Tetsuya Ota
Encyclopedia
is a racecar driver from Maebashi
in the Gunma Prefecture
, Japan
. He is notable for surviving a fiery multi-car pileup he was involved in during a JGTC
race at Fuji Speedway
on May 3, 1998, caused by a safety car
which was driven at twice the recommended speed in torrential rain during a parade lap. Ota was seriously injured and, as a result, he subsequently brought a lawsuit against the race organizers.
, Ota turned to racing cars in 1982. He drove in the junior formula FJ1600 (Formula Japan) series before moving on to All-Japan F3 Championship in 1986 and then graduated to race in the domestic
Formula 3000
series between 1987 to 1991, excepting 1989. Ota also competed in numerous domestic series such as (JTCC) Japanese Touring Car Championship
, (JSPC) All Japan Sports Prototype Championship
and Fuji Grand Champion Series
as well as in Super Taikyu. While competing in JSPC, Ota was a factory driver for Mazda
between 1989 to 1991.
Ota's first foray in racing outside Japan was when he competed in four straight 24 Hours of Le Mans
races between 1993 to 1996, all with a DNF and one DNS.
In 1990 Ota married Atsuko. In 1993 he became a regular contributor to Neko Publishing's Tipo magazine. This gave him the privilege of being on the selection committee of the Car of the Year Japan
(COTY
).
Since his inaugural season Ota has competed in the All-Japan GT Championship. His speciality was racing Ferrari
s, especially in other series. Ota became the most highly regarded driver of the marque in Japan.
, the safety car
drove through the starting line at 150 km/h (93 mph) then suddenly slowed down. This caused 910 Racing's Porsche 911
RSR driven by Tomohiko Sunako to aquaplane and strike the rear of Kaoru Hoshino's 911 GT2
. Of the GT300 cars, the third car in front of the Porsches (and 22nd on the grid), the BMW M3
of Yasushi Hitotsuyama, behind, managed to avoid the Porsche
by driving onto the grass and then back to the circuit, while the Porsche struck a barrier and rested on the grass. A caution flag was waved out.
Seconds later, the Team Ferrari Club of Japan's Ferrari F355
Challenge driven by Ota, slowed down, causing it to aquaplane and swerve left directly onto the Porsche. Both exploded into a fireball on impact. The Ferrari, after hitting the wall, slid across to the other side of the track and rested at the pit stop
exit. Another Porsche swerved to avoid Ota.
Luckily, the driver of the blazing Porsche managed to stumble out of his car with a fractured right leg and was quickly attended to by rescue officials.
The RE Amemiya
RX-7
driven by Shinichi Yamaji stopped in front of the Ferrari while the other cars drove on. Yamaji used a fire extinguisher
from his own car to extinguish the fire and then helped to release Ota's safety harness
. He did this before race marshals arrived.
Ota was trapped in his car for almost 90 seconds while exposed to 800-degree temperatures and had to be dragged out of the car by a safety marshal
. The marshal lay him on the ground which caused his semi-melted visor to sag onto his face. Ota attempted to get up, but fell. During his another attempt, another marshal spotted Ota, picked him up, and bundled him into the circuit's minivan
, rather than the ambulance
.
Ota was taken to a hospital in Gotemba where he was treated for third-degree burn
s to his face and neck area and minor burns to the rest of the body. He was fortunate to survive. He required plastic surgery
to the nasal
area as a result of the visor melting on his face. He also suffered from intoxication from the fumes he inhaled from the fire.
As a result of his injuries, Ota was unable thereafter to move his right arm, right shoulder and fingers properly, causing an end to his professional race career.
rolled in over the circuit causing the race to be delayed. Organizers waited, hoping that the weather would improve, but by 17:00 the organizers announced that the race was officially called off and all results were voided.
balaclava as required; which he denied. Also, the report stated that the safety team started fighting fire 20 seconds after the accident, but the reality was the flames of Ota's car were first fought by fellow drivers 50 seconds after the crash while Ota was still trapped inside.
As a result, Ota filed a damages suit for about ¥290 million ($2,500,000 US) against seven organizers for their failure to implement proper safety measures in Tokyo District Court
in November 1999. Those held liable included circuit operator, Fuji Speedway
, series organizer, Japan Automobile Federation (JAF); the race operator, VICIC (Victory Circle Club) and broadcaster TV Tokyo
.
