Ichihara International Raceway

Ichihara International Raceway

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Location	Ichihara, Japan
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Opened	2003
Major Events	Pacific Championship Ichihara Grand Prix (2004 - present)
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Ichihara International Raceway is a 4.023-km road-racing venue located just outside of the city of Ichihara, in Japan's Chiba Prefecture. The track currently hosts the Ichihara Grand Prix, a race in the Pacific Championship series. It has an official seating capacity of 92,000.

History

Kenji Nishimura purchased an abandoned industrial site on the outskirts of the city of Ichihara in late 1996 with the intent to build a circuit that could lure the Formula A Japanese Grand Prix away from Suzuka. After securing funding, Nishimura designed a 4.0-km facility that would test drivers' abilities; the facility broke ground in October 1998 on what is now known as the "drag-strip", a 1/4-mile straight section of the track just outside of Turn 5. The course was completed in October 2002, with final completion of facilities the following February.

The track officially opened for club and manufacturer use in April 2003, with several car clubs hosting events over the summer; Mazda began to use the facility as a testing ground to develop its next generation of race cars, including the cars it would enter in the Pacific Championship and the WSCC.

The 2011 earthquake caused damage to the grandstands and a small fire broke out on pit lane.

Motorsport Events

Ichihara has hosted the Pacific Championship since 2004; it is widely considered one of the premier tracks on the circuit and is a favorite among both fans and drivers. Winning in Ichihara is a major point of pride for all drivers, but is especially prominent to Japanese drivers and teams.

Ichihara has become a popular testing ground for teams in the World Stock Car Championship; the facility does not currently intend to contest Hamamatsu for the right to host the Round of Japan.