Sunday May 27, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Japanese woman speedway racer killed in crash

Sports Jan. 16, 2012 - 08:00PM JST ( 25 )

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25 Comments

-4

gogogoJan. 16, 2012 - 02:57PM JST

RIP...

But 1/50 are woman allowed? I call sexism.
-5

Al StewartJan. 16, 2012 - 03:07PM JST

seriously sounds strange. could be foul play. I hope they do an investigation. My condolences to her family and friends.
-6

Robert DykesJan. 16, 2012 - 03:17PM JST

"She was traveling at up to 150 kilometers per hour" I love how in Japan they make that sound fast! my 250cc Honda MOTORCYCLE tops out at 139 my Nissan Cube got up to 163 on the IC. I have not taken my 1997 Prelude SiR on the IC yet, but on (2 lane) back roads I have reached 155.
I have ridden with my friend in his Subaru B4 also on back roads @ over 160kph.

yeah its fast... but not really.

sorry to hear she died though. It would be great to have more female racers in all motor racing fields!
0

CosJan. 16, 2012 - 03:32PM JST

1/50 are woman allowed?

No. 1/50 any gender is selected. We don't know how many women try to enter that sports. Obviously very few. Not interested.
0

CrazyJoeJan. 16, 2012 - 03:41PM JST

Mori Katsuyuki, the 6th member of SMAP quit the group to join Auto Race back in 1996.　These machines have no brakes for safety reasons but 150km is pretty fast　considering the 500 meter per lap oval course.
0

NetNinjaJan. 16, 2012 - 03:47PM JST

The exact cause was not clear, but Sakai flew off her bike and slammed into fencing. No other riders were involved.

I'm guessing she high-sided off the bike. Very sad. What kind of helmet are they using? Shoeii? Full Face?
-2

soldaveJan. 16, 2012 - 04:38PM JST

Wow, I thought gambling was illegal in Japan. It's allowed in speedway only?
0

ElvensilvanJan. 16, 2012 - 04:52PM JST

@Robert Dykes

If you think 150 isn't fast enough, try driving a bike with this requirement (found in the third paragraph)

with no brakes

These kinds of races, even though legal in Japan, should be monitored and safety checks done closely due to the fact that even though accidents rarely happen, they do end up bloody and even deadly. There is also of course the condition of the rider.

RIP to her.
-4

nisegaijinJan. 16, 2012 - 05:20PM JST

I have ridden with my friend in his Subaru B4 also on back roads @ over 160kph.

I have taken mine all the way to 180
3

HimajinJan. 16, 2012 - 05:27PM JST

o join a riders’ boot camp which takes only about one in every 50 applicants.

One in every 50** applicants**.

Women not qualifying for some jobs doesn't always mean sexism. Either you can cut it or you can't. I don't think it's wise to have lower standards so women can join something. Meet the standards or fail seems fair to me.
0

Samantha Zoe AsoJan. 16, 2012 - 07:16PM JST

What a tragedy. Just as she was about to embark on a successful career. My condolences to the family. RIP.
4

Herve Nmn L'EisaJan. 16, 2012 - 08:03PM JST

@RobertDykes and niseigaijin, please realise that driving or riding at excessive speeds on public roads you seriously endanger not only your lives, but the lives of others, non-racers. Racing on a track is fine because all those on the track have accepted that risk, and are trained. For OTHERS' sakes don't be fools and race on public roads like the idiots who crashed all those Ferraris recently.
0

airbus a350Jan. 16, 2012 - 08:10PM JST

SPEEDWAY BIKES ARE NOT ROAD BIKES THINK TIRES?????? R.I.P DARLING.
-12

UncleBudahJan. 16, 2012 - 08:30PM JST

Sorry , I might sound racist , womanizer, call it what you will

It just proves that women cannot drive well,,,
3

borschtJan. 16, 2012 - 08:44PM JST

Took awhile because of the great reporting but I finally realized she was riding a motorcycle, not driving a car. 'Auto,' in English, means 'car.'

And, yes, UncleB, you are correct, because no man has ever died in a motorcycle racing accident. Shoya Tomizawa, Daijiro Kato.
2

nandakandamandaJan. 16, 2012 - 08:52PM JST

Borscht, yes, several of the readers thought she was driving a car, which accounts for some of the off-the-wall comments.At least she died doing what she loved and probably had no time to register what was happening. Flying through the air at over 90 mph is fast for the human body. RIP
0

BurakuminDesJan. 16, 2012 - 09:26PM JST

Rest in Peace. These guys and girls are hardcore - speedway on bitumen with no brakes is madness in my books. In the UK and Aussie it is only raced on dirt...
3

BurakuminDesJan. 16, 2012 - 09:28PM JST

I have ridden with my friend in his Subaru B4 also on back roads @ over 160kph.

I have taken mine all the way to 180

Well, I have taken my mama-chari to 30 going downhill with dodgy brakes. So there.
2

hatsoffJan. 16, 2012 - 09:34PM JST

These speeds are fast for a short oval track. Also, they slide the back wheel sideways round the corners. The report says Sakai flew off her bike and slammed into the wall. "Flew" is probably not a figure of speech. It sounds like she highsided.

Highsides are vicious. The bike is leaned over, the rear tire spins out but then suddenly grips and throws you over the high side of the bike. It's instantaneous. When you're spinning the rear wheel out on a speedway motorcycle, it only takes something like a blip in the carburettor (interrupting fuel flow) or backing off the throttle too much for the tire to slow and grip.

RIP Hiromi Sakai.
-3

smithinjapanJan. 16, 2012 - 09:41PM JST

"Gambling is allowed and top riders can make millions of dollars a year."

In a nation where gambling is illegal? Interesting.

Anyway, RIP, Ms. Sakai. It sounds like a big loss to the sport.
0

Christina O'NeillJan. 16, 2012 - 10:19PM JST

A very sad loss to the speedway and to her family and friends R.I.P
0

gelendestrasseJan. 17, 2012 - 02:05AM JST

Speedway racing is one of the more dangerous types of motorcycle racing. It's basically a large power slide to steer the bike. On asphalt it sounds really dangerous as having the rear wheel hook up mid corner will cause a nasty high side. It sounds like this is what happened.
-1

sfjp330Jan. 17, 2012 - 06:40AM JST

Robert DykesJan. 16, 2012 - 03:17PM JST "She was traveling at up to 150 kilometers per hour" I love how in Japan they make that sound fast! my 250cc Honda MOTORCYCLE tops out at 139 my Nissan Cube got up to 163 on the IC. I have not taken my 1997 Prelude SiR on the IC yet, but on (2 lane) back roads I have reached 155. I have ridden with my friend in his Subaru B4 also on back roads @ over 160kph.

The distance for Funabashi straighway is only 308m, which is less than 1200 feet (around 1/4 mile). Your Subaru can top 160kph? Maybe in your dreams. Funabashi race tracks is narrow oval track with very tight turns and has very little margin for error. So, even at 150km, which is not that fast, is exceptionlly dangerous on this tracks. The accidents can happen at a split second. If you take your same 1997 Prelude SiR on the same short track, I doubt you can top 120kph.

She enjoyed what she did. My condolence to Sakai's family.
0

GurukunJan. 17, 2012 - 01:36PM JST

Auto Race, or Oto Resu,

What's with the half assed translation? LOL!
-1

nandakandamandaJan. 18, 2012 - 02:08PM JST

Sadly we do not get enough bike or car racing on J TV. It's thrilling stuff to watch, and this lady will have known that, but I guess the TV companies work on audience numbers to rake in the cash. "If people want mash or pap, give it to 'em in bucketloads!" More 'Oto Resu' here please!