My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post)
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From: Feeling FOBulous
My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post)
Going to Suzuka has always been on my life's To Do List, so I took advantage of a freebie ticket (Japan Airlines Mileage Bank 
) to go to this year's F1 finale.
On my way to Japan, I stopped in LA and had some good Chinese food, first Sam Woo Seafood with Ed (yellow blur) and Dennis (B2finity) and then some spicy Sichuan ma-la with Yoshi, Lloyd, MikeHonda and my fellow CSi buddy Carlo (Cruzersi00)
Got to Narita Airport, took the Narita Express into downtown Tokyo (1 hr.), then took the Shinkansen bullet train to Nagoya (about 2 hrs.), where I meet up with fellow Honda-Tech and "OG" ClubSi PacRim member Chris Giancaspro (DC5RK20A), who made the trek from Okinawa
My hotel in Nagoya (Ekimae Montblanc) was decent, a typical JDM business hotel which cost about USD70 a night, clean room and only 2 mins from the main JR station
Everything near Suzuka was sold out months ago, so Nagoya was the ONLY choice left. <u>Turned out to be a HUGE mistake, because access from Nagoya to the Suzuka Circuit sucks donkey ***** to put it mildly</u>...Chris and I crammed ourselves into the so-called "express" train with a gazillion JDM folk, I swear there was barely enough air to breathe...had to stand the entire time, which ranged from 45 mins. the first day to 1.5 hrs. the day of the race
Get to the Suzuka station and it's a good 15-20 min. walk to the circuit itself. IMO, they really need to address the access situation if Suzuka is to be regarded as a world-class venue.
Here is a map of the circuit itself:
Our tickets were in Section C, which is the first set of grandstands after the chicane at the Casio Triangle. Looks great on paper, but in reality, due to the elevation changes, the sight lines were a bit disappointing considering the ticket prices (JY 38000 for the 3-day weekend)...we got to see the cars for a bit as they raced out of the Dunlop Curve and then as they braked into the chicane. In hindsight, the best seats would be in front of the big ferris wheel (right at the last curve), or on the main straight or right at the 1st & 2nd curve. That being said, the SOUND as they field came thru the chicane was just incredible...my ears were still ringing the next day
Amenities at the circuit were very good, plenty of good eats (especially the JDM beef skewers @ JY500 a pop), but the souvenirs were a bit overpriced - like JY4000 for a freakin BAR hat(!)
Anyhow, on to the pics...I'll upload more from my camcorder soon, no F1 race pix from my digicam
JDM clicky-pow:
JR ticket agent - hard to get her pic, she was camera-shy
Souvenir chick with nice eyes
Honda definitely had the prettiest race queen; I want to make babies with the one in the center
pics from the Integra One-Make Race which preceded the F1 event (making this an ITR forum appropriate post)
These race-prepped DC5Rs sound incredible, especially the Verno sponsored cars...dunno what kind of exhaust they use but WHOA! The 10-lap race was won by Yagi-san in one of the Verno cars, his margin of victory was 11+ seconds
The F1 race was actually pretty exciting, we got to see Michael run into Sato which gave McLaren fans a faint glimmer of hope until it was apparent there was no catching Rubens that day...plus Ralf provided plenty of entertainment the whole weekend, he must really hate that chicane. Chris, a true Honda loyalist, was pretty stoked to see BAR finish relatively well and in front of Toyota
F1 pics to follow, dunno if they suck or not as they are on my camcorder...
Overall, F1 @ Suzuka is still something you should all experience at least once in your life, although it would be far more pleasant if you stayed in Suzuka (or in nearby Yokkaichi).
Modified by kengs at 8:15 AM 10/19/2003
) to go to this year's F1 finale.On my way to Japan, I stopped in LA and had some good Chinese food, first Sam Woo Seafood with Ed (yellow blur) and Dennis (B2finity) and then some spicy Sichuan ma-la with Yoshi, Lloyd, MikeHonda and my fellow CSi buddy Carlo (Cruzersi00)
Got to Narita Airport, took the Narita Express into downtown Tokyo (1 hr.), then took the Shinkansen bullet train to Nagoya (about 2 hrs.), where I meet up with fellow Honda-Tech and "OG" ClubSi PacRim member Chris Giancaspro (DC5RK20A), who made the trek from Okinawa
My hotel in Nagoya (Ekimae Montblanc) was decent, a typical JDM business hotel which cost about USD70 a night, clean room and only 2 mins from the main JR station
Everything near Suzuka was sold out months ago, so Nagoya was the ONLY choice left. <u>Turned out to be a HUGE mistake, because access from Nagoya to the Suzuka Circuit sucks donkey ***** to put it mildly</u>...Chris and I crammed ourselves into the so-called "express" train with a gazillion JDM folk, I swear there was barely enough air to breathe...had to stand the entire time, which ranged from 45 mins. the first day to 1.5 hrs. the day of the race
Get to the Suzuka station and it's a good 15-20 min. walk to the circuit itself. IMO, they really need to address the access situation if Suzuka is to be regarded as a world-class venue.
