Tokyo, July 31, 1997 - Twin Ring Motegi Co., Ltd. (President: Mr. K. Touzuka), a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., announced today both the completion and the opening of its "Twin Ring Motegi" facilities. Located in Motegi Town, Haga County, Tochigi Prefecture, these facilities are designed to lead toward the creation of a new mobility culture. Operation is scheduled to start on August 1st, 1997.
Mr. Fumio Watanabe, Governor of Tochigi Prefecture, Mr. Takeshi Abe, Mayor of Motegi Town, Mr. Andrew Craig, President and Chief Executive Officer of CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams Inc.), Mr. Ken Clapp, Vice-President of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc.), Mr. Kunio Nihira, Vice-Chairman of the Japan Automobile Federation, and Mr. Hideo Ishizuka, Chairman of the Motorcycle Federation of Japan attended today's events together with many other local dignitaries and representatives from companies related to this project.
Following the official announcement of the end of the construction phase and the accompanying speeches celebrating this event, a tape-cutting ceremony was held on the oval course's starting grid. This in turn was followed by demonstration runs of a variety of racing cars and motorcycles, culminating with a demonstration run by Jimmy Vasser, the 1996 Indy Car World Series Champion.
Introducing Twin Ring Motegi Co., Ltd.
As we are nearing the 21st century, this facility aims at the creation of a new mobility culture by providing a variety of new facilities promoting driving safety as well as motor sports activities.
1. Twin Ring Motegi Co., Ltd.
| Headquarters: | Yaesu 2-6-20, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
| Twin Ring Motegi: | 120-1, Ooaza Hiyama, Motegi Town, Haga county, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Established: | February 1990 |
| President: | Mr. Koji Touzuka |
| Capital: | 1.5 billion Japanese Yen |
| No. of Employees: | 85 (as of April 1997) |
2. Five Kinds of Businesses
- 1)Motor sport activities
Organize and hold races (including motor sports events)
Drive on a racing course (including a variety of racing classes)
Amusement - 2)Safety driving and other driver training related businesses
Individual
Group
Government offices, enterprises, and various organizations - 3)Restaurant, cafe, retail shop and accommodation
Restaurant, cafe and retail shop
Hotel (opening in spring 1998)
Auto camp site - 4)Museum
Honda Collection Hall (opening in spring 1998)
Event Hall (opening in spring 1998) - 5)General Exhibition and Event Business
Concerts etc.
3. Opening day
August 1, 1997
4. Facilities Scheduled to open in August 1997
- 1.Super-Speedway (2.4km oval course)
- 2.Road Course (4.8km road course)
- 3.Motegi Active Safety Training Park
(Safety Driving and Riding School) - 4.The North Short Course (1km)
- 5.Dirt Track (400m and 200m dirt oval course)
- 6.Multi course (600m course for kart, gymkhana,etc.)
- 7.Kart Land (200m dirt oval course for go-kart and 350m short course)
- 8.Grandstand (Box seat, seat A, and seat B)
- 9.Lawn stand
- 10.Grandstand House Suites (Suite rooms for group watching)
- 11.Grandstand House Stall
- 12.Central Plaza Snack House
- 13.Paddock Cafe
- 14.Auto Camping Site
5. Activities and facilities
- 1)Racing
Organizing of American-style and other original racing activities.
| Four-wheel: | The All Japan Championship Of Formula Nippon Motegi GT Champion Race (tentative name) Indy Car Race, PPG CART World Series Endurance Race NASCAR Japan Touring Car Championship Series |
| Two-wheel: | Motegi Road Race Championship Series, etc. |
| Dirt track: | Two-Wheel Dirt Track Race, ATV Race Modified Midget Race |
| Kart: | Playing Kart Festival |
| Additional Events: | Honda Eco Run Fuel Economy Competition, Gymkhana, and Drag Racing |
| Details of each race will be announced in advance. | |
- 2)Course driving
The following four programs are prepared to promote motor sport activities.
A. Sports driving
A newly established sports driving club, Twin Ring Motegi Club-Sports (TRMC-S) is seeking members. Course users are required to pay admission and annual fees.
B. Driving Experience (motorcycles/automobiles)
The driver is allowed to drive on both the super-speedway and road courses. Drivers can use their own vehicles although he/she is required to follow behind one of the marshal cars.
