Japan's first motor race - 1901

[alexcaffi]

3rd November 1901
Held at Ueno Park, Tokyo around an oval course (length unknown).
3 competitors took part (drivers unknown)

1st ??? Thomas motorcycle 36kph
2nd ??? Gladiator quadricycle 29kph
3rd ??? Thomas tricycle 25kph

This is all I can find on the event anyone know any more details?

[ohazamiizugahar]

Originally Posted by alexcaffi

3rd November 1901
Held at Ueno Park, Tokyo around an oval course (length unknown).
3 competitors took part (drivers unknown)

1st ??? Thomas motorcycle 36kph
2nd ??? Gladiator quadricycle 29kph
3rd ??? Thomas tricycle 25kph

This is all I can find on the event anyone know any more details?

I checked Japanese web-site.
There were two data.

1. 1901 at Ueno around Shinobazu-pond 1.6km

[ohazamiizugahar]

Originally Posted by ohazamiizugahar

I checked Japanese web-site.
There were two data.

1. 1901 at Ueno around Shinobazu-pond 1.6km

I posted before completion by mistake.
There were several information.

1. 1901 at Ueno around Shinobazu-pond 1.6km
1st 2'40"
2nd 3'16"
3rd 3'50"

2. 1914 at Tokyo Meguro
by four machines which were imported from USA

3. Official race by JAF info
at Tokyo Suzaki
more than 50,000 spectators
by four machines
winner was Komanosuke Uchiyama

[Darren Galpin]

Any chance that you could expand on events 2 and 3? Which cars and drivers competed at Tokyo in 1914? Where and when was event 3? This is the first I've heard of such early racing in Japan, so would love to know more.

[alexcaffi]

thanks for the extra info!

I am a little confused though, because your times and distance equate the winner's speed to 36 miles p/h, when the info i found quotes 36 kilometres p/h. Is it that my info should be mph not kph or that your track length should be in miles and not kilometres? What do you think?

my source:
http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~iwat/

That site also includes a picture of the competitors!!