is a Japanese version of flat track motorcycle racing, but combines

gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three el ...

added into it and is held on an

asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...

course, throughout Asia. It is regulated by the

JKA Foundation The Japan Keirin Autorace Foundation, or JKA, Zaidanhōjin JKA, is the regulating body for pari-mutuel keirin cycle racing and Auto Race motorcycle racing competitions in Japan. These sports—two of Japan's four authorized where gambling is per ...

. Autorace is predominantly a gambling sport. The first ever meeting was held at Funabashi in 1950, but the more traditional speedway and flat track dirt surfaces were banned by the government in the 1960s because they were considered too dangerous. Unlike other forms of motorcycle and gambling sport, prior to race day, riders are required to reside at the

dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

with over 500 riders and refrain from contacting anyone within the outside world including any forms of communications to prevent

race fixing In organized sports, match fixing is the act of playing or officiating a match with the intention of achieving a pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. There are many reasons why match fixing might take place, ...

, which scandalised the sport during the years of the sport when the

Yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ...

took over the sport and as a result, crowds dwindled and it was saved when a motorcycle federation took it over in 1967. Since then the sport has very much gone its own way to develop into a form of motor sport exclusive to Japan, although in the 1990s, there was non-betting series featuring flat-track motorcycles on established short-track paved ovals (under 1,000m in general) in the United States, the Motorcycle Asphalt Racing Series. Auto Race competitions are held on tarmac tracks, and usually involve eight riders and runs for six laps. The hard surface dictates riders lean round the corners rather similar to motorcycle road racing, than slide as in conventional Speedway, the sport from which Autorace was derived. A typical Auto Race bike is 599cc and has a two-speed gearbox. As in Speedway, the bikes have no brakes and are designed with the left handlebar higher than the right in order to help maintain stability while leaning the machine on the banked oval circuit. As well as their real names, all the riders have an alias, or nickname, which they go by. All are trained in official training schools and have to pass a qualifying examination before being allowed to become competitive riders. Once qualified, riders are graded according to their results and these grades are used to ascertain racing positions, with the higher graded riders starting from the back grids. Riders are identifiable by number and shirt colour. An average rider usually spends half a year living away from home. Between races, the bike is kept together with other bikes. Although they are better paid than most of their counterparts, unlike their road racing counterparts, the Auto Race riders do not have

celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

status or product endorsements, and few have raced in road racing unlike its North American counterpart (

American Flat Track American Flat Track is an American motorcycle racing series. The racing series, founded and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1954, originally encompassed five distinct forms of competitions including mile dirt track ...

), which has been the home of numerous championship riders that advanced to MotoAmerica, MotoGP, and World Superbike. However, one of the well-known riders is the veteran Mitsuo Abe, better known as the father of late

MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...

and

World Superbike Superbike World Championship (also known as WorldSBK, SBK, World Superbike, WSB, or WSBK) is a silhouette-class road racing series based on heavily modified production motorcycles, also known as superbike racing. The championship was founded in ...

star Norifumi. The sport also spawned a

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

called ''Speed Star'', written by Shinya Iihashi and serialized in '' Young King'' from 2005 to 2007.

References

External links

autorace.jp
- Official site

- English Auto Race guide {{Authority control Motorsport in Japan Motorcycle speedway

See also

References

External links