us.

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