Two of Japan's biggest racing series will be served up on American tracks this winter, and the action is going to be hotter than 50 pounds of wasabi.
On the weekend of December 18-19, a little race series known as the Japan Grand Touring Championship will come to California Speedway. Don't worry, the drivers aren't going to drive in circles. But they will take it to the banks as part of a 21-turn, 2.88-mile track consisting of a half oval and half in-field road course. A 300-km race is scheduled to run into the night, with headlights and flaming downshifts illuminating the way.
There will also be a time attack, which will pit the top three GT300 (300-hp cars) and GT500 (500-hp cars) cars against six tuner cars from around the world.
There's a contest in which winners will get hot laps in a Production car with a JGTC driver at the helm providing the thrills. There will also be an autocross, where participants can choose to drive a car provided by one of many manufacturers, or drive their own bucket.
Other attractions include a car show, a fan lap around California Speedway, tons of vendors, drifting and much more. For more information, go to www.jgtcusa.net.
Speaking of drifting, you can attend the remaining events at California Speedway that Sunday, Dec. 19, or you can travel 40 minutes west and experience the rush of D1GP. The top Japanese drifters will again take over Irwindale Speedway to deliver the best sideways action this side of the Pacific. Not only will you see the newest D1 cars (Irwindale is the first round for the series), you'll also witness the first ever United States vs. Japan D1 battle. The top 10 drivers picked from the fourth round of the D1 U.S. Driver's Search (Dec. 11, Irwindale Speedway) will be smoking tires with the top 10 drifters from Japan. Don't miss this one
More Things To DoPetersen Automotive Museum - After checking out the latest in automotive technology, take a trip to see what came before. Any car nut can appreciate the history of the automobile and its impact on our culture. Travel the timeline of the car, from 1901 all the way to the present, and take a look at predictions for the car of the future. There's even a hands-on series of exhibits for the kids. Click on www.petersen.org for more information.
Friday Night Drags - Itchin' to see just how much those mods increased horsepower? There's no better place than a quarter-mile track. The Los Angeles County Raceway offers a "run what ya brung" full quarter-mile track every Friday at 5 p.m. Gates close at 9:30, so get there early. Fifteen bucks gets you in, and it's $5 for every crew member and spectator. For more information, check out www.lacr.net.
The PlaceBoth California Speedway and Irwindale Speedway are prominent stock car ovals with in-field road courses. Both offer superb services and a wide variety of places to view the action. Both are also relatively close to Los Angeles. California Speedway is a bit out in the boonies, but nothing a one-hour drive can't fix
December4-5: 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Thunderhill Raceway, Willows, Calif. * www.nasaproracing.com
11: Hot Import Nights, Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami, Fla. * www.hotimportnights.com
11: D1GP USA Drivers Search Round 5, Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, Calif.* www.d1gp.com
11-12: Sport Compact Winter Showdown, Moroso Motorsports Park, Palm Beach, Fla.* www.morosomotorsportspark.com
18: Hot Import Daze,Blaisdell Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaii * www.hotimportnights.com
18-19: JGTC All-Star GT Championship USA, California Speedway, Fontana, Calif.* www.jgtcusa.net
19: D1GP USA, Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, Calif. * www.d1gp.com
26: SpeedTrialUSA, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, Calif.* www.speedtrialusa.com
Crash Pads* Extended Stay America (Not Rated) 401 E. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, CA 91006 (626) 446-6422
* Ramada Limited(Not Rated) 31841 E. G St.Ontario, CA 91764(800) 228-2828
* Ayres Suites(JJJJ)1945 E. Holt Blvd.Ontario, CA 91764909) 390-7778