the all sino-am series

[botsquad]

From the Twin Ring Montegi site
Another t.g. milestone..

Twin Ring Motegi will hold the Indy Racing League Series "BRIDGESTONE INDY JAPAN 300mile" from 2003
For the first time in Japan, Twin Ring Motegi Co., Ltd. will hold a round of the Indy Racing League (IRL) for 3 days from April 11 (Friday) to 13 (Sunday) in 2003; the race that will be held is the third round of the Indy Racing League (IRL) series that represents true American motor sports.

IRL is a formula car race series where drivers compete for the championship over 16 annual races which culminate with the "Indianapolis 500" (popularly called the "Indy 500"), the biggest motor sports event in the world. The "Indy 500" which has long been known to many Japanese, at least by name, was first held in 1911 and marked its 86th race this year is the world's biggest motor sports event attracting 400,000 spectators to its final.

IRL races are all held on oval courses where drivers drive machines at high speeds with the throttle kept fully open. Spectators, regardless of their seat locations, can enjoy the view of exciting battles with two to three machines running at incredible speeds side-by-side. IRL, never forgetting to stress the entertainment aspect of auto racing, is the most representative motor sports of America.

The "BRIDGESTONE INDY JAPAN 300 mile" will be the first IRL race to be held outside the U.S. and marks a historically important point in both Japanese and American motor sports.

In presenting the "BRIDGESTONE INDY JAPAN 300 mile" as an outstandingly attractive event, Twin Ring Motegi Co., Ltd. will also hold a wide variety of events during "Indy Week" which will last for nine days from April 5 (Sat.) to 13 (Sun.).

HIGHLIGHTS OF BRIDGESTONE INDY JAPAN 300mile

The BRIDGESTONE INDY JAPAN 300mile will take place at the 1.5-mile oval course of Twin Ring Motegi, covering a total of 200 laps or 300 miles (approx. 480 km.)

The oval course of Twin Ring Motegi has a course layout consisting of two 10-degree banked corners, one with a diameter of 220m and the other with 160m, linked by two straight courses. Since an Indy car provides powerful down force and has excellent cornering performance, the spectators can expect to witness scenes where two to three machines are racing side by side.

Also, the high slipstream effect, in which the low pressure created behind a fast-moving car makes the machine following the car go faster, makes the race very exciting. The spectators will not be able to take their eyes off this spectacle until the end of the final lap.

The average lap speed of the BRIDGESTONE INDY JAPAN 300mile is expected to be over 200 miles per hour (320km/h) with a top speed of 350 km/h. Each team is expected to make three to four pit stops during the race and the total race time including a number of yellow cautions will be about two hours.

One of the attractions of the race for Japanese fans will be that there are many teams that are familiar in Japan, including the Andretti Green Racing, whose entry from next year has been announced, as well as Marlboro Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing.

As for the participating drivers, those who have raced in Japan before such as Michael Andretti, and his teammates Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan have already announced their entries in next year's IRL. A total of 26 to 28 entries are expected to take part.

Furthermore, the IRL has announced the entries of several Japanese drivers including Toranosuke Takagi, who has been announced to join the race next year, and the performance of these Japanese drivers will also be attracting considerable attention.

OUTLINE OF THE EVENT

Name of the Race
INDY JAPAN 300mile
Organizer TWIN RING MOTEGI Co.,Ltd.
M.O.Sports Club(M.O.S.C.)
Official Recognition FEDERATION INTERNATIONAL DE L'AUTOMOBILE(FIA)
JAPAN AUTOMOBILE FEDERATION(JAF)
Title Sponsor BRIDESTONE CORPORATION
Official Airline ANA NCA
Partner AUTOBACS SEVEN CO., LTD.
Supported by The Embassy of The United States of America,State of Indiana, Tochigi Prefecture, Motegi Town,The Yomiuri Shinbun, Nippon Television Network Corporation,The Hochi Shinbun, FM Japan
Venue TWIN RING MOTEGI Super Speedway
(1.5miles{2,4km})
120-1 Hiyama, Motegi-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi, Japan
Schedule deadline 2003. 4.11(Fri) /Practice
4.12(Sat) /Practice Qualifying
4.13(Sun) /Race(300miles: 200Laps)
4.14(Mon) /Reserved Day in the case of Rain

[CleanTone]

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[sgw2]

You should have called this thread "Niho-Am."

"Sino" is an old term for China, not Japan. Sino-American relations means US-China, and Sino-Soviet stood for PRC-USSR. Chinese call themselves "Han" (pronounced 'Hawn'), although Manchurians still refer to their Mongol roots and call themselves "Man" ('Mawn') Zhong Gou Ren (lit., Manchu China Nation People). Sort of like Scots referring to themselves as Brits but not English. Think of "Han" as being equivalent to "English" for Brits. Other Chinese ethnics call themselves by their local Provinces, such as Fukianese calling themselves Min-Jin (Lit., Fukianese People). Anyway Sino comes from a corruption of Qin (Chin Gou or Chin-Go sometimes pronounced Shin-go, hence Sino). It has nothing to do with Japanese.

Japan is called Nihon (Nippon, from which the derogatory "nip" comes from) in Japanese.

The term you used "Sino" is sort of like calling a race in Italy the German Grand Prix. Not too cool.

[marcus]

oops

dunno its all greek to me !!!!!!

but thanks for letting us know whats going on in Japan botsquad

[rush1]

It will be great to see the IRL cars at Motegi, hopefully they draw a good crowd.

sgw2, I always wondered where "Sino" derived from. I remember hearing the term in history text books. Now I know

[3state]

o much for the all American series with all american drivers...

