Okayama International Circuit Explained

Okayama International Circuit Co., Ltd.
株式会社岡山国際サーキット
Type:Kabushiki gaisha
Foundation:Aida (part of Mimasaka), Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Location:Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Parent:Aska Corporation[1]

Okayama International Circuit (岡山国際サーキット), formerly known as TI Circuit Aida (TIサーキット英田) before 2005, is a 3.703km (02.301miles) private motorsport race track in Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. TI was the abbreviation of "Tanaka International" after the name of the golf club owner, Hajime Tanaka, though the name of the circuit was officially "TI Circuit Aida".

As well as hosting racing events, the circuit has rental facilities including bikes and go karts available.

History

The course was opened in 1990 as a private motor racing track for the wealthy.[2] Soon, it hosted its first race, staged by veteran British drivers.

In and, the TI Circuit hosted the Formula One Pacific Grand Prix; both events were won by Michael Schumacher in his early title-winning years. This race made Japan one of only nine countries to ever host more than one Formula One event in the same year (Autopolis was planned to host a second Japanese race in, but it never came to fruition). It was discontinued primarily due to its location in a remote area of the country.[3] The event was also planned to host a race of the 1996 International Touring Car Championship season in August to replace the F1 race, but the race was instead moved to Suzuka Circuit, held in November.

In 1999, defending JGTC GT300 champion Shingo Tachi was killed when he tested a GT500 Toyota Supra after he suffered from a technical failure that prevented him from slowing down for the first turn.[4] Although there was no driver fatality in the JGTC or Super GT race events beforehand, the incident occurred almost a year after Tetsuya Ota's near-fatal, fiery accident at Fuji Speedway.

In March 2003, the Tanaka International Company, parent company of the official circuit owner TI Circuit Company, applied for civil rehabilitation. After the application, Unimat Holding Co., Ltd. announced that it would financially support the TI Circuit Company in keeping the facility open. The company was renamed Okayama International Circuit Co., Ltd. on May 1, 2004, and the circuit was renamed Okayama International Circuit on January 1, 2005.

On October 26, 2008, the circuit hosted a round of the Formula V6 Asia and FIA World Touring Car Championship. The WTCC race was the first FIA world championship race since 1995. However, it was announced on June 21, 2010 that Suzuka Circuit would host the Japan round of the 2011 WTCC season instead of the Okayama International Circuit.[5]

On March 3, 2012, Unimat sold the circuit to Aska Corporation, an auto parts manufacturing company.[1]

Events

Current
Former

Lap records

The outright unofficial all-time track record is 1:10.218, set by triple-world champion Ayrton Senna in a Williams FW16, during qualifying for the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix. As of September 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Okayama International Circuit are listed as:

CategoryTimeDriverVehicleEvent
Grand Prix Circuit: 3.703 km (1990–present)[6]
1:14.023 1994 Pacific Grand Prix
1:15.237[7] 2020 Okayama Super Formula round
1:19.345[8] 2008 Okayama Formula Nippon round
1:19.710[9] 2018 Okayama GT 300 km Race
1:20.561[10] 2009 1000 km of Okayama
1:21.298[11] 2006 Okayama JLMC round
1:21.380[12] 2017 1st Okayama Japanese F3 round
1:22.281[13] 2022 Okayama Super Formula Lights round
1:24.948 2009 1000 km of Okayama
1:26.304[14] 2017 Okayama GT 300 km Race
1:26.614[15] 2021 Okayama FRJC round
1:28.153[16] 2017 Okayama All Japan Road Race Championship Superbike round
1:29.089[17] 2024 Okayama Japan Cup Series round
1:29.161[18] 2022 Okayama Porsche Carrera Cup Japan round
1:29.311[19] 2008 Okayama Formula V6 Asia round
1:30.359 2009 1000 km of Okayama
1:32.136 2009 1000 km of Okayama
1:32.202[20] 2017 Okayama Japanese F4 round
1:32.794[21] 2017 Okayama All Japan Road Race Championship Supersport round
1:33.242[22] 2024 Okayama Ferrari Challenge Japan round
1:34.021[23] 2005 1st Okayama Formula Toyota round
1:34.335[24] 2003 Aida JGTC round
1:34.388[25] 2009 Okayama Formula BMW Pacific round
1:36.281[26] 1993 Okayama JTCC round
1:36.706[27] 2023 Okayama TCR Japan round
1:36.732 2024 Okayama Japan Cup Series round
1:48.767[28] 2008 FIA WTCC Race of Japan
Motorcycle Circuit: 3.747 km (2020–present)
1:29.889[29] 2024 Okayama All Japan Road Race Championship Superbike round
1:35.235[30] 2023 Okayama All Japan Road Race Championship Supersport round
1:39.740[31] 2024 Okayama All Japan Road Race Championship J-GP3 round

