![]() ![]() The practice of sideways driving has always been around. the large spoilers, over-acting, and big neon painted cars like Hollywood portrays. The sport has a lot more to do with the traditional motor sport that became popular during the 1920’s vs. Most people don’t understand the origins of the sport and a lot of misconceptions and misinformation is given. This change has occurred in the last 30 years. It started as an illegal activity done in the darkness of night by those who lived on the fringes of society, but it has become a globally recognized sport that is done by professionals. It was memorialized for it’s 80 th birthday and if you go visit the site now, you may find the white memorial plaque that was hung and the concrete seats that still remain as a haunting reminder of racing in days gone by.ĭrifting was most definitely made popular by the “Fast and the Furious” franchise. Most people don’t even know the speedway existed, but for those that know- they still consider this speedway to be the roots of the country’s prolific automobile industry and motor racing. It hosted only 6 events before it was closed in 1938 because of the second Sino-Japanes war that took the attention, resources and time of the racers who were headed to war and the area became a potato field to try to feed the hungry masses during the war-era food scarcity cycles. So much has changed in the 82 years since it opened. The speedway was absolutely the starting point of Honda’s long standing presence in F1 racing and motorcycle racing. Honda history buffs can attest that it was racing at the speedway that gave Honda the burning desire to make better automobiles. Ltd., crashes during the first four-wheel competition held at Tamagawa Speedway in 1936. Most don’t know that the world-renowned car company Honda (which was started by Soichiro Honda) got it’s early start on the Tamagawa Speedway. The first race in 1936 had just 24 cars that were driven by regular guys that simply had a love for cars and adrenaline. It was open May of 1936 and ran the countries hottest races until the world-famous Suzuka Circuit opened twenty six years later. He was successful and one of their most historical racing sites was born the Tamagawas speedway that sits right outside of Tokyo. He was determined to see his idea executed so he went around petitioning newspapers, railways’s and land developers to establish a federation to run the speedway and maintain it. The idea of building a permanent track for racing was the brainchild of a Japanese auto fanatic that had been raised in Seattle but returned to Japan in the 1920’s his name was Gunji Fujimoto. Eventually, there were built out sites that started to dot the country. Because there were no built courses at the time, temporary sites like horse racing tracks, empty lots, and sleepy streets were used to race. Japan has had auto racing since the 1920’s. First through Europe, then through America and finally it made it’s way to Asia. That’s all it took- people were hooked and the racing fever spread. ![]() The first organized automibile competition took place in 1894 and went from Paris France to Rouen France which was a distance of about 50 miles and the racers topped out at a speed of 10.2 miles per hour. Whether you watch or participate in karting, drag racing, stock-car racing, sports-car racing or even the Grand Prix, it all came from the same humble beginnings. What these kids don’t realize is that racing has been around forever. Much of today’s generation has gotten the racing itch after watching blockbuster movies like the “Fast and the Furious” movies that glorify racing and the subculture that surrounds it. ![]() Racing is a professional and amateur automobile sport that takes place on tracks, closed circuits and open roads. ![]() As soon as the gasoline fueled internal combustion engine was invented in the 1880’s, racing was born and cropped up all over the world. Japan’s first permanent auto racing circuit.Īutomobile racing, or motor racing has been around almost since the beginning. ![]()
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