Growing fan base?

Hiromitau Sugimura, damp but otherwise undeterred, approaches Hideki Mutoh in the garage area to sign a glossy photo of a 3-year-old (or so) Mutoh behind the wheel of a passenger car.

"A sign of things to come?" the 25-year-old Andretti Green Racing rookie laughs after personalizing the photograph.

The scenario is played out hundreds of times at Twin Ring Motegi as ticket holders for the Indy Japan 300 all want a piece – or at least a snapshot or autograph – of their newest national auto racing sensation. They've followed the Tokyo native's steady movement through the motorsports hierarchy and eagerly awaited his IndyCar Series debut in Japan. Banners and homemade signs adorn the grandstands, and Mutoh merchandise – from sweatshirts to his image on shortbread cookies – is everywhere.

It doesn't surprise Darren Manning, who although his autograph line is significantly shorter than Mutoh's, Danica Patrick's or Helio Castroneves', nonetheless receives gifts of boxed chocolates and stuffed animals from fans who remember the A.J. Foyt Racing driver as the winner of the 1999 All Japan F3 Championship.

"You don't need (autograph) cards here," Manning says. "It is really special to them. They put you on a pedestal and they get more out of it because they think that way. They are so knowledgeable. I see more pictures of my old racing cars every year I come back that I've forgotten about. They research each driver, the car, the racing. When I raced over here, you're a celebrity. All the junior categories in Japan are so good that the fans understand what the high levels are all about.

Motegi had its worse attendance in years. Yes the fans are educated in Japan, but their numbers are dwindling.

"They understand F1 is the top of motorsports and the IndyCar Series is second only to F1." More at IndyCar.com

[Editor's Note: We wish the IndyCar Series the best as it tries to rebuild after the merger with Champ Car. However, the attendance at Motegi this year was horrible, the worst we have ever seen since the race began with CART. So this article about Motegi's growing fan base makes the IRL look bad because fans can see with their own eyes. Hopefully they will be above this sort of hype in the future.]