On 29 October 2003 six race sponsors and promoters including TV Tokyo, VICIC and Fuji Speedway were found guilty of gross negligence
. The success of the lawsuit
was due to the recorded TV coverage of the incident which was shown in court. The responsible parties were ordered to pay ¥90 million ($800,000 US) compensation for pain and suffering, on the grounds that their first aid response was poorly prepared and their race marshals were poorly trained. The judge, Tsuyoshi Ono, decided that organizers neglected their responsibility, as Ota was left in his burning vehicle for longer than the 30 seconds in which he should have been out of the car. The organizers had failed to take sufficient precautionary measures, such as having fire engines
on standby as is required to extinguish fires and rescue drivers in 30 seconds or less.
The judge determined the pre-race agreement between Ota and the organizers not to pursue legal action in the event of an accident was unacceptable. Despite his written pledge to organizers not to seek compensation in the event of an accident, which all drivers were required to sign, the judge ruled it unfair and said it runs counter to public order and morals. Ono added that the pledge, branded by him as a "death pledge," aims to exempt organizers from responsibility, allowing them to benefit economically from races.
The judge ruled that the safety car
was driving at an excessive pace of 150 km/h rather than at the safety pace of 60 km/h, causing the accident when it suddenly slowed down and determined the "fire fighting and rescue preparations were also not up to scratch."
The judge ruled that Ota was partially responsible as he did not decelerate early enough. Ota was satisfied with the outcome.
TV Tokyo denied any responsibility themselves throughout the case, as they did not regard themselves as one of the race organizers. The court found TV Tokyo guilty of gross negligence for attempting to avoid responsibility for its part in the incident.
The claim against JAF was rejected as they could not be held responsible.
A number of improved safety measures were introduced following the accident, including the introduction of a "doctor car" that contained medical and rescue specialists.
Ota has since continued to be involved in motorsport, but no longer on a professional scale. He runs a car tuning and race preparation garage, named Tezzo, specializing in Italian
cars.
Maebashi, Gunma
is the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 1892, by the samurai Makuba Kawai.On December 5, 2004 the town of Ōgo, and the villages of Kasukawa and Miyagi, all from Seta District, were merged into Maebashi....
in the Gunma Prefecture
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He is notable for surviving a fiery multi-car pileup he was involved in during a JGTC
Super GT
The Super GT series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC , is a grand touring car race series promoted by the GT-Association...
race at Fuji Speedway
Fuji Speedway
is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing...
on May 3, 1998, caused by a safety car
Safety car
In motorsport, a safety car or pace car is a car which limits the speed of competing cars on a racetrack in the case of a caution period such as an obstruction on the track. During a caution period the safety car enters the track ahead of the leader...
which was driven at twice the recommended speed in torrential rain during a parade lap. Ota was seriously injured and, as a result, he subsequently brought a lawsuit against the race organizers.
Life
Following his education at Musashi UniversityMusashi University
is a university in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded by leading businessman Kaichiro Nezu in 1922 as Musashi High School.It has faculties of economics, humanities, and sociology, as well as three graduate schools....
, Ota turned to racing cars in 1982. He drove in the junior formula FJ1600 (Formula Japan) series before moving on to All-Japan F3 Championship in 1986 and then graduated to race in the domestic
Formula Nippon
Formula Nippon is a type of formula racing and the top level of single-seater racing in Japan.Formula Nippon evolved from the Japanese Formula 2000 series begun in 1973 by way of the Japanese Formula Two and Japanese Formula 3000 championships...
Formula 3000
Formula 3000
The Formula 3000 International Championship was a motor racing series created by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in 1985 to become the final preparatory step for drivers hoping to enter the Formula One championship...
series between 1987 to 1991, excepting 1989. Ota also competed in numerous domestic series such as (JTCC) Japanese Touring Car Championship
Japanese Touring Car Championship
The Japanese Touring Car Championship , is a former touring car racing series held in Japan...
, (JSPC) All Japan Sports Prototype Championship
All Japan Sports Prototype Championship
The , abbreviated as JSPC, formed by the Japanese Automobile Federation, was a domestic championship which took place in Japan for Group C and IMSA GTP prototype cars and also featured cars that were eligible for touring car racing in its earlier years...
and Fuji Grand Champion Series
Fuji Grand Champion Series
The ran from 1971 to 1989. It was a drivers' championship in Japan and was originally for 2 litre Group B6 cars. The series was started in 1973, and all races were held at the Fuji Speedway circuit.- History :...
as well as in Super Taikyu. While competing in JSPC, Ota was a factory driver for Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
between 1989 to 1991.
