Video: Have You Ever Watched a Mixed Martial Arts Race?

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rDJZjdKai24

What's going on here? From what we can tell, it's an oval race between two sportbike racers, two motocross racers, and one flat-track racer. Maybe a (rough) translation of the title and description will help:

First Mixed Martial Arts Race (Oval Super Battle in Kawaguchi 2015)

Oval Super Battle in Kawaguchi 2015 Aoki Brothers Oval first showdown! Haruka Aoki (Auto Race) …

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The #5 bike was built for that. There was no way he wasn't going to win. 

With those bars, I'd have crashed rolling up to the line. 

With those should pads I'm envisioning a dirt-track race where you're allowed to body-check the other competitors like hockey. I'd pay money to see that. 

Dang. The flat track guy (#5, the winner) was backing it in on every corner. If that race was much longer, he would have lost simply because he burned his back tire to nothing. Impressive racing! 

Thanks for the spoilers. I guessed flat track racer anyway. That's the kind of motorcycle racing I'd do. Feels somehow safer than circuit racing.

Nobody put "spoiler alert!" In their posts...I haven't watched the video yet & was going to guess the flat tracker.

That was interesting.  I may have seen this wrong, but when the flat tracker go up RIGHT BESIDE the sport bike- the sport bike guy did not like that at all- as in very uncomfortable being so close.  The flat tracker- yea, big deal...

This is the Japanese sport of Auto Race (well, the course and the purpose built bike are).  Its bet on very much like horse/greyhound racing is in other parts of the world.  Pretty fascinating stuff.

It's been a while, but I seem to remember that the riders are given a spec bike that's kept in lockup when they're not racing, and the riders are shielded from the public for a certain period before the races to try and combat race fixing.

There's a pretty good sequence on it Guy Martin's "Our Guy in Japan" that is worth checking out.  

In reply to Ethnic Food-Wrap Aficionado :

I'd like to see you try out one of those bikes on your local track. 

Why is guy on the flat tracker dressed like Adam Sandler in The Waterboy?

That was entertaining to watch.  I read the description and thought "the superbikes will run away with it."  Then I thought "oh wait, it's an oval, no long straights for them to use their top speed, the flat tracker is built for this."

Did the flat-track guy pass anyone on the inside???  Also, riding that bike looks brutal on the hips - what a weird riding position.

he did, the sports bikes went wide in the "corners" of that oval, so he was forced to inside and use his bikes better handling to win.

I also was going to guess flat track racer once someone spoiled it. 

Edit: just watched the video and was right.

I own a gently supercharged 82 Camaro with pretty good 245 50 16s, Konis, big bars, and it was a pretty decent autocross car 30 years ago.  I also own a Neon with a stock twincam motor and 195 60 14s set up as a ministock.  It's well over a second a lap faster, because setup.

Edit: On a 1/3mile banked oval.

This video reminded me of that.

I just watched the video, had I known that there were 2 supermotards (not exactly motoX bikes) I might have guessed differently.  I assume the 4100m text at the beginning was the total distance of the race?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Race_(Japanese_sport)

Autorace is predominantly a gambling sport. The first ever meeting was held at Funabashi in 1950, but the more traditional speedway and flat track dirt surfaces were banned by the government in the 1960s because they were considered too dangerous. 

Unlike other forms of motorcycle and gambling sport, prior to race day, riders are required to reside at the dormitory with over 500 riders and refrain from contacting anyone within the outside world including any forms of communications to prevent race fixing, which scandalised the sport during the years of the sport when the Yakuza took over the sport and as a result, crowds dwindled and it was saved when a motorcycle federation took it over in 1967. Since then the sport has very much gone its own way to develop into a form of motor sport exclusive to Japan, although in the 1990s, there was non-betting series featuring flat-track motorcycles on established short-track paved ovals (under 1,000m in general) in the United States, the Motorcycle Asphalt Racing Series.

Years ago a friend competed at the Westwood BC vintage races on as 500 single, he said a guy showed up on a hardtail spring chopper (Honda 450 engine I think). He said the guy was fast as hell, no hanging off, rode bolt upright and fast.

Tom1200 said:

He said the guy was fast as hell, no hanging off, rode bolt upright and fast.

I think we can effectively rule out Rusty Rogers.

I mean, you knew that Money Mayweather was going to win, but you still watched the fight anyway. 

So basically, multi-class oval racing, but every class is going for the overall win.

Let's do it. GRM Oval challenge!