Need to dump Motegi

[Jimmy Hendricks]

This race has to go. We all know the only reason its on the schedule, but enough is enough. Every stinkin' year, the weather blows. Since no one runs on the track all year, there is no rubber on the track and no grip. And, the track promotes sleep-inducing racing and its usually a crash-fest.

Right now, the conditions in Motegi are light rain, temps in the low 50's and winds gusting to 35 MPH. With those type of temps/winds, no rubber on the track and little track time, this is sure to lead to a scary race (should it even be run with all the rain still forecast).

It eats up valuable lead-in time to the most important race on the schedule, by taking 2 April weekends away from the US schedule. TV ratings will be barely above test patterns and there are no US journalists (per Patrick Stephan) covering the race on site.

Either move this dog to the end of the year (September/October???), when people aren't paying much attention to racing in this country anyway and the weather might be more condusive, or just dump it all-together. The crowds are never that good anyway (its basically Homestead with much worse weather).

I say dump it and bring back Phoenix, where the sport can possibly rekindle the interest in a true open-wheel hotbed (with a true heritage in the sport) in front of many, many more folks (not that it is saying much) on TV and in a part of the world that actually usually has good weather in the Spring. And, you can free up another weekend to either do ROP at IMS or maybe even add another race somewhere, should you like.

[devowood]

I was there in 2004 when Dan Wheldon won his first and Honda won its first at Motegi. The weather was near 80 the Cherry Blossoms were in full bloom and the locals were amazing. I spent 10 days in Japan that year and it never rained on me. I went from Nagoya to Motegi and back and it was the best trip ever.

[rjohnson999]

Maybe, when you pay as much for your ticket as Honda contributes to the program, someone will listen to you.

This race has to go. We all know the only reason its on the schedule, but enough is enough. Every stinkin' year, the weather blows. Since no one runs on the track all year, there is no rubber on the track and no grip. And, the track promotes sleep-inducing racing and its usually a crash-fest.

Right now, the conditions in Motegi are light rain, temps in the low 50's and winds gusting to 35 MPH. With those type of temps/winds, no rubber on the track and little track time, this is sure to lead to a scary race (should it even be run with all the rain still forecast).

It eats up valuable lead-in time to the most important race on the schedule, by taking 2 April weekends away from the US schedule. TV ratings will be barely above test patterns and there are no US journalists (per Patrick Stephan) covering the race on site.

Either move this dog to the end of the year (September/October???), when people aren't paying much attention to racing in this country anyway and the weather might be more condusive, or just dump it all-together. The crowds are never that good anyway (its basically Homestead with much worse weather).

I say dump it and bring back Phoenix, where the sport can possibly rekindle the interest in a true open-wheel hotbed (with a true heritage in the sport) in front of many, many more folks (not that it is saying much) on TV and in a part of the world that actually usually has good weather in the Spring. And, you can free up another weekend to either do ROP at IMS or maybe even add another race somewhere, should you like.

[jkg]

Right now, the conditions in Motegi are light rain, temps in the low 50's and winds gusting to 35 MPH. .

Great prep for the usual pole day weather!

[Indy-hp]

The Motegi trip in the Spring before Indy always seemed to kill marketing momemtum. Either move it to the season opener or to the Fall to be part of a Pacific swing to Surfers and back (which I hope would include Laguna Seca, as I love watching cars through the Corkscrew , the coolest corner in the US). I don't know if the weather in Japan is any better in September, but it seems to rain at the April date about half of the time.

A Spring schedule leading up to Indy that consisted of Homestead, St. Pete, Long Beach, Phoenix, and Kansas would be very .

[don7031]

Maybe, when you pay as much for your ticket as Honda contributes to the program, someone will listen to you.

Bill France Sr. and Jr. would have listened to him.

[Jimmy Hendricks]

Maybe, when you pay as much for your ticket as Honda contributes to the program, someone will listen to you.

I laid out about a hundred good reasons why this race should be dumped. You gave none.

If its about growing AMERICAN OPEN WHEEL RACING, this thing at Motegi needs to go, whether Honda likes it or not. I don't remember having to run a race in England when Cosworth was basically the only engine manufacturer.

Someone better start listening to the fans......soon.

[rjohnson999]

I gave one, and the one I gave trumps everything and anything you have to say on the subject. When as and if Honda ceases to be sole engine supplier to the ICS you might get your wish. Otherwise, you're just whistling in the dark.

I laid out about a hundred good reasons why this race should be dumped. You gave none.

If its about growing AMERICAN OPEN WHEEL RACING, this thing at Motegi needs to go, whether Honda likes it or not. I don't remember having to run a race in England when Cosworth was basically the only engine manufacturer.

Someone better start listening to the fans......soon.

[Jimmy Hendricks]

I don't know if the weather in Japan is any better in September, but it seems to rain at the April date about half of the time.

Average April high temperature in Motegi is 62 degrees.

Average September high temperature in Motegi is 77 degrees.


As of 4:00 AM Japan time, current Motegi weather is light rain with 50 degrees with winds gusting to 36 MPH. Hope the boys brought their parkas and ski-caps.

[RS2]

It is American OW racing. They just happen to be doing it in Japan this week. They could be racing in Germany or England and it would also still be American OW racing. Is there something Hendricks is having a hard time understanding with this?

[Red Byrd]

Hey, be happy it's an oval.

[hdolan]

It is American OW racing. They just happen to be doing it in Japan this week. They could be racing in Germany or England and it would also still be American OW racing. Is there something Hendricks is having a hard time understanding with this?

What time will that race be televised...in America...

[JBaiza]

2000 people lined up at an autograph signing in the rain.

This cannot be tolerated.

[RS2]

What time will that race be televised...in America...

I don't know, look it up.

[Lucky161]

"If its about growing AMERICAN OPEN WHEEL RACING, this thing at Motegi needs to go, whether Honda likes it or not. I don't remember having to run a race in England when Cosworth was basically the only engine manufacturer.

Someone better start listening to the fans......soon."


Sorry Jimmy, but I can't agree with you on this one. It's not that I'll be watching Montegi, but it's 'not about growing American open wheel racing.' Some of us thought that at one time, but that's been proven wrong. I think a better description would be "we're like F1 only better." I think that's been tried before, but who knows it might work better now.

As far as listening to fans, didn't you get your message from TG and the IRL? It probably said the same thing as mine did, something like "we don't need you."