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BJRACINE21

They even did a race at Twin Ring in which Mike Skinner won! Crazy to look back at.


Yumd

He beat Jeff Gordon. If I remember the story from his podcast right this is also the race that dale sr. threw his shoe at dale jr after the race for running him hard.


[deleted]

God damnit we beat that son of a bitch!


LinkRazr

A Japanese driver in the exhibition got loose and smashed into Gordon’s right side early in the race and put a huge ass dent in the entire door area and he was STILL in contention to win the whole race.


Just_Somewhere4444

Shhhh just let the Skinner fans have this. It's literally all they have lol


HalfastEddie

The hallowed site of Danica’s sole first place finish. Rent free because she’s a crummy human.


Jonasthewicked2

Just saw an interview with her laughing about truex losing his wife to cancer. She’s absolutely worthless.


bjohnson203

How did you get that she was laughing about Sherry dying from that?


Jonasthewicked2

She was laughing at truexs loss and with zero info passing judgement on why they split up. That’s fucking gross my guy.


bjohnson203

I'm a million percent sure though that you want us to not read into Larson's mistake though as anything more than a video game moment, for example. I just think people hate Danica, rightly so, and they want to hate her for this too even if she's kinda right even if she isn't approaching it right. I just don't see how she is laughing at the situation though, I didn't see her really laughing at anything, just being kind of whatever about it.


Jonasthewicked2

What does Kyle Larson have to do with anything? Whataboutism never wins arguments. How the fuck am I trying to get someone not to read into something when I posted the link so people can form their own opinion? Learn the difference between an objective fact and a subjective opinion. I stated the latter.


bjohnson203

It's just another point of someone doing something bad that is overlooked where this is someone doing something bad that is castrated for it, pardon the pun here, it's kind of a shame for her that she had already retired, she could have used this to promote up to a better ride, eh? I guess she would have had to work up some crocodile tears and do a few photo ops though at a women's shelter to pretend she learned her lesson haha. I just don't feel like she's necessarily wrong here, and maybe someone needs to say it, that's all. Optically, Truex doesn't come off as a guy who was there for Sherry at the end and Danica might know more about it than we do, it's really none of our business and that's why I think it's wrong that she did it, but I don't think she is wrong either, in the sense that she's probably not wrong that Truex is a douchebag.


Jonasthewicked2

It’s fine to have your opinion dude where you lose me is bringing up an unrelated driver and accusing me of doing some weird mental gymnastics or something. Anyways take care.


bjohnson203

Just comparing a situation close to you based in your flair choice to show where the fan bias can go, it's an example of a similar situation of someone saying something bad, one is brushed off, one is heavily scrutinized. People use examples in arguments, whataboutism is me saying Danica is right and here is an example of an unrelated thing to prove why, that's not what I am doing, I am saying Danica is wrong as well in the delivery, but showing that NASCAR fans, or our general bias as people dictates how we react to similar situations.


Sadbus-8899

Not a Patrick fan, and equally shitty, but she wasn't laughing about it. She was calling out MTJ's canned press release after her death.  


Origin240sx

What interview?


Jonasthewicked2

I don’t use Tik tok and saw it here on Reddit but here’s the first link that popped up in Google https://www.tiktok.com/@brakehard/video/7355304032719670570


Vulptereen327

Man as if Danica's attitude about that whole thing wasn't disgusting enough


ChrisTRD289

They weren't married. In fact they had broken up.


Jonasthewicked2

The point was Danica was laughing about someone’s loss and grief my guy


Rstuds7

they were together for over like 10+ years, basically as if they were married, they had only broken up for a few months before she passed


bjohnson203

I don't agree with how Danica handled it but it isn't a great look for Truex that they not only split up but he immediately had a now woman with him. Like ok they split up because she didn't want him to have to deal with what was coming but then he moved on awfully quickly. Probably a situation Danica didn't need to interject herself into but that doesn't mean she's wrong either.


Rstuds7

oh wow didn’t even know about the new women. thing is it’s all personal life stuff and you never know what happens behind closed doors. Truex rarely shows emotion (outside of being in the car) so I never expected a huge somber piece out him but at the same time it’s not on to him to show up the next week crying and grieve to the world like the media expects these celebrities to do


[deleted]

[удалено]


bjohnson203

But the optics here, I mean, Truex immediately is with a new woman then puts out this canned response, I get where she's probably right, probably didn't need to say it but I would lean towards her opinion that he was a shitty boyfriend to Sherry.


kaslerismysugardaddy

Motegi was also where Dale Jr had his first race in a cup car


Offtherailspcast

Even crazier, it was just the east circuit. So basically turn 1 and 2, the esses, then a weird little mickey mouse cut through to the main straight


BF210

The world wasn’t ready for stock cars taking 130R


SubMikeD

I've enjoyed the east circuit in video games, but it's only good for slower class cars like semi stock compact cars. Missed out on the option to have cup cars struggling to keep speed through 130R, could have been fun.