Ota's first foray in racing outside Japan was when he competed in four straight 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
races between 1993 to 1996, all with a DNF and one DNS.
In 1990 Ota married Atsuko. In 1993 he became a regular contributor to Neko Publishing's Tipo magazine. This gave him the privilege of being on the selection committee of the Car of the Year Japan
Car of the Year Japan
The annual Car of the Year Japan award, also known as Japan Car of the Year , is given to newly released or redesigned vehicles released to the Japanese car buying market from November 1 of the previous year to October 31 of the current, and each award spans two calendar years. The award has been...
(COTY
Coty
Coty may refer to:*François Coty , perfume maker and founder of Solidarité Française and Coty, Inc.*René Coty , President of France*Coty, Inc., a beauty products manufacturer*Coty Award...
).
Since his inaugural season Ota has competed in the All-Japan GT Championship. His speciality was racing Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
s, especially in other series. Ota became the most highly regarded driver of the marque in Japan.
1998 JGTC Fuji incident
On May 3, 1998, during round 2 of the JGTC at Fuji Speedway, Ota was badly injured. There were 47,000 spectators in attendance for the 67 lap race. At the time of race there was torrential rain and visibility was limited. Following the parade lapParade lap
A parade lap, also known as a formation lap or warm-up lap, is a lap before a motorsport race begins, in which the drivers go around the track at a slow speed , and, in some cases, behind the safety car...
, the safety car
Safety car
In motorsport, a safety car or pace car is a car which limits the speed of competing cars on a racetrack in the case of a caution period such as an obstruction on the track. During a caution period the safety car enters the track ahead of the leader...
drove through the starting line at 150 km/h (93 mph) then suddenly slowed down. This caused 910 Racing's Porsche 911
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
RSR driven by Tomohiko Sunako to aquaplane and strike the rear of Kaoru Hoshino's 911 GT2
Porsche 911 GT2
The Porsche 911 GT2 is a sports car built by the German manufacturer Porsche since 1994. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin-turbocharged engine, but features numerous upgrades, including engine upgrades, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension calibration...
. Of the GT300 cars, the third car in front of the Porsches (and 22nd on the grid), the BMW M3
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...
of Yasushi Hitotsuyama, behind, managed to avoid the Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
by driving onto the grass and then back to the circuit, while the Porsche struck a barrier and rested on the grass. A caution flag was waved out.
Seconds later, the Team Ferrari Club of Japan's Ferrari F355
Ferrari F355
The Ferrari F355 is a sports car built by Ferrari from May 1994 to 1999. It is an evolution of the Ferrari 348 and was replaced by the Ferrari 360. It is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive V8-powered 2-seat coupe...
Challenge driven by Ota, slowed down, causing it to aquaplane and swerve left directly onto the Porsche. Both exploded into a fireball on impact. The Ferrari, after hitting the wall, slid across to the other side of the track and rested at the pit stop
Pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
exit. Another Porsche swerved to avoid Ota.
Luckily, the driver of the blazing Porsche managed to stumble out of his car with a fractured right leg and was quickly attended to by rescue officials.
The RE Amemiya
RE Amemiya
is an automotive tuning company from Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan founded by Isami Amemiya. Amemiya has made a name for himself tuning rotary engines since 1974 and has become a pioneer in tuning rotary-powered Mazdas...
RX-7
Mazda RX-7
Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980...
driven by Shinichi Yamaji stopped in front of the Ferrari while the other cars drove on. Yamaji used a fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
from his own car to extinguish the fire and then helped to release Ota's safety harness
Safety harness
A safety harness is a form of protective equipment designed to protect a person, animal, or object from injury or damage. The harness is an attachment between a stationary and non-stationary object and is usually fabricated from rope, cable or webbing and locking hardware...
. He did this before race marshals arrived.
Ota was trapped in his car for almost 90 seconds while exposed to 800-degree temperatures and had to be dragged out of the car by a safety marshal
Track marshal
Motorsport marshals contribute to more enjoyable, more efficient, and safer motor racing. They are responsible for the safety of competitors and are stationed at various points of danger around race tracks to assist them in case of any collisions, accidents or track problems...
