Pitpass Article
Honda staged its annual event for fans at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit today-a national holiday in Japan-with both the Honda F1 and Super Aguri teams present alongside cars from IRL, Japanese Super GT and Honda's World Championship MotoGP team. Jenson Button, Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson were on hand, although Button was unable to drive having apparently injured his ribs in a karting acccident. The British star flew in by helicopter from Tokyo, and spent the day meeting fans and undertaking promotional work.
Takuma Sato drove not only his Super Aguri F1 car but also demonstrated Alain Prost's McLaren Honda MP4/5, while new teammate Davidson returned to the cockpit of a works Honda F1 which is destined to remain in Japan and take up its place in one of Honda's museums.
Around 25,000 fans turned up at Motegi, around an hour's drive from Tokyo, for the "Honda Racing Thanks Day" during which they can get close to all of Honda's major motor sports teams, drivers and riders. Motorcycling legend Freddie Spencer demonstrated some of his famous bikes, including the dramatic NSR500, while Satoru Nakajima once again donned his Camel Lotus Honda overalls for a run in the Lotus 100T. IRL Honda driver Ken Matsuura took the wheel of Mike Thackwell's Casio Ralt Honda RH6-84.
Ralph Firman ran his Team Honda Racing NSX alongside three identical works cars in a Super GT demo race over 5 laps, and all the drivers and riders present spent an hour signing autographs for the fans. The popularity of these events is immense in Japan, Super Aguri F1 having staged its own event on Monday-a normal working day-at Suzuka. Over 10,000 fans turned up to see Sato demonstrate his car alonside the Aguri Suzuki Fernandez Racing IRL car, while Aguri Suzuki himself completed two laps in his F1 car.
Honda staged its annual event for fans at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit today-a national holiday in Japan-with both the Honda F1 and Super Aguri teams present alongside cars from IRL, Japanese Super GT and Honda's World Championship MotoGP team. Jenson Button, Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson were on hand, although Button was unable to drive having apparently injured his ribs in a karting acccident. The British star flew in by helicopter from Tokyo, and spent the day meeting fans and undertaking promotional work.
Takuma Sato drove not only his Super Aguri F1 car but also demonstrated Alain Prost's McLaren Honda MP4/5, while new teammate Davidson returned to the cockpit of a works Honda F1 which is destined to remain in Japan and take up its place in one of Honda's museums.
Around 25,000 fans turned up at Motegi, around an hour's drive from Tokyo, for the "Honda Racing Thanks Day" during which they can get close to all of Honda's major motor sports teams, drivers and riders. Motorcycling legend Freddie Spencer demonstrated some of his famous bikes, including the dramatic NSR500, while Satoru Nakajima once again donned his Camel Lotus Honda overalls for a run in the Lotus 100T. IRL Honda driver Ken Matsuura took the wheel of Mike Thackwell's Casio Ralt Honda RH6-84.
Ralph Firman ran his Team Honda Racing NSX alongside three identical works cars in a Super GT demo race over 5 laps, and all the drivers and riders present spent an hour signing autographs for the fans. The popularity of these events is immense in Japan, Super Aguri F1 having staged its own event on Monday-a normal working day-at Suzuka. Over 10,000 fans turned up to see Sato demonstrate his car alonside the Aguri Suzuki Fernandez Racing IRL car, while Aguri Suzuki himself completed two laps in his F1 car.