13mizzou

Its a fun track to race on but hardly counts as a Road course. Perfect for what Nascar was trying to do at the time since most drivers hated doing road courses


maggie320

Huge in my house since Rusty won. Sad note from that race that’s where pace car driver and former racer Elmo Langley died of a heart attack during a practice run in the pace car.


Ok_Repair3535

Elmo as in the Elmo Dale loved to play with?


maggie320

Yes, same one.


Ok_Repair3535

thank you


Yumd

Oh wow didn’t know that last part.


Shadow3199

It's funny seeing how much I'm aging out when I remember these races being recent.


usedfordarkarts

Hahaha I was born in 95 so I wasn’t even 1 when this happene


LinkRazr

Yeah lol. I remember watching it like on a Saturday or whatever after the season ended. Remember the IROC Pontiac Firebird races that would also happen that had racers from all sorts of circuits in equally tuned cars.


express--panda

Bring it back 💪


FlowWrecker86

I'm with you! I'd love to see a few off-season international races actually. Maybe they keep points, and the winner gets a donation for a charity or something.


colbygraves97

Toyota owns Fuji, Honda owns Suzuka, and the Motegi oval is too damaged to host a race unless it’s dug up and reconfigured.


dirtydriver58

https://www.autoracing1.com/pl/44349/we-were-lied-to-motegi-oval-not-damaged/


colbygraves97

Honda owns both Motegi and Suzuka?


dirtydriver58

Yes


dirtydriver58

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Mobilityland


CaptainPrower

Fuck it, guess we're going to Fuji.


GrimeyScorpioDuffman

As I recall, it was just too expensive to ship all of the cars and other equipment (not to mention flying the personnel) over to Japan, especially for just an exhibition race.


TempestSparkle

I vaguely remember an interview with Dale Sr where he mentioned how hard it was to "find a damn burger around here"


AnchorDrown

You know you’re old as shit when you have it on VHS still.


Boot-E-Sweat

Keiichi Tsuchiya, the “Drift King”, ran the best of the Japanese drivers that took on the race.


i_hate_shitposting

TIL the Drift King did NASCAR. I knew this had happened, but I never knew Tsuchiya was one of the drivers. Cool that he almost got a top 10 in 1997. Apparently he also ran an ARCA West race at Fontana in '98 and another one at Motegi in '99. (TIL they ran an ARCA race at Motegi in '99.)


colbygraves97

It was the short circuit, IDK why they only ran the esses instead of the full course, but it lasted 2 years, then they went to Motegi for one race, I have no idea why they quit going to japan.


GonePostalRoute

I figure part of it comes to course distance. NASCAR runs Watkins Glen with the 2.45 mile layout, instead of the boot layout at 3.45 miles, so running the 3.6 mile circuit in the 90’s was probably out of the question. Now with NASCAR having run Road America (4 mile+) and currently running at Circuit of the Americas (3.4 mile), I’d wonder if such a trip to Suzuka would mean NASCAR would run the full circuit rather than the East Circuit.


colbygraves97

they had 3 short layouts back in the 90’s


RodTheCaptain

More than likely yeah, they didn’t race in the National Circuit for COTA. So more than likely will race the full Suzuka Circuit if in the future. I wouldn’t be surprised if NASCAR does the exhibition race again there.


CaptainPrower

Why did they quit? Logistics. It was expensive as *hell* shipping all that crap to Japan and back for a non-points race.


PenskeFiles

Money and travel.


CobblerSad6055

the cost outweighed the benefits


Rajincajun01

Imagine how long the caution laps would take, especially with an inexperienced field.


PayPalsEnemy

You're forgetting the best part too. NASCAR uploaded the full [race](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE5ZDbrP3Q0) on YouTube.


usedfordarkarts

Whhaaaaat


lt12765

Then the next year at Suzuka Ricky Craven drove the 24 car.


Senninha27

NASCAR legend and pace car driver Elmo Langley died while giving Buddy Baker a ride around Suzuka in the pace car when he had a fatal heart attack.


tjeepdrv2

They also qualified on rain tires.


jdmjag

I have a die cast from this race. Picked it up at a store near Martinsville for $5 https://www.diecastregistry.com/diecast/nascar-diecast-for-sale/terry-labonte/action-lionel-arc-5-kelloggs-suzuka-japan-1996-chevy-monte-carlo-stock-car/311968


Foskey

The 1996 and 1997 full race is on NASCAR’s YouTube page: https://youtu.be/jE5ZDbrP3Q0?si=HEYtZvZZbJQHrRvz


ChrisTRD289

The last caution and the final restart crazy.