External links

Notes and References

  1. ja:株式会社岡山国際サーキットの株式取得（子会社化）についてのお知らせ . Aska Corporation . March 12, 2012 . http://www.aska.co.jp/investor/finance/aska120312.pdf . ja . We resolved on the acquiation of whole stock in Okayama International Circuit Co., Ltd. . April 24, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130921231159/http://www.aska.co.jp/investor/finance/aska120312.pdf . September 21, 2013 .
  2. Web site: Course guide . Okayama International Circuit website . ja . 2012-12-28.
  3. Web site: Cooper . Adam . Why Japan's second F1 race didn't take off . Motorsport.com . October 28, 2020 . April 17, 2020.
  4. Web site: O'Connell . R.J. . Remembering Shingo Tachi, 20 Years Later . Dailysportscar . 19 October 2020.
  5. Web site: FIA WTCC TO RACE AT SUZUKA IN 2011 . fiawtcc.com . 2010-06-21 . 2010-07-20.
  6. Web site: Okayama International Circuit - Racing Circuits . RacingCircuits.info . 8 October 2023.
  7. Web site: 2020 Super Formula Okayama Race Statistics . 27 September 2020 . 26 March 2023.
  8. Web site: 2008 TI-Aida Formula Nippon . . 8 June 2008 . 20 May 2022.
  9. Web site: 2018 Super GT Round 1 Okayama GT500 Results . 8 April 2018 . 21 March 2021.
  10. Web site: Asian Le Mans Series Okayama, Japan 30 October–1 November 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110707173538/http://www.asian-lemans-series.com/ressources/chronos/90011alm.pdf . . 1 November 2009 . 7 July 2011 . 9 November 2022 . dead.
  11. Web site: Okayama 1000 Kilometres 2006 . 22 October 2006 . 9 November 2022.
  12. Web site: 2017 Okayama Japanese F3 - Round 2 . . 2 April 2017 . 20 May 2022.
  13. Web site: 2022 Okayama Super Formula Lights Race 2 Statistics . 25 September 2022 . 25 September 2022.
  14. Web site: 2018 Super GT Round 3 Suzuka GT300 Results . 9 April 2017 . 21 March 2021.
  15. Web site: 2021 FRJC Okayama Round 1 Results . 26 June 2021 . 7 August 2021.
  16. Web site: 2017 MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship - Superbike Race in Okayama - JSB1000 - Race Final Result . 1 October 2017 . 8 October 2023.
  17. Web site: 2024 Japan Cup - Race 1 - Round 7 - Classification - Final . 24 August 2024 . 24 August 2024.
  18. Web site: 2022 Okayama GT 300 km Race - Porsche Carrera Cup Japan 2022 - Final Result Round 2 . 17 April 2022 . 6 August 2023.
  19. Web site: 2008 Okayama Formula V6 Asia - Race 1 - Official Classification . 25 October 2008 . 30 August 2023.
  20. Web site: 2017 Okayama GT300 Race FIA F4 Race 1 . 8 April 2017 . 30 August 2023.
  21. Web site: 2017 MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship - Superbike Race in Okayama - ST600 - Race Final Result . 1 October 2017 . 8 October 2023.
  22. Web site: 2024 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Japan - Round 5 - Race 2 - Classification - Final . 25 August 2024 . 25 August 2024.
  23. Web site: Super F3 Race in Okayama 2005 - ESSO Formula Toyota Series Round 4 . 18 June 2005 . 29 November 2022.
  24. Web site: GT Aida 2003 . 30 March 2003 . 24 January 2023.
  25. Web site: 2009 Okayama - Formula BMW Pacific - Race 1 Result . 31 October 2009 . 9 June 2024.
  26. Web site: 1993 TI Circuit Aida Group A 300 Km Race . 8 August 1993 . 20 May 2022.
  27. Web site: 2023 Okayama TCR Japan Race 1 Results . 10 June 2023 . 10 June 2023.
  28. Web site: WTCC 2008 » Okayama Round 22 Results . 26 October 2008 . 26 March 2023.
  29. Web site: 2024 All Japan Road Race Championship - Superbike Race in Okayama - JSB1000 Supported by ETS Racing Fuels - Race 2 Result . 29 September 2024 . 20 October 2024.
  30. Web site: 2023 All Japan Road Race Championship - Superbike Race in Okayama - ST600 Supported by Bridgestone - Race Result . 24 September 2023 . 8 October 2023.
  31. Web site: 2023 All Japan Road Race Championship - Superbike Race in Okayama - J-GP3 - Race Result . 29 September 2024 . 20 October 2024.

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