C. Racing Drive Experience as a passenger (cars)
You can ride as a passenger in a racing car such as NASCAR (Stock Car) driven by a professional driver. This drive experience will be available at the road course or the super-speedway. By using family size vehicles, the entire family can enjoy this program together.
D. Motegi School of Racing
It is a racing school run by Twin Ring Motegi. Stock Car racing (four wheels), Midget racing (four wheels) and Dirt Track racing (two wheels) will be held on both the super-speedway and the dirt track courses.
E. Course chartered use
Each course will be available for lease to various organizations and groups.
- 3)Amusement
The amusement section will have available, the following five kinds of go-kart as well as touring buses.
A. Go-kart
(1) Speedway kart (go-kart for super-speedway):
Go-kart which can run on super-speedway with one or two occupants.
(2) Circuit kart (go-kart for road course):
Go-kart which can run on road course with one or two occupants.
(3) American racer:
One person per go-kart, with up to six karts starting together will provide the experience and pleasure of oval course racing. This will be opened at the kart land.
(4) Playing kart:
One person per go-kart with up to eight karts running at any one time will provide the experience and pleasure of road course racing. It will be opened at the kart land.
(5) Playing midget:
Elementary level classes using Twin Ring Motegi's original playing midgets. A gateway to being successful in this American motor sport, will be opened at the dirt track.
B. Touring bus
Twin Ring Motegi and racing course tour is given in a "Made in America" hood type school bus. It is called " yellow bird Twin Ring drive" from the name of the bus manufacturer " Blue Bird Co., Ltd." and it's yellow body color.
- 4)Active Safety Training Park Motegi
Know-how acquired through Honda's Driving Safety Promotion activity was called upon to develop a brand-new driver-training program. It focuses on the relationship between people, society and the automobile.
A big advantage is to be able to experience extreme situations without spoiling the original pleasure of driving itself. Moreover, an unprecedented system which everyone can participate in and that can be easily adopted.
The business is divided into the following categories:
A. Four wheels and two wheels safety school for individuals
B. Safety school for enterprises
C. Training of test staff in enterprises belonging to the automobile industry
D. Sports driving school and sports riding school for individual
Description of the courses available:
practical training for beginner motorcycle enthusiasts.
| * Slippery course | Skidding experience on slippery road surface. |
| * Variable course | Training on a rugged, rut filled road set along the mountains for |
| * Braking course | Panic braking with locking of the wheels. |
| * Driver reaction course | Emergency avoidance training (1). |
| * Water barrier | Emergency avoidance training (2). |
| * Water splash course | Experiencing water splash related visibility loss |
| * Low (µ) road course | Braking on slippery surface and tips. Mastering of recovery method from skidding situations using special equipment. |
| * Hydroplaning course | Experiencing sudden adhesion loss over a water pool. |
| * Skid pad area | Experiencing dangerous situations while turning. |
| * The north short course | Training of safe turn at normal speed. |
- 5)Grandstand and other seating areas
(1) The below mentioned, reserved seats are available in the grandstand.
| Box seats: |
Reserved seats for groups | 864 (15 booths) |
| A seats: | Seats with seat back | 7,780 |
| B seats: | Seats with waist support | 13,173 |
| Total | 21,817 |
(2) Grandstand house suite rooms.
The grandstand house is composed of five rooms with a capacity of 80 people each. Each room can also be divided into three smaller rooms.
(3) General non-reserved seat:
About 40,000 seats are prepared in the super-speedway inn field with another 80,000 seats available around the road course.
- 6)Auto camp site
58 open sites divided into an auto-camp area (18 sites independently electrified and 20 sites with centralized electricity supply) and a tent area (20 sites), are surrounded with coppice woods to create a relaxing atmosphere.
- 7)Hotel
| Hotel name: | Hotel Twin Ring |
| Opening: | Spring 1998. |
| Configuration: |
Five floors above ground + one basement floor |
| Total floor space: | 15100 m2 |
| Facilities: | (1) Guest rooms 135 twin rooms (34.8 m2) can accommodate 270 persons (540 persons at 2+2 use). (2) Banquet hall, party hall, and training room Banquet style rooms able to accommodate 600, 300, and 120 persons respectively or a maximum of 1,000 persons are available. |
- 8)Honda collection hall
This exhibition facility is being built to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. this coming 1998, and bring together major products and racing machines. This space will be opened to the public in appreciation for its support over the years (opening in Spring 1998).
- 9)Event hall
Opening schedule: Spring 1998 Total floor space 4290 m2