The 2012 Formula Challenge Japan was a multi-event motor racing championship for open-wheel formula racing cars, and the seventh running of the Formula Challenge Japan series, a young driver development series jointly supported by Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. The championship featured a mix of manufacturer-affiliated drivers and independent entries, and commenced on 7 April and ended on 4 November.
The championship featured a close battle between Honda-backed Nobuharu Matsushita and Toyota-supported Ryō Hirakawa; both drivers scored five wins over the course of the 12-race season, with Nissan-supported Mitsunori Takaboshi taking the remaining two victories. Matsushita would ultimately claim the championship title by countback over Hirakawa, with Takaboshi finishing third in the points standings.
Teams and drivers Team Driver Rounds FTRS ScholarshipFTRSFTRS Clarion Hiroshima ToyopetFTRS PTTFTRS TMCFTRS Ishiyaki Ramen Volcano 1 Shintarō Kawabata All3 Hiroki ShinotaniAll4 Ryō HirakawaAll6 Nanin Indra-PayoongAll9 Shinya MichimiAll11 Shō TsuboiAll14 Yuichi MikasaAllHFDP Scholarship/SRS-F/KotiraHFDP ARTA2 Shun KurosakiAll8 Shōta KiyoharaAll10 Nobuharu MatsushitaAll15 Tsubasa Takahashi8–920 Keishi Ishikawa5–7, 10–12Team SPV5 Kōhei SutōAllHouka Racing with Dunlop7 Ryō OgawaAllNDDP DaishinNDDP12 Mitsunori TakaboshiAll13 Kiyoto FujinamiAllExedy Racing Team16 Ai MiuraAllTokyo Motor Sports College17 Yūdai JinkawaAllHonda Cars Mie-kita SBT18 Ryūnosuke Shibata1–2, 8–12Kim's Racing19 Im Che-won8–12GRID21 Takahiro Matsuda10–12Source
Race calendar and results Round Circuit Date 1 Fuji Speedway, Oyama 7 April Ryō Hirakawa Ryō Hirakawa Ryō Hirakawa2 8 April Ryō Hirakawa Ryō Hirakawa Ryō Hirakawa 3 Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi 12 May Mitsunori Takaboshi Mitsunori Takaboshi Ryō Hirakawa4 13 May Mitsunori Takaboshi Mitsunori Takaboshi Mitsunori Takaboshi 5 Fuji Speedway, Oyama 1 September Nobuharu Matsushita Nobuharu Matsushita Nobuharu Matsushita6 Nobuharu Matsushita Nobuharu Matsushita72 September Nobuharu Matsushita Nobuharu Matsushita 8 Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka 6 October Ryō Hirakawa Nobuharu Matsushita Nobuharu Matsushita9 7 October Nobuharu Matsushita Ryō Hirakawa 10 Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka 3 November Ryō Hirakawa Ryō Hirakawa Ryō Hirakawa11 Mitsunori Takaboshi Nobuharu Matsushita124 November Ryō Hirakawa Mitsunori Takaboshi
Championship standings Drivers' Championship Points were awarded to the top six classified finishers, with one point awarded for pole position and fastest lap respectively. 1 2 3 4 5 6 PP FL 10 7 5 3 2 1 1 1 Driver FUJ MOT FUJSUZSUZ Points 1 Nobuharu Matsushita2235111115212 91 2 Ryō Hirakawa1113223211Ret5 913 Mitsunori Takaboshi4152153442421654 Shōta Kiyohara3344442314676365 Hiroki Shinotani5145231251233188286 Shintarō KawabataRet6Ret67176516733157 Shō Tsuboi11712121351013Ret541878 Ryō Ogawa6467121114106126779 Keishi Ishikawa158Ret1154510 Shinya Michimi12910Ret991184989311 Ryūnosuke Shibata10895151212212 Yuichi Mikasa165111014101518101010Ret213 Kiyoto Fujinami91091186769817Ret214 Kōhei Sutō81278616877Ret11111- Shun Kurosaki7Ret814107919Ret1416150- Tsubasa Takahashi1680- Nanin Indra-Payoong141313DSQ1114131412139100- Yūdai Jinkawa15Ret14916131617Ret1714130- Im Che-won111118Ret140- Ai Miura13111513DSQ151215131915160- Takahiro Matsuda1613170 Driver FUJ MOT FUJSUZSUZ PointsBold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap
References