Heros Racing (listed in some sources as Heroes Racing) was a Japanese
motor racing
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gene ...
team which competed briefly in
Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
in the and seasons. The team entered the
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
and
1977
Events January
* January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
Japanese Grands Prix, each time with local driver
Kazuyoshi Hoshino
is a Japanese former racing driver and businessman.
Motorsport career
Hoshino's nickname was . He won the Japanese motocross national championships in the 90cc and 125cc classes for Kawasaki in 1968 before switching to cars as a Nissan facto ...
with a best result of 11th in 1977. The team also competed in two races in the
1978 European Formula Two Championship and in
Japanese top formula racing.
Racing history
Formula One
The team's first F1 race was the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix, where Hoshino qualified 21st using an outdated
Tyrrell 007. However, in the race, run in very wet conditions, he placed as high as third at one point before having to pit for replacement tyres. He was forced to retire on lap 28 (of 73), having used all his available tyres.
At the 1977 event, the team entered Hoshino in a
Kojima
Kojima, Ko-jima, may refer to:
People
* Kojima (surname)
Places
* Kojima District, Okayama, Japan
* Kojima Village, Matsumae, Hokkaido, Japan
* Kojima Domain, Suruga Province, Honshu, Japan; an Edo-period domain
Islands
* Kōjima, an island ...
KE009. He qualified 11th ahead of several works entries and also finished 11th, two laps down.
Formula Two
Heros Racing, with Hoshino driving, competed in two races in the 1978 European Formula Two Championship using a Nova-
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...
, but did not score any points.
[
]
Japanese Top Formula racing
The Japanese Top Formula series (also known as the Super Formula Championship) was the premier single-seater domestic series run to various formulae over several years. In 1973, Motoharu Kurosawa, driving a March 722
The March 722 was a British open-wheel formula race car chassis, designed, developed and built by March Engineering, for both Formula 2
Formula Two (F2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced ...
for Heros Racing, won the inaugural series run to Formula 2000 rules. This success was repeated in 1976 with Noritake Takahara
Noritake Takahara (高原 敬武; born 6 June 1951) is a former racing driver from Japan. He participated in 2 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 24 October 1976. He scored no championship points. Along with his compatriots M ...
driving a Nova-BMW and again in 1977 with Hoshino using a Nova. In 1978, the series moved to Formula Two
Formula Two (F2) is a type of Open-wheel car, open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship season, 2009 to 2012 FIA Formula Two C ...
