Japanese driver Takuma Sato believes this weekend's Indy Japan -- the last time the IndyCar series will race in his native country -- will be more than a farewell race. The event will be welcome for an area devastated by the March 11 tsunami and nuclear crisis. The Twin Ring Motegi circuit is only 93 miles from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex where three reactors went into meltdown after their backup generators were destroyed. The quake damaged the 1.5-mile oval at Twin Ring, so Sunday's race will be held instead on the recently repaved 14-turn road course. "It's absolutely necessary to race here especially after what happened on March 11 with the devastating earthquake and tsunami," Sato said. "Japan needs energy and IndyCar has great energetic excitement." Read more: http://espn.go.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/6972383/takuma-sato-says-indycar-japan-greater-purpose
