The 6 Hours of Fuji: Already a huge success

From the very first day spectators have come in their thousands to the 6 Hours of Fuji, even queuing through the night, an event which falls very early in Japan, in order to buy tickets.  The huge crowds didn’t diminish on the second day either, a day which included the first pit-walk of the weekend, attracting a large and enthusiastic audience:  the pit lane was teeming with people.    

In the paddock could be found not only fans from seven to 77 years of age decked out in the colours of their favourite team or manufacturer, but also whole families who had often come to take part in the “Meet the Drivers” sessions with the Japanese pilots, or to listen to one of the two concerts on Saturday’s programme.

If the weather remains fine tomorrow as forecast, the day of the race, fans may run the risk of jostling each other shoulder to shoulder through the entrance gates which are watched over, in all its majesty, by Mount Fuji.   The presence of the Japanese manufacturers is probably not unrelated to the popularity of the FIA World Endurance Championship but one only has to see the crowds pressing around the non-Japanese drivers to understand there is more to it than that.

Fiona Miller