TBK-Light.com

Formula Nippon's five teams kicked off a four-day group testing with their brand-new Swift made FN cars at the Fuji Speedway today. Loic Duval (FRA, PIAA Nakajima Racing/Honda) set the pace on the first day. He covered 32 laps with a best time of 1:25.053. Eight drivers and five teams were present today IMPUL (3 cars), LeMans (2 cars), PIAA (1 car), Dandelion (1 car) and Real (1 car). Several teams will join the testing tomorrow.


Day 1, Tuesday 17th February: 11:00-13:00Pos.

Driver Team Time
1. #31 Loic DUVAL (FRA) PIAA/Honda 1:25.053
2. #41 Takuya IZAWA (JPN) Dandelion/Honda 1:25.565
3. #20 Kohei HIRATE (JPN) IMPUL/Toyota 1:25.733
4. # 1 Tsugio MATSUDA (JPN) IMPUL/Toyota 1:25.908
5. # 2 Benoit TRELUYER (FRA) IMPUL/Toyota 1:25.980
6. # 8 Hiroaki ISHIURA (JPN) LeMans/Toyota 1:25.612
7. # 7 Keisuke KUNIMOTO (JPN) LeMans/Toyota 1:27.194
8. #10 Kodai TSUKAKOSHI (JPN) HFDP/Honda 1:28.189



On the second day of testing at the Fuji Speedway, Benoit Treluyer (FRA, LOWSON Team IMPUL/Toyota) set the fastest time of 1:24.141 ahead of the 1:24.344 posted by Tsugio Matsuda. Kohei Hirate was third fastest with a time of 1:24.390. The testing will continue, and TOM'S will join the testing tomorrow.

Day 2, Wednesday 18th February: 10:00-13:00Pos.

Driver Team Time
1. # 2 Benoit TRELUYER (FRA) IMPUL/Toyota 1:24.141
2. # 1 Tsugio MATSUDA (JPN) IMPUL/Toyota 1:24.344
3. #20 Kohei HIRATE (JPN) IMPUL/Toyota 1:24.390
4. #41 Takuya IZAWA (JPN) Dandelion/Honda 1:24.541
5. #32 Takashi KOGURE (JPN) PIAA/Honda 1:24.685
6. # 8 Hiroaki ISHIURA (JPN) LeMans/Toyota 1:24.814
7. #10 Kodai TSUKAKOSHI (JPN) Real/Honda 1:25.410
8. # 7 Keisuke KUNIMOTO (JPN) LeMans/Toyota 1:25.484


On the third day of testing at the Fuji Speedway, Andre Lotterer (GER, TOM'S/Toyota) posted the fastest time of the day followed by Kodai Tsukakoshi and Kohei Hirate. Testing continues tomorrow.

Day 3, Thursday 19th February: 10:00-13:00
Pos. Driver Team Time Laps
1. #36 Andre LOTTERER (GER) TOM'S/Toyota 1:24.5 -
2. #10 Kodai TSUKAKOSHI (JPN) HFDP/Honda 1:24.5 -
3. #20 Kohei HIRATE (JPN) IMPUL/Toyota 1:24.7 -
4. # 8 Hiroaki ISHIURA (JPN) LeMans/Toyota 1:24.8 -
5. #40 Richard LYONS (GBR) Dandelion/Honda 1:25.2 -


Fastest time from 2008 Race: T.Matsuda LAWSON IMPUL TOYOTA RV8J 1'24.818

Formula Nippon's teams today concluded their four-day shakedown and testing at the Fuji Speedway. The morning session started on a wet track after rain overnight and the teams spent the session collecting data with the cars running on wet tyres. The afternoon session was delayed due to dense fog but was started at 15:10. Andre Lotterer (GER, TOM'S/Toyota) topped the timesheets with a best lap time of 1:32.173 on the final day of testing. Richard Lyons set the second fastest with a lap time of 1:33.255. Hiroaki Ishiura was the third quickest at 1:33.451.

The first official test, organized by Japan Race Promotion Inc. (JRP), is scheduled for March 3-4 at the Fuji Speedway.

Day 4, Friday 20th February: 10:00-12:00, 14:00-16:00
Pos. Driver Team Time Laps
1. #36 Andre LOTTERER (GER) TOM'S/Toyota 1:32.173
2. #40 Richard LYONS (GBR) Dandelion/Honda 1:33.255
3. # 8 Hiroaki ISHIURA (JPN) LeMans/Toyota 1:33.451
4. #20 Kohei HIRATE (JPN) IMPUL/Toyota 1:35.914
5. #48 Yuji TACHIKAWA (JPN) Cerumo/Toyota 1:36.452
6. #37 Kazuya OSHIMA (JPN) TOM'S/Toyota 1:36.993
7. #10 Kodai TSUKAKOSHI (JPN) HFDP/Honda

awesome cars

Lotterer

I wish we still have coverafe of F.Nippon over here, Sky stopped there coverage a few years back sadly

Hopefully I'll be able to find some full races around, however the one's I got last year were a bit difficult to watch with the commentary & much of the onscreen text been in Japanese. I should actually start learning Japanese, I've wanted to for years but never got round to it

What's that in the anti-roll bar? Looks like LED

Maybe they also planned some night races

The cars look freaking awesome.

great looking cars! Except for the thing above the head (roll bar). Are these lights or something?

Those lights are signs of how much times the drivers used the "power boost" or "push to pass" any name can be used, they are introducing this system this season, the driver have the right to use it 5 times during the race, and every time he uses one of his boosts one of the lights turn off, so we can know how much times they have yet just looking at the car

That's a great idea, and a great looking car

A very good idea there. Making it visual for the paying spectators and TV viewers alike.

This explains why Lotterer isn't in Kyalami. Well, glad to see him again on the top

The cars look great

Looks like Honda is still involved in this series.

they deliver customer-engines, as long as the teams pay the cost of those engines, Honda has no reason to quit

+1!

They look a bit like the cars in this: http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/s ... ing-vision

These futuristic cars look very nice. Some evolution in racecars can't be bad.

Looks more like a alone standing open wheel series, instead of a feeder series. Just 6 seconds slower than F1 on Fuji, can't say that is bad.

We're gonna have some nice rexx with those cars

Formula Nippon is the Top Series in Japan, they have it's own feeder series, Japanese F3 and FCJ, Formula Nippon is Top

Those new cars are going to be faster than the old ones, so the gap between Formula Nippon and F1 cars will get even lower, Formula Nippon is growing fast year by year, becoming one of the most exciting racing series around the world.

After following Formula Nippon for a long time I can say with totally sure that Formula Nippon has the most exciting and greatest races, full of action, great battles, drivers that don't fear to risk an overtake, so we allways have awesome action.

Long Live Formula Nippon!!!!

Plus it got Yuji Ide.

The first official pre-season testing sessions of the 2009 FIA/JAF All Japan Championship Formula Nippon season got under way at Fuji Speedway today. Andre Lotterer (GER, TOM'S/Toyota) clocked the fastest lap time with a 1:23.682. Tsugio Matsuda was second fastest with 1:23.785 and third fastest was Takashi Kogure. Unfortunately, it was snow at the afternoon and each team had to stop the run. Testing will continue tomorrow, but more snow is forecast tonight and there could be accumulations up to 10 cm by tomorrow afternoon.