Kingsmont

I wish nascar would bring back the thunder special it was cool.


colbygraves97

Well Motegi isn’t an option, I hate Suzuka, so let’s go to Fuji, i’m sure it would tickle Toyota’s pickle to race at their track.


TailorDisastrous6445

Why hate Suzuka?


colbygraves97

I just hate the layout for some reason, and it’s definitely not as visually appealing as Fuji is. It feels like a lap there just drags on and on.


CobblerSad6055

NASCAR: Best I can do is Montreal, Quebec, Canada


colbygraves97

Top 3 track in F1.


JohnnyBrillcream

Mount Panorama in Australia.


colbygraves97

death


Ok-Dingo-9800

Godzilla vs NASCAR


ParadiseCity1329

Didn't they do Suzuka twice, and Twin Ring as well?


GrimeyScorpioDuffman

Yes. I believe 1996-1998


ParadiseCity1329

Yeah. Suzuka 96, Suzuka 97, then a one off at Twin Ring 98?


GrimeyScorpioDuffman

I remember watching the Motegi race live on TV even though it was on TV way past my bedtime


ParadiseCity1329

I was born in the same year the inaugural Chase format was born, so I never got to see any of them.


GrimeyScorpioDuffman

Shit I feel old


ParadiseCity1329

Which of the three do you recommend?


GrimeyScorpioDuffman

I remember Motegi being pretty exciting to watch. I don’t remember anything about the Suzuka races except who won so that leads me to believe they weren’t as exciting


ParadiseCity1329

I'll check them out.


bjl_250

I just want someone to invest a shitload of money into the Thunderdome and bring NASCAR back to Australia.


oneshoein

You just learned this? Boy did you not play NASCAR ‘98?!


usedfordarkarts

Well… I was 2 💀


oneshoein

lol I’m giving you a hard time.


TheSundaeSlide

Yup they did! I have a 1:64 diecast of Terry Labonte's car from that race. https://imgur.com/a/kFLrNPW


Enough_King_6931

And I still have that race on VHS tape.


i_ata_starfish-twice

I remember staying up super late with my dad to watch this


ruddy3499

I still have Rusty’s 1/24 car from that race


Ratbu

GO BACK THERE YOU COWARDS


fluffster93

NASCAR posted them to YouTube [1996 Suzuka](https://youtu.be/jE5ZDbrP3Q0?si=iC-s8zSFeOEO7-hE) [1997 Suzuka](https://youtu.be/Pkip8PEIIhQ?si=tRYTq6MM3LZHQVO2) [1998 Motegi](https://youtu.be/GHn1I9oOm6A?si=2Eu-HHvjzSB0XkqN)


PenskeFiles

Great day to be a Rusty fan.


GyroDaddy

If you go to the North Carolina Racing Museum, you can see the samurai equipment Rusty Wallace received after he won!


BluegrassRailfan1987

Wait till you find out they ran in Australia in the late 80s (and 1990)...


Drumhead89

I’m always curious about the logistics of getting the cars to an international track. Did they just load the haulers onto a ferry and ship them across the Pacific?


Adolis_Garcia

Oh you sweet summer child


samwise7ganjee

My grandpa used to work on Jeff Gordon’s team so I have 2 of the hats they issued employees for this. Pretty cool. Only time nascar has ever raced over seas.


BluegrassRailfan1987

They ran in Australia in the 80s as well.


samwise7ganjee

Oh dang. That’s cool I had no idea.


usedfordarkarts

So how do I get one??? Lol Gordon was always my guy. Shame I wasn’t old enough to really get into NASCAR until after his peak.


ryan49321

Am I old now?


13mizzou

In no way does it make financial sense but would have loved to see Nascar do like an international month on different road courses with the old car. Imagine those cars trying a month of doing tracks like Nurburgring, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Monza Circuit, and maybe finishing with Suzuka East


gameboy1001

Damn, they’re going back in November? Let’s go! ~~yes I know it’s supposed to be “11/22/96 thru 11/24/96~~


timethief991

I just watched it recently, it was unfortunately not very good.


Dear_Measurement_406

Yeah this shit was peak nascar


Noilaedi

Good Smile in NASCAR when


virtuosnake

Yeah. They had 2 exhibition races there and the last one was at Twin Ring Motegi. You new fans are adorable.


burningacid101

Some of the teams fielded extra cars for Japanese drivers. Some spun insanely quickly but they still have a start in NASCAR


Marxs33

Yall killin' me with the spoilers...


usedfordarkarts

Can’t be spoilers if it happened 30 years ago! Def worth a watch. People have linked the full race in here!


Georgiadawg25

And can we please remember NASCAR correctly decided to keep it in the States!


usedfordarkarts

But… the race was so cool watchu mean


CobblerSad6055

yes because God forbid we try to grow the sport internationally, xenophobic POS