2008 Formula Nippon Championship

2008 Formula Nippon Championship 2007 2009 The 2008 Formula Nippon Championship was the thirty-sixth season of premier Japanese single-seater racing, and the thirteenth under the Formula Nippon moniker. The series was contested over 11 races across eight weekends at five venues, with three double-header race meetings awarding half-points added to the calendar. 11 teams and 22 drivers competed over the course of the season. Defending champion Tsugio Matsuda of Team Impul successfully defended his title and won his second series championship, becoming the first driver since Satoru Nakajima to win consecutive championships in Japanese top formula racing. Together with teammate Benoît Tréluyer, Team Impul also secured the teams championship with a round to go. This was the final season for Lola as the series' chassis supplier, and the last race for Toyota and Honda's three-litre, naturally-aspirated V8 engines that were introduced in 2006. This was also the final season for four-time Formula Nippon Champion Satoshi Motoyama, who retired from the series after 2008. Teams and drivers All teams used tyres supplied by Bridgestone and Lola B06/51 chassis. Team # Driver Engine RoundsLawson Team Impul 1JPN Tsugio MatsudaToyota RV8J All 2 FRA Benoît TréluyerToyota RV8J AllKondo Racing 3JPN Naoki YokomizoToyota RV8J All 4 BRA João Paulo de OliveiraToyota RV8J AllSG Team 5Zigen 5JPN Toshihiro KaneishiHonda HF386E All 6JPN Katsuyuki HiranakaHonda HF386E 1–4, 7–8JPN Hiroki Yoshimoto 5–6Team LeMans 7JPN Satoshi MotoyamaToyota RV8J All 8JPN Hiroaki IshiuraToyota RV8J AllTP Checker Team Impul 20JPN Kohei HirateToyota RV8J 1–6, 8GBR Richard Lyons 7PIAA Nakajima Racing 31FRA Loïc DuvalHonda HF386E All 32JPN Takashi KogureHonda HF386E AllPetronas Team TOM'S 36DEU André LottererToyota RV8J All 37JPN Seiji AraToyota RV8J AllDoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing 40JPN Kosuke MatsuuraHonda HF386E All 41JPN Takeshi TsuchiyaHonda HF386E AllCerumo/Inging 47ITA Ronnie QuintarelliToyota RV8J All 48JPN Yuji TachikawaToyota RV8J AllAutobacs Racing Team Aguri 55JPN Yuji IdeHonda HF386E All 56JPN Takuya IzawaHonda HF386E AllStonemarket Blaak Cerumo/Inging 67BRA Roberto StreitToyota RV8J All Calendar Japan 400 2008 venues left Japan 34 50 136 32 top Suzuka Japan 36 52 140 13 right Motegi Japan 34 54 134 13 bottom Okayama Japan 35 22 138 55 right Fuji Japan 38 8 140 46 right SUGO All races held in Japan. Round Circuit Date Pole position Fastest lap Winning driver Winning team 1 Fuji Speedway 6 April JPN Tsugio Matsuda JPN Yuji Tachikawa JPN Tsugio Matsuda Team Impul 2 Suzuka Circuit 11 May JPN Tsugio Matsuda JPN Yuji Tachikawa JPN Tsugio Matsuda Team Impul 3 Twin Ring Motegi 25 May JPN Tsugio Matsuda JPN Tsugio Matsuda JPN Tsugio Matsuda Team Impul 4 Okayama International Circuit 8 June JPN Tsugio Matsuda JPN Satoshi Motoyama FRA Loïc Duval Nakajima Racing 5 Suzuka Circuit 13 July JPN Tsugio Matsuda JPN Hiroaki Ishiura JPN Tsugio Matsuda Team Impul JPN Satoshi Motoyama1 BRA Roberto Streit JPN Kohei Hirate Team Impul 6 Twin Ring Motegi 10 August JPN Tsugio Matsuda BRA Roberto Streit FRA Loïc Duval Nakajima Racing JPN