As motorcyclists and enjoyers of not-so logical stuff, I think you and I both know that passion makes people do some really dumb shit.
Sports fans wear jerseys with someone else’s last name on the back and argue about it online like it’s their own career on the line. Off-roaders spend a fortune building rigs, then intentionally drive them into places that look like the surface of the moon just to get stuck, scratched, and caked in mud. And now, racing fans are apparently ready to hand over their hard-earned money for a literal chunk of old, tired, dirty asphalt.
But this isn’t just any random piece of road. It’s from Suzuka Circuit. Honda’s home track and one of the most legendary circuits in the history of motorsports. You say the name, and anyone even remotely into racing immediately knows what it means. Suzuka isn’t iconic because it’s glamorous or flashy. It’s iconic because it’s hard, technical, and slightly unhinged in places. The kind of track that separates people who are fast from people who are actually good. But hey, what do I know? I've only ever raced on Suzuka in GranTurismo.
Random musings aside, as part of resurfacing work ahead of the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka’s operators are drilling out cores from the West Course and selling them to fans. Not souvenirs inspired by the track, but actual pieces of the racing surface that cars and bikes have been hammering around for decades. We're talking asphalt that's been rubber-stained, heat-cycled, and beaten up by some of the best drivers and riders on the planet.
This is asphalt that’s seen Formula 1 cars absolutely commit through 130R. Asphalt that’s felt the violence of endurance racing at the Suzuka 8 Hours. Asphalt that once hosted MotoGP, back when bikes were wild, electronics were minimal, and bravery did most of the work. Speaking of which, MotoGP hasn’t been back since 2003, after the death of Daijiro Kato. That moment still hangs over Suzuka, whether people talk about it or not. It’s part of the circuit’s DNA now. Suzuka isn’t just a venue where races happened. It’s a place where careers peaked, championships were decided, and sometimes things went very wrong.
So yeah, buying a chunk of asphalt sounds ridiculous on paper. I mean, I could grab a random piece of pavement, tell people it’s from Suzuka, and most of them would probably nod along. But knowing it’s real changes things. Knowing that this exact piece of road has history baked into it. That someone once crossed a finish line, crashed, won, lost, or even frickin' died on it. That matters, even if it’s hard to explain why.
Motorsport passion has never been logical. We wake up at stupid hours to watch races. We memorize corner names. We argue about tire compounds like it affects our daily commute. So buying a piece of Suzuka asphalt? All of a sudden it just makes sense.
Is it dumb? Maybe. But if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t mind owning one either. And that probably tells you everything you need to know.
Sources: Suzuka Circuit, VisorDown
