The Indy Japan 300 is a race that has established itself within the American open-wheel racing leagues after a history of obstacles. There had been interest in holding an open wheel event since the 1960s, and the USAC (the dominant American open-wheel racing circuit at the time) held an exhibition race in 1966. Unfortunately, objections from the FIA (the international open wheel organization) thwarted those plans.
Later on, after the formation of CART, the possibility was again breached. The league's own requirement ended those talks. The league required that any race outside of America be on an oval track. Japan would have to wait until Honda joined in a partnership with CART to have a race on its island state.
The first Indy Japan 300 was on March 28, 1998 at the newly built Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan. Adrian Fernandez came away with the victory. The Twin Ring Motegi is a track so named because it has two tracks, one winding with various twists and turns and another as an oval (the only oval track in Japan). The addition of an oval track helped secure Honda and Japan a place on the American open-wheel schedule.
