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Race Fuji Speedway advice

andywood

Maximum Pace
Apr 8, 2008
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I'll race Fuji Speedway's challenge 200km on Wednesday.

It's the first time to race the circuit.

I've been researching it a lot via strava, youtube, blogs etc.

I looked through the archives here too and picked up some good info from @Edogawakikkoman and @mob amongst others.

One main concern is getting on the front line for the start...

Any advice or info you want to share would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
Front line for the start?
You've got it ALL WRONG!
You need to be at the front for the FINISH!
But they have a warm up session and then start lining up, you may want to skip the warm up or go as early as possible. If like the time I went ( and won the 7 hour team enduro...) there are about 2,000 riders of very mixed riding levels with some "interesting" lines around the corners.
So get in the queue early or just act all pro and walk to the front with confidence!
Good luck!
 
Cheers @zenbiker, I enjoyed reading your report from a few years ago.

Warm up is 8 til 9. Race starts at 930. I want to do the warm up, a few laps anyway, as I want to check out the course.

Yes, there will be 2,200 riding. Looking at last year's start on youtube, there seems to be a lane up the right hand side. If I have to use that to work my way to the front, I will do.

In blogs I read a lot about punctures. Which seems strange as I'm expecting the road surface is super smooth??? That might affect my tyre choice.

Cheers,

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
I could imagine punctures. But not from stones but from small pieces of metal from brakes, engines, wires etc. the surface is very nice. I used to hit about 305km/hr on that back straight on my race (motor)bike! It was a blast popping out from behind the screen in the brake zone for corner 1!!! What a great track it is!

Have fun!
 
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Cheers, that makes sense. I'll go with the tougher tyres then.

305!? I put the 53x11 on so I can try to hit 70 on the descent!

44 laps, so plenty of time to have fun!

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
Great riding Andy. That's a hard course for sure. I've only done it in the car. Seems it eats water as much as it does petrol.
 
Cheers, I'll get it right next time.

I think hydration in the days leading up to event are important too.

I should have rode a bit more conservatively too. Burnt a few too many matches in the middle section.

Generally speaking it was tougher than expected. I was expecting a zone 3 ride and trained for that. But much of the riding was up and above that so I'll probably train differently for it next year.

Still it was good fun and a cracking course like you said.

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
It was funny that you said it was an up and down course, cause I certainly don't think of it like that, But running it with a motor you re considering the cambre of the corners more than the elevation changes. It is very technical and varied in those aspects. Great stuff, actually I know the guy who came third from my motorcycle years. He was extremely fast on a moto as well.

Cheers, I'll get it right next time.

I think hydration in the days leading up to event are important too.

I should have rode a bit more conservatively too. Burnt a few too many matches in the middle section.

Generally speaking it was tougher than expected. I was expecting a zone 3 ride and trained for that. But much of the riding was up and above that so I'll probably train differently for it next year.

Still it was good fun and a cracking course like you said.

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
His blog is here:

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/x_makocchi/touch/20150923/1443018298

The top 3 were all really strong. I like Takaoka san as he's a salaryman with a few kids but can dish it out with the best of them.

The course is more down and then up. Not rolling. It took me a few laps to find the best line and gears to use. I did the climb in 53 x 21, 23 and 25 when my legs were gone at the end.

Did you ever ride Motegi?

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
Yeah, I rode there a lot, a lot more than fuji, another cracking 1000cc course!! My fastest time around there was a 2:00.1 I wonder how fast a fast bicycle lap is? .... 6:15 according to strava. That's pretty decent!

Did you ever ride Motegi?
 
I'll do the 7h event so lots of laps for sure. The strava KOM holder probably has nothing to worry about!

Why did you give up the motorbike? Doubt I could ever do it as a push bike is too scary for me at times...

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
Basically the faster you go the more it costs. I just couldn't afford it anymore, and I was kind of relieved when I quit that I had survived without any life altering injuries. Onto other things, one of which was cycling!
 
If memory serves I did something like 2'30" (possibly faster) at Motegi in my car with an engine on its last legs. I could have taken a few more seconds off (it was my first time on the track) but I missed the last two sessions because a loose stabilizer bracket decided to destroy one of my tires.

I would think that Motegi would be much tougher than Fuji for bicycles because there's more elevation change over a shorter distance (much of Motegi is downhill, so I would think the bike races went in reverse?)? But that nearly mile-long straight at Fuji would definitely separate the men from the boys.
 
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