The Best Racetrack You've Never Heard Of
If you don't live in Japan
Autopolis is a wonderfully flowing, 2.9-mile track that rises and falls like a symphonic overture, with inclines that range up to 7.2% uphill, 10% downhill. The course winds up and down a total of 170 feet during its 19 turns! But how did such a magical track end up being built in such a remote location?
However, the track’s remote location made spectator attendance a difficult proposition, and the only major international race held at Autopolis was the 1991 season finale of the World Sportscar Championship won by Michael Schumacher and Karl Wendlinger. Tsurumaki’s dream ended in 1993 when Japan’s economy tanked and his company went bankrupt.
After more than a decade of neglect, Kawasaki bought Autopolis in the spring of 2005 at a fraction of the original investment. The track received a thorough rehabilitation and currently serves as Kawasaki’s exclusive test track for its production and racing bikes when it’s not being used for Japan Superbike races or automobile events.
Check out my review of the 2009 ZX-6R to see footage from Autopolis, including a dual-camera lap of the circuit that can be found in that article’s video gallery.
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