During this time when the daylight hours are longer in the Northern Hemisphere, famous 24-hour races such as Le Mans, the Nürburgring, and Spa take place.
And the Fuji 24-Hour Race is becoming a specialty race during this time in Japan.
The Fuji 24-Hour Race was held twice in 1967 and 1968, during the early days of the circuit, but was revived in 2018 as part of the Super Taikyu Series, becoming a race that signals the arrival of summer at the foot of Mount Fuji.
The participating vehicle types range from race-oriented cars such as GT3, GT4, and TCR to 1500cc commercial vehicles that have been tuned for racing.
And development vehicles for the next generation will also participate in the race. Vehicles using carbon-neutral fuel, automatic cars for racing, and even vehicles powered by liquid hydrogen will conduct a grand 24-hour demonstration.
The audience also prepares in full for the festival that happens once a year. They pitch tents, have barbecues, and participate in various events on site, enjoying their own special night.
What is different from the 24-hour races in Europe is that the latitude is lower, which means that night falls early compared to them. The sunset time is before 19:00, and sunrise is around 4:30.
The Fuji 24 Hour Race aims for a goal 24 hours ahead with a maximum of 6 drivers. This year, the sleepless nights at Fuji are back.
[Main rules of the Fuji 24-Hour Race]
Up to six drivers can be registered per vehicle.
However, it is necessary to register a gentleman driver in accordance with the regulations for the representative A driver.
The starting grid for the final is determined by the combined qualifying times of Driver A and Driver B.
Qualifying after the C driver will be for the purpose of participating in the final.
In the final race, driver A must run more than 15% of the entire race.
A single driver can drive continuously for up to three hours.
It is recommended to take a break of at least two hours after finishing driving.
One person can drive for a maximum of 12 hours during the entire race.
Only those who have obtained permission from the organizer in advance are allowed to drive at night.
A pit stop lasting more than 10 minutes must be conducted at least once within the first 20 hours of the race (Maintenance time).