Takeshi Tsuchiya1 JPN Takeshi Tsuchiya JPN Seiji Ara TOM'S Racing 7 Fuji Speedway 31 August BRA João Paulo de Oliveira JPN Takashi Kogure BRA João Paulo de Oliveira Kondō Racing JPN Kosuke Matsuura1 JPN Toshihiro Kaneishi JPN Kosuke Matsuura Dandelion Racing 8 Sportsland SUGO 21 September JPN Satoshi Motoyama FRA Loïc Duval JPN Tsugio Matsuda Team Impul Championship standings Drivers' Championship Scoring system Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 PP Rds 1–4, 8 Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 Rds 5–7R1 Points 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 10 1 Rds 5–7R2 Points 5 4 3 2 10 * – In race 2 at the August Fuji meeting, the race was run behind the safety car for five laps before the race was halted. Half points were awarded. Pos Driver FUJ SUZ MOT OKA SUZ MOT FUJ SUG Pts 1JPN Tsugio Matsuda111Ret1822451 93.5 2FRA Loïc Duval101031621Ret273 62 3DEU André LottererRet322241175412 49 4JPN Kohei HirateRet26351RetDNS5 42 5JPN Takashi Kogure65Ret9375Ret362 41 6BRA João Paulo de OliveiraRetRet9114533186 33 7JPN Yuji Tachikawa217741712449915 31 8FRA Benoît Tréluyer47Ret8Ret1315Ret724 27 9ITA Ronnie Quintarelli58Ret7109Ret13637 21.5 10JPN Takuya IzawaRet94512RetRet1218178 19 11JPN Satoshi MotoyamaRet416Ret83951414Ret 14 12JPN Naoki YokomizoNC611676Ret111212Ret 12 13BRA Roberto Streit315RetRet1110Ret9191810 11 14JPN Seiji AraRet111010131171101016 9 15JPN Toshihiro Kaneishi11Ret514Ret146Ret162011 9 16JPN Hiroaki Ishiura7138Ret14Ret13817169 9 17JPN Takeshi Tsuchiya814141216Ret814111114 4 18JPN Kosuke Matsuura121612139Ret1068113 3.5 19JPN Yuji Ide91815NC15Ret12RetNC1917 2 20JPN Hiroki Yoshimoto18151410 0 21JPN Katsuyuki HiranakaRet1213151515Ret 0 22GBR Richard Lyons1313 0 Pos Driver FUJ SUZ MOT OKA SUZ MOT FUJ SUG PtsBold - Pole Italics - Fastest Lap Teams' Championship Scoring system Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rds 1–4, 8 Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 Rds 5–7R1 Points 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 10 Rds 5–7R2 Points 5 4 3 2 10 Pos Team Car FUJ SUZ MOT OKA SUZ MOT FUJ SUG Pts 1 Lawson Team Impul 1111Ret1822451 114.5 247Ret8Ret1315Ret724 2 PIAA Nakajima Racing 31101031621Ret273 103 3265Ret9375Ret362 3 Petronas Team TOM'S 36Ret322241175412 58 37Ret111010131171101016 4 Cerumo/Inging 4758Ret7109Ret13637 52.5 48217741712449915 5 Kondo Racing 3NC611676Ret111212Ret444RetRet9114533186 6 TP Checker Impul 20Ret26351RetDNS1313542 7 Team LeMans 7Ret416Ret83951414Ret 22 87138Ret14Ret13817169 8 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri 5591815NC15Ret12RetNC1917 21 56Ret94512RetRet1218178 9 Stonemarket Cerumo/Inging 67315RetRet1110Ret9191810 11 10 SG Team 5Zigen 511Ret514Ret146Ret162011 9 6Ret121315181514101515Ret 11DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing 40121612139Ret10681137.5 41814141216Ret814111114 Notes For the doubleheader race weekends, the driver that finished 8th in Race 1 was awarded pole for Race 2 in a reverse grid from 8th to 1st. These are not officially counted as pole positions by the JRP. External links 2008 Japanese Championship Formula Nippon Formula Nippon Category:Super Formula Nippon