Editing Fuji Speedway (section)

===1980–2000: National racing venue===
[[File:Fuji Speedway evolution.svg|thumb|Fuji Speedway former layouts: ''Red'' 1966–1974, ''Blue'' 1984–1987, ''Green'' 1988–2004]]
[[Image:Fuji Speedway 30-degree high bank.jpg|thumb|The abandoned "30° Bank" of the old track]]

Fuji remained a popular [[sports car racing]] venue; the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA]] [[World Sportscar Championship]] visited the track between [[1982 World Sportscar Championship|1982]] and [[1988 World Sportscar Championship|1988]] and it was often used for national races. Speeds continued to be very high, and two [[chicane]]s were added to the track: one after the first hairpin corner, the second at the entry to the wide, fast final turn (300R). Even with these changes, the main feature of the track remained its approximately {{convert|1.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} long straight, one of the longest in all of motorsports.

The long pit straight has also been utilised for [[drag racing]]. [[NHRA]] exhibitions were run in 1989, and in 1993 [[Shirley Muldowney]] ran a 5.30 on the quarter-mile strip at Fuji. Local drag races are common on the circuit, at both {{convert|440|yd|m|3|abbr=unit}} & {{convert|1,000|ft|m|3|abbr=unit}} distances.

The track continued to be used for Japanese national races. Plans to host a [[Championship Auto Racing Teams|CART]] event in 1991 were abandoned due to conflicts with the [[Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile]]. It was not until the autumn of 2000 that the majority of the [[stock]]s of the track were bought by [[Toyota]] from Mitsubishi Estate<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns03394.html|title=Suzuka responds to Fuji pressure|work=grandprix.com|date=December 23, 2000|access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref> as part of its motor racing plans for the future.

On May 3, 1998, there was a multi-car crash during a parade lap before a [[Super GT|JGTC]] race caused by the [[safety car]] slowing in torrential rain.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.dailysportscar.com/2018/05/03/20-years-later-tetsuya-ota-shinichi-yamaji-the-fuji-disaster.html | title=20 Years Later… Tetsuya Ota, Shinichi Yamaji, & The Fuji Disaster | author=RJ O’Connell | date=3 May 2018 | access-date=27 July 2021}}</ref> [[Ferrari]] driver [[Tetsuya Ota]] suffered serious [[burn]]s over his entire body after being trapped in his car for almost 90 seconds,<ref name=supergt>{{Cite web|url=http://www.supergt.net/jgtc/ex/gtc_cham/1998e/cha98_2/982race.htm|title=Super GT: AUTOBACS CUP GT Championship 1998 Round 2 – Race Review, Fog Bank Ends 2nd Round of GTC|access-date=December 25, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605103836/http://www.supergt.net/jgtc/ex/gtc_cham/1998e/cha98_2/982race.htm|archive-date=June 5, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and [[Porsche]] driver [[Tomohiko Sunako]] fractured his right leg.<ref name=supergt/>