. The marshal lay him on the ground which caused his semi-melted visor to sag onto his face. Ota attempted to get up, but fell. During his another attempt, another marshal spotted Ota, picked him up, and bundled him into the circuit's minivan
Minivan
Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
, rather than the ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
.
Ota was taken to a hospital in Gotemba where he was treated for third-degree burn
Burn
A burn is an injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction.Burn may also refer to:*Combustion*Burn , type of watercourses so named in Scotland and north-eastern England...
s to his face and neck area and minor burns to the rest of the body. He was fortunate to survive. He required plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
to the nasal
Human nose
The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...
area as a result of the visor melting on his face. He also suffered from intoxication from the fumes he inhaled from the fire.
As a result of his injuries, Ota was unable thereafter to move his right arm, right shoulder and fingers properly, causing an end to his professional race career.
Race Canceled
The race was to be rescheduled to a shortened 51 lap race, but thick fogFog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
rolled in over the circuit causing the race to be delayed. Organizers waited, hoping that the weather would improve, but by 17:00 the organizers announced that the race was officially called off and all results were voided.
Subsequent court case
Reports on the incident were filed by the JAF and race organizers. One of the reports stated that Ota did not wear a fire resistantNomex
Nomex is a registered trademark for flame resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967.- Properties:...
balaclava as required; which he denied. Also, the report stated that the safety team started fighting fire 20 seconds after the accident, but the reality was the flames of Ota's car were first fought by fellow drivers 50 seconds after the crash while Ota was still trapped inside.
As a result, Ota filed a damages suit for about ¥290 million ($2,500,000 US) against seven organizers for their failure to implement proper safety measures in Tokyo District Court
Tokyo District Court
is a district court located at 1-1-4 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. -References:...
in November 1999. Those held liable included circuit operator, Fuji Speedway
Fuji Speedway
is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing...
, series organizer, Japan Automobile Federation (JAF); the race operator, VICIC (Victory Circle Club) and broadcaster TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
.
On 29 October 2003 six race sponsors and promoters including TV Tokyo, VICIC and Fuji Speedway were found guilty of gross negligence
Negligence
Negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances. The area of tort law known as negligence involves harm caused by carelessness, not intentional harm.According to Jay M...
. The success of the lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
was due to the recorded TV coverage of the incident which was shown in court. The responsible parties were ordered to pay ¥90 million ($800,000 US) compensation for pain and suffering, on the grounds that their first aid response was poorly prepared and their race marshals were poorly trained. The judge, Tsuyoshi Ono, decided that organizers neglected their responsibility, as Ota was left in his burning vehicle for longer than the 30 seconds in which he should have been out of the car. The organizers had failed to take sufficient precautionary measures, such as having fire engines
Fire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
on standby as is required to extinguish fires and rescue drivers in 30 seconds or less.
The judge determined the pre-race agreement between Ota and the organizers not to pursue legal action in the event of an accident was unacceptable. Despite his written pledge to organizers not to seek compensation in the event of an accident, which all drivers were required to sign, the judge ruled it unfair and said it runs counter to public order and morals. Ono added that the pledge, branded by him as a "death pledge," aims to exempt organizers from responsibility, allowing them to benefit economically from races.
The judge ruled that the safety car
Safety car
In motorsport, a safety car or pace car is a car which limits the speed of competing cars on a racetrack in the case of a caution period such as an obstruction on the track. During a caution period the safety car enters the track ahead of the leader...
was driving at an excessive pace of 150 km/h rather than at the safety pace of 60 km/h, causing the accident when it suddenly slowed down and determined the "fire fighting and rescue preparations were also not up to scratch."
The judge ruled that Ota was partially responsible as he did not decelerate early enough. Ota was satisfied with the outcome.
TV Tokyo denied any responsibility themselves throughout the case, as they did not regard themselves as one of the race organizers. The court found TV Tokyo guilty of gross negligence for attempting to avoid responsibility for its part in the incident.
The claim against JAF was rejected as they could not be held responsible.
Post court case
Shortly after, there has been a documentary film about the incident titled Crash , released in 2003 as well as the book titled Re•Birth, documenting his struggle to rebuild his life and his body.A number of improved safety measures were introduced following the accident, including the introduction of a "doctor car" that contained medical and rescue specialists.
Ota has since continued to be involved in motorsport, but no longer on a professional scale. He runs a car tuning and race preparation garage, named Tezzo, specializing in Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
cars.