[sgw2]

3State,

You know I hate it when a self-righteous hypocrite foriegner like yourself dares to say anything about what is or isn't American. We dont share your POV on what makes something ours or not.

IRL is much more American now than CART, which has exactly ZERO American drivers at the moment. Now Pook is talking up European owners (Pollock, Johansson, Bachelart) in CART replacing those untrustworthy Americans (Penske, Ganassi, Andretti, Rahal). Looks like Pook wants to move CART HQ to London! Of course he is an Englishman, so it should come as no surprise to anyone his Eurocentric view.

As it is Scott Sharp, Sam Hornish, Al Unser, Michael Andretti, Robbie Buhl, A.J. Foyt jr., and Roger Yasukawa are all definitely in for IRL, with Sarah Fisher, Jacques Lazier and Tony Renna very likely for at least a few races. That is 8 of 19 drivers set Americans, plus sevarl more on the cusp. In CART Americans are completely on the outside looking in.

When you live in a glass house ...

[botsquad]

Originally posted by sgw2

IRL is much more American now than CART, which has exactly ZERO American drivers at the moment.

really..? so what...
you....don't....get....it..

it's not about american v euro v japan v whatever.

it's about tg and his bs.

plenty of great all-american racing..world of outlaws..for one

[sgw2]

Bots,

Oh I get it. But the point is weak and the facts dont support it. Especially since it comes from pro-CART propagandist. Not once did Tony George say he wanted an All-American series. As for 3State, I hope he is more careful in interjecting himself into defining what is America. Afterall I doubt he wants you or I to define what is Australian, or for that matter have any input on the question.

There is plenty of irony in the OW situation all around. The IRL adding Japan, CART abandoning the tenets upon which it was formed, a union of owners against promoters, to a become a promotional company lead by an Ennglishman promoter. I could list a dozen ironies for both.

BTW, you dumped on my wife's Chinese nationality and one of my best friends Japanese heretage. As a Cali boy you should know not to touch the Asian racial third rail. I could have taken it personally, but I let that go with a factual correction of the racist term you abused.

[3state]

I think its a valid point when TG claimed that he wanted to create an all-American series. CART makes no claims to being an American series; it hasn't for a while, altough it acknowledges its roots. CART like most motorsports is positioning itself as international. Seems the IRL is gradually doing that also, which I have not problem with: all I'm saying is come out of the closet and admit it TG, you'll feel a whole lot better!

Tell me how does this self-righteous hypocrite foreigner (ouch that really hurts!) live in a glass house? WTF does that mean? SGW2, a word of advice, if you're going to resort to personal attacks you might a) want to ensure they have some relevance and b)they're actually good.

As to what constitutes Australian? There's 19 million different opinions on that, not including views of non-Australians around the world. All of which have relevance even if they differ from mine.

I was merely highlighting the irony and hypocrisy of TG's position when non-American money was offered to him. So much for the lauded ideals. To state my bias, yes I don't like TG and I prefer CART but i have no problem with the IRL per se, I do have a problem with people claiming a moral or ideological position when it really comes down to money. And that doesn't just go for motorsport. Personally too, I don't give a damn about nationality of the driver, team, or CEO. Increasingly we live in a global community.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black: you claim Pook as an Englishman has a Eurocentric view (which, given your tone must be a very BAD thing!), but in doing so aren't you yourself as a non-englishman projecting your perception of what is or isn't Enlgish? I'm sure they're are many English people who would take you to task over the perception that being English equates with Eurocentric and ergo Europe.

Off to lick my wounds after that scathing attack...

[3state]

...and i forgot TG's massive ego besides money. As to your comments about TG never stating he set out to establish an all-American team, there is a mountain of anecdotal evidence pointing to TG's claimed motivation was to preserve the integrity of American motor racing (besides, the autosports media considers it to have been his claimed motivation, be they pro or anti-IRL); that is, for the series to be oval-based (no roads), with American sponsors, manufacturers, drivers, and teams, especially the US underdog teams), and keeping the series in the US. He expressed much disquiet leading up to the split over the international courses.

So I was pointing out the irony of the situation where TG is even toying with the idea of road courses and is feting the large CART teams to the detriment of those the IRL was supposedly founder for. And if I was an IRL fan, I'd be wary of the likes of Penske and Rahal in particular who until recently publically stated they're hope to see the IRL buried. Yes there is irony and hypocrisy all round.

About the original comment. You've claimed a moral highground for something which doesn't even exist: it's like being the sherrif of nothing. How could you think I was deifining what it is to be American? I was merely mking a wryly sarcastic comment about Tony George. Methinks you need to relax and take a chil pill. Last, I'd like to bring you to task over our beration of Bot for his honest mistake. Its fair to correct a factual error but to then make accusations of racism is disgraceful. And indeed, how can you have almost taken it personally when you're neither Japanese or Chinese? Are you not practicing exactly what you accused me of doing, that is, speaking for something you are not?

A word of advice, get over yourself.

[DNQ]

Strange Bridgestone is sponsoring an IRL race considering their title sponsorship of the CWS.

[3state]

Most sponsors probably don't care about or don't wish to be involved with the split DNQ. Bridgestone, being directly related to automobiles gnereally is involved in a wide range or autosports, whereas the likes of Target, your average retailer et al are going to careful where to put their sponsorship money based on the perception of what their target demographic watches.

[jondownunder]

Originally posted by 3state
Last, I'd like to bring you to task over our beration of Bot for his honest mistake. Its fair to correct a factual error but to then make accusations of racism is disgraceful.

This debate is none of my business really, but having read this thread I'd just like to say I back your comment 100% 3state. Clearly botsquad made an honest mistake.