Here is a map of the circuit itself:
Our tickets were in Section C, which is the first set of grandstands after the chicane at the Casio Triangle. Looks great on paper, but in reality, due to the elevation changes, the sight lines were a bit disappointing considering the ticket prices (JY 38000 for the 3-day weekend)...we got to see the cars for a bit as they raced out of the Dunlop Curve and then as they braked into the chicane. In hindsight, the best seats would be in front of the big ferris wheel (right at the last curve), or on the main straight or right at the 1st & 2nd curve. That being said, the SOUND as they field came thru the chicane was just incredible...my ears were still ringing the next day
Amenities at the circuit were very good, plenty of good eats (especially the JDM beef skewers @ JY500 a pop), but the souvenirs were a bit overpriced - like JY4000 for a freakin BAR hat(!)
Anyhow, on to the pics...I'll upload more from my camcorder soon, no F1 race pix from my digicam
JDM clicky-pow:
JR ticket agent - hard to get her pic, she was camera-shy
Souvenir chick with nice eyes
Honda definitely had the prettiest race queen; I want to make babies with the one in the center
pics from the Integra One-Make Race which preceded the F1 event (making this an ITR forum appropriate post)
These race-prepped DC5Rs sound incredible, especially the Verno sponsored cars...dunno what kind of exhaust they use but WHOA! The 10-lap race was won by Yagi-san in one of the Verno cars, his margin of victory was 11+ seconds
The F1 race was actually pretty exciting, we got to see Michael run into Sato which gave McLaren fans a faint glimmer of hope until it was apparent there was no catching Rubens that day...plus Ralf provided plenty of entertainment the whole weekend, he must really hate that chicane. Chris, a true Honda loyalist, was pretty stoked to see BAR finish relatively well and in front of Toyota
F1 pics to follow, dunno if they suck or not as they are on my camcorder...
Overall, F1 @ Suzuka is still something you should all experience at least once in your life, although it would be far more pleasant if you stayed in Suzuka (or in nearby Yokkaichi).
Modified by kengs at 8:15 AM 10/19/2003
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From: Fairbanks
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (kengs)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kengs »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Honda definitely had the prettiest race queen; I want to make babies with the one in the center
</TD></TR></TABLE>
More click-pow please.. err, I mean F1 race pics. 
Honda definitely had the prettiest race queen; I want to make babies with the one in the center
More click-pow please.. err, I mean F1 race pics.
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From: Greenville SC
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (Cosworth)
NICE clicky-POW! Also loving the bright orange DC5R.
Looks like you had a great time. Next time, you will have to take Stunna to the motherland!
Looks like you had a great time. Next time, you will have to take Stunna to the motherland!
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Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (kengs)
Seriously off-topic, Shane don't forget my C's Short Shifter.
Wow, looks like you had a lot of fun. Have more fun and have a safe trip back home. With my C's Short Shifter.
Wow, looks like you had a lot of fun. Have more fun and have a safe trip back home. With my C's Short Shifter.
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From: Aiea, Hawai'i, USA
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (zygspeed)
nice pictures and story shanesan. woooda been able to join you and yoshi-guys for dinnah but work took over me. 
i like the one on your left in the "jdm" picture. 
good stahf!!!
i like the one on your left in the "jdm" picture. good stahf!!!
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From: Santas Neighbor, Canada
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (kengs)
I want the stuffed michelin man to her left
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kengs »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Souvenir chick with nice eyes
</TD></TR></TABLE>
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From: Feeling FOBulous
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (Tommy_Gunns)
Some more pics:
Len, sorry Chris and I couldn't find any shops anywhere close to where we were staying, so no C's shifter; I did get you a souvenir though
Len, sorry Chris and I couldn't find any shops anywhere close to where we were staying, so no C's shifter; I did get you a souvenir though
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From: Greenville SC
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (kengs)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kengs »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I did get you a souvenir though </TD></TR></TABLE>
Wheres mine at? No love for the Stunna in SC
</TD></TR></TABLE>Wheres mine at? No love for the Stunna in SC
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From: Feeling FOBulous
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (OG Stunna)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by OG Stunna »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Wheres mine at? No love for the Stunna in SC </TD></TR></TABLE>
Ben, come with me to Motegi next yr
As for non-race pics, I missed out on some prime clicky-pow pics when Chris and I went to eat at this Italian restaurant across the street from the JR Nagoya Station called <u>Cafe Pastel</u> - and I left my digicam at the hotel Place was packed with high-class JDM ladies with their auburn colored hair, mini skirts and knee high leather boots
Being a bit of a gourmand, the only other non-race pics I took were of some JDM food; it IS possible to eat well and not spend a whole lot of money whilst in Japan...
Udon noodles with seaweed and tempura (shrimp, and Shimeji mushrooms) + Asahi Bireley's orange drink; TOTAL COST: JY900 (some noodle shop @ JR Nagoya Station). A GREAT MEAL.
Check out the sushi/sashimi I got from the supermarket @ Takashimaya-Nagoya, 30 mins prior to closing all sushi is marked 50% off:
Toro sashimi, mmmmmm
Sushi assortment: 2 cuts of maguro, suzuki (Japanese sea bass), uni (sea urchin), sweet ebi and salmon roe:
TOTAL COST: JY1900 (for both the toro AND the sushi assortment), great quality fish - way cheaper than going to a sushi restaurant
Some other JDM foods not to miss:
Koiwai Makiba Yogurt - 9% milkfat, best in the world
Tottori 20-Century Apple Pear:
Shoku-pan bread:
[B]Cliff-notes: Wanna go gurl-watching, check out Italian restaurants. Eat good food for less money, check out the establishments in the train stations or buy food @ the big supermarkets.
Modified by kengs at 3:37 AM 10/20/2003
Wheres mine at? No love for the Stunna in SC
</TD></TR></TABLE>Ben, come with me to Motegi next yr
As for non-race pics, I missed out on some prime clicky-pow pics when Chris and I went to eat at this Italian restaurant across the street from the JR Nagoya Station called <u>Cafe Pastel</u> - and I left my digicam at the hotel
Place was packed with high-class JDM ladies with their auburn colored hair, mini skirts and knee high leather boots Being a bit of a gourmand, the only other non-race pics I took were of some JDM food; it IS possible to eat well and not spend a whole lot of money whilst in Japan...
Udon noodles with seaweed and tempura (shrimp, and Shimeji mushrooms) + Asahi Bireley's orange drink; TOTAL COST: JY900 (some noodle shop @ JR Nagoya Station). A GREAT MEAL.
Check out the sushi/sashimi I got from the supermarket @ Takashimaya-Nagoya, 30 mins prior to closing all sushi is marked 50% off:
Toro sashimi, mmmmmm
Sushi assortment: 2 cuts of maguro, suzuki (Japanese sea bass), uni (sea urchin), sweet ebi and salmon roe:
TOTAL COST: JY1900 (for both the toro AND the sushi assortment), great quality fish - way cheaper than going to a sushi restaurant
Some other JDM foods not to miss:
Koiwai Makiba Yogurt - 9% milkfat, best in the world
Tottori 20-Century Apple Pear:
Shoku-pan bread:
[B]Cliff-notes: Wanna go gurl-watching, check out Italian restaurants. Eat good food for less money, check out the establishments in the train stations or buy food @ the big supermarkets.
Modified by kengs at 3:37 AM 10/20/2003
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From: Feeling FOBulous
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (D)
A few more pics of the circuit itself - attendance was incredible, I took these during qualifying:
last curve & main straight
Like I said, the overall experience still rates
, but given the expense, I would have hoped for better sight lines and certainly better access to/from the circuit. I wouldn't wish that train ride on anyone 
last curve & main straight
Like I said, the overall experience still rates
, but given the expense, I would have hoped for better sight lines and certainly better access to/from the circuit. I wouldn't wish that train ride on anyone
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From: Atlantis
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (kengs)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kengs »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Honda definitely had the prettiest race queen; I want to make babies with the one in the center</TD></TR></TABLE>
I hope wifey don't see this, or it's doghouse for a long long LONG time.....
.....damn, the TOYOTA chicks are lookin scrumptious!
I like the one on the left, or better yet: BOTH. Two to go please!
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From: Socal, CA
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (Black R)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black R »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I hope wifey don't see this, or it's doghouse for a long long LONG time.....</TD></TR></TABLE>
Either that or she'll make sure Shane can't have any more babies
Those chicks definitely have some cute faces!
Nice pics as always.
I hope wifey don't see this, or it's doghouse for a long long LONG time.....
</TD></TR></TABLE>Either that or she'll make sure Shane can't have any more babies
Those chicks definitely have some cute faces!
Nice pics as always.
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From: Denver, CO, USA
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (ITRbroham)
Great pics Shane - we can tell what is important around here, girls and food.
I'll be making that trip with you next year.
I'll be making that trip with you next year.
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From: Ames, IA, usa
Re: My impression of Suzuka Circuit, a week late...(long post) (Flux)
What were some of the other racing series that compete the weekend of the F1 race at Suzuka? You talked about the Integra race, but were there any other series there? Formula 3000 should've been there, correct?
