Stirling Moss

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Lore & Background

In August 1964, Stirling Moss was hired as a consultant to rework the Fuji Speedway project after the original designer, Mitsuo Suzuki, realized the steep terrain at Oyama-cho made a superspeedway impossible. The project required a radical pivot from the original plan, which had been associated with the later-formed Japan NASCAR Company. To salvage the investment, the management brought in Moss. Upon inspecting the site in August 1964, Moss dismissed the idea of building a Daytona-style oval on such terrain as nonsense. Instead, he argued for a European-style road course and provided input on various layouts. His suggestions were influential, but the final layout was primarily designed by Japanese engineers and architects. When the company rebranded to Fuji International Speedway Corporation in January 1965 due to funding issues, the project incorporated Moss's input but was not entirely restarted around his suggestions. The final design included the 30-degree banked first turn as a remnant of the original superspeedway plan that was incorporated into the road course design. Moss's consultation helped shape the circuit that would host the first Japanese Grand Prix in 1966 (sports cars), with the first Formula One Japanese Grand Prix following in 1976.

In Their Own Story

The moment of decision occurred in August 1964, when Stirling Moss stood on the steep foothills of Mount Fuji and looked at the proposed site. Charles Moneypenny had already concluded that building a high-banked superspeedway there was unsuitable, but it took Moss to formally declare the idea of an oval as nonsense. He did not just critique; he actively reworked the project, proposing specific layouts for a European-style road course. This consultation happened during a turbulent time for the Japan NASCAR Company, which had secured exclusive rights to host NASCAR-style races in January 1964 only to face management overhauls and funding problems by January 1965. Moss's recommendations were immediately integrated into the new direction of Fuji International Speedway Corporation. The resulting track, opened in January 1966, featured a layout designed to reflect his suggestions, proving that one driver's insight could shift an entire industry's trajectory from a dangerous oval concept to a world-class road course.

Reader's Guide

For players studying the history of Gran Turismo's tracks, Stirling Moss is the key figure explaining why Fuji Speedway exists in its current form. His role was strictly that of a consultant hired after Moneypenny found the site unsuitable for an oval. If you encounter content referencing the track's origins or the 1964 design phase, look for the specific date of his inspection: August 1964. He is credited with dismissing the oval concept and advocating for the road course layout that defined the circuit's future. While the track retained a dangerous 30-degree banked first turn from the original plan, Moss's influence ensured the rest of the facility followed European standards rather than American superspeedway norms.

Did You Know?

• Stirling Moss was hired as a consultant in August 1964 to rework the Fuji Speedway project after the original designer, Mitsuo Suzuki, found the terrain unsuitable for an oval.
• Moss explicitly dismissed the idea of constructing a Daytona-style oval on the steep terrain at Oyama-cho as nonsense.
• The final layout of Fuji Speedway, which officially opened in December 1965 (with the first race held in early 1966), was primarily designed by Japanese engineers and architects, with Moss providing input but not definin
• The 30-degree banked first turn was a remnant of the original superspeedway plan that was incorporated into the road course design.