Tsukuba Circuit
Encyclopedia
The Tsukuba Circuit is a motorsport race track
located in Shimotsuma
, a neighboring city of Tsukuba
, Ibaraki Prefecture
, Japan
. It is 2.045 kilometres (1.3 mi) long, has 32 pits
and the longest straight is 437 metre (0.271539885915966 mi) long. There is a small chicane
corner that is used for motorcycle racing only and increases the total length to 2.07 kilometres (1.3 mi). The track was established in 1966 with the aim of attracting young people to participate in motor sports, but was not actually completed until 1970. At the present time, an event is held every week. The track has a large variety of corners, ranging from wide sweepers to hairpins
. The circuit accommodates 8500 spectators on the track, 3000 in the stands, 5000 on lawn seats, and 500 standing over the pits.
The track has appeared in numerous video games, including Forza Motorsport
, Forza Motorsport 2
, Forza Motorsport 3
, and Forza Motorsport 4
, Gran Turismo 4
, Gran Turismo PSP, Gran Turismo 5
, Tourist Trophy
, Enthusia Professional Racing
, and D1 Grand Prix
. The track is commonly used for tuner events and has appeared in the final installment of the Shuto Kousoku Trial
series, SKT Max. The circuit has also gained popularity because of its heavy use by Best Motoring to test and race a variety of vehicles.
or Tuner Battles) originated in Japan
when the tuning media organized the event on race circuits such as Tsukuba Circuit
, where it commonly occurs, as a proving ground for street tuned cars built at a large budget by highly respected tuning
companies. As a result of the quick rise in popularity, tuners developed cars especially to use to beat the competition, including the purpose built HKS
CT230R Lancer Evolution
, with its body made entirely out of carbon fiber
. The Lancer Evo is the OEM chassis Time Attack record holder at Tsukuba which it still holds to this day. The Revolution RX-7, which previously ran a 53.6 at the circuit, threatens to defeat the record-holding Lancer Evo.
Unlike other timed motorsport
disciplines such as sprinting
and hillclimbing
, the car is required to start off under full rolling start
conditions following a warm up
lap where they will have to accelerate out as fast as possible to determine how fast they enter their timed lap. Commonly, as cars consist of modified roadgoing cars, cars are required to wear tires authorized for road use and in all, drivers are allocated to three laps in a final event run; warm-up, timed and cool-down.
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
located in Shimotsuma
Shimotsuma, Ibaraki
is a city located in Ibaraki, Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1954.In 2003 the estimated population was 37,150. Since the city area is 61.05 km² this gives a population density of 608.52 persons per km²...
, a neighboring city of Tsukuba
Tsukuba, Ibaraki
is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is known as the location of the , a planned city developed in the 1960s.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 207,394 and a population density of 730 persons per km². Its total area is 284.07 km².Mount Tsukuba, particularly well-known...
, Ibaraki Prefecture
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
, 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...
. It is 2.045 kilometres (1.3 mi) long, has 32 pits
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...
and the longest straight is 437 metre (0.271539885915966 mi) long. There is a small chicane
Chicane
A chicane is an artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on city streets to slow cars to lower speeds.- Motor Racing :...
corner that is used for motorcycle racing only and increases the total length to 2.07 kilometres (1.3 mi). The track was established in 1966 with the aim of attracting young people to participate in motor sports, but was not actually completed until 1970. At the present time, an event is held every week. The track has a large variety of corners, ranging from wide sweepers to hairpins
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
. The circuit accommodates 8500 spectators on the track, 3000 in the stands, 5000 on lawn seats, and 500 standing over the pits.
The track has appeared in numerous video games, including Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport's received rave reviews from such media outlets as 1UP.com, IGN, Eurogamer and more.The game was also featured in the June 2004 issue of Popular Science.- External links :*...
, Forza Motorsport 2
Forza Motorsport 2
Forza Motorsport 2 is a racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios for the Xbox 360 console. It is the second title in the Forza Motorsport series, and is the sequel to the original Forza Motorsport and is followed by Forza Motorsport 3 .The box art features a tuned Nissan 350Z...
, Forza Motorsport 3
Forza Motorsport 3
Forza Motorsport 3 is a racing video game developed for Xbox 360 by Turn 10 Studios. It was released in October . It is the sequel to Forza Motorsport 2 and the third installment in the Forza Motorsport series...
, and Forza Motorsport 4
Forza Motorsport 4
Forza Motorsport 4 is a racing video game released by Turn 10 Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the fourth installment in the Forza Motorsport series, and was released in North America on October 11, 2011 and in Europe on October 14, 2011...
, Gran Turismo 4
Gran Turismo 4
is a racing simulator for the Sony PlayStation 2 which was developed by Polyphony Digital. It was released on December 28, 2004 in Japan and Hong Kong , February 22, 2005 in North America , and March 9, 2005 in Europe , and has since been re-issued under Sony's 'Greatest Hits' line...
, Gran Turismo PSP, Gran Turismo 5
Gran Turismo 5
is the fifth edition of the Gran Turismo racing video game series. Developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, it was released for PlayStation 3 on November 24, 2010...
, Tourist Trophy
Tourist Trophy (video game)
is a motorcycle racing game. It was designed by Polyphony Digital, the same team that makes the popular Gran Turismo auto racing series. It was largely created off of Gran Turismo 4's game engine...
, Enthusia Professional Racing
Enthusia Professional Racing
Enthusia Professional Racing is a racing game for the PlayStation 2. It is the first auto racing simulator made by Konami.-Description:Enthusia Professional Racing has five available play modes:· Enthusia Life· Free Race· Driving Revolution...
, and D1 Grand Prix
D1 Grand Prix (video game)
D1 Grand Prix is the official drift games of the D1 Grand Prix.-Releases:D1 Grand Prix - Japan only: February 17, 2005D1 Grand Prix 2005 - Japan only: October 20, 2005...
. The track is commonly used for tuner events and has appeared in the final installment of the Shuto Kousoku Trial
Shuto Kousoku Trial
is the original title of a series of six Japanese films, about illegal highway racing in the Shuto Expressway, released between 1988 and 1996. An English subtitled version of the films series -renamed Freeway Speedway- was released on DVD in North America in 2004 due to commercial success of...
series, SKT Max. The circuit has also gained popularity because of its heavy use by Best Motoring to test and race a variety of vehicles.
Time Attack
Time Attack (alternatively known as Super LapSuper Lap
Super Lap is a time attack motorsport event. Super Lap events are being held in Australia and New Zealand.The inaugural Superlap Australia Superlap Australia event was held at the Oran Park Raceway in July 2008...
or Tuner Battles) originated in 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...
when the tuning media organized the event on race circuits such as Tsukuba Circuit
Tsukuba Circuit
The Tsukuba Circuit is a motorsport race track located in Shimotsuma, a neighboring city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is long, has 32 pits and the longest straight is long. There is a small chicane corner that is used for motorcycle racing only and increases the total length to...
, where it commonly occurs, as a proving ground for street tuned cars built at a large budget by highly respected tuning
Car tuning
Car tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which an automobile is modified in order to improve its performance, handling and appearance. As most vehicles leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics...
companies. As a result of the quick rise in popularity, tuners developed cars especially to use to beat the competition, including the purpose built HKS
HKS Co., Ltd.
is a publicly traded company headquartered in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan specializing in the production and sales of aftermarket and accessory automotive parts and components.-Corporate history:...
CT230R Lancer Evolution
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...
, with its body made entirely out of carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
. The Lancer Evo is the OEM chassis Time Attack record holder at Tsukuba which it still holds to this day. The Revolution RX-7, which previously ran a 53.6 at the circuit, threatens to defeat the record-holding Lancer Evo.
Unlike other timed motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
disciplines such as sprinting
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
and hillclimbing
Hillclimbing
Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....
, the car is required to start off under full rolling start
Rolling start
A rolling start is one of two modes of initiating or restarting an auto race; the other mode is the standing start. In a rolling start, the cars are ordered on the track and are led on a certain number of laps at a pre-determined safe speed by the safety car or pace car...
conditions following a warm up
Warm Up
Warm Up is a Formula One style racing video game, released in 2000 developed by Lankhor, and published by Microïds, for Microsoft Windows based PCs....
lap where they will have to accelerate out as fast as possible to determine how fast they enter their timed lap. Commonly, as cars consist of modified roadgoing cars, cars are required to wear tires authorized for road use and in all, drivers are allocated to three laps in a final event run; warm-up, timed and cool-down.
Time Attack Results
2007 17th Annual Revspeed Super Battle at Tsukuba Circuit- 1st place- #13 M-Speed R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R (Best Lap: 55.23sec, Top Speed: 227.282 km/h)
- 2nd place- #1 Garage HRS SUN Auto Cyber Evo CT9A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (Best Lap: 55.864sec, Top Speed: 220.678 km/h)
- 3rd place- #22 Pro-Staff R Magic FD3S Mazda RX-7 (Best Lap: 55.947sec, Top Speed: 217.742 km/h)
- 4th place- #12 Nagisa Auto R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R (Best Lap: 56.510sec, Top Speed: 227.082 km/h)
- 5th place- #16 Kurumakobou Decide R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R (Best Lap: 56.630sec, Top Speed: 233.615 km/h)
- 6th place- #14 Garage Kagotani R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R (Best Lap: 56.833sec, Top Speed: 227.416 km/h)
- 7th place- #31 Autobacs ASM Honda S2000 (Best Lap: 57.398sec, Top Speed: 188.055 km/h)
- 8th place- #18 Best Motor Sports R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R (Best Lap: 57.422sec, Top Speed: 220.994 km/h)
- 9th place- #15 Hosaka Tuning Factory R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R (Best Lap: 57.504sec, Top Speed: 224.346 km/h)
- 10th place- #17 Keiyo Jiko R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R (Best Lap: 57.658sec, Top Speed: N/A)
- 11th place- #3 Jun Automechanics CT9A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (Best Lap: 57.824sec, Top Speed: 211.640 km/h)
- 12th place- #19 Auto Gallery Yokohama R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R (Best Lap: 58.081sec, Top Speed: 223.8
- 13th place- #21 Garage Ito R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R (Best Lap: 58.282sec, Top Speed: 216.650 km/h)
- 14th place- #5 Varis CP9N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (Best Lap: 58.456sec, Top Speed: 211.102 km/h)
- 15th place- #4 Stillway CT9A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (Best Lap: 58.484sec, Top Speed: 204.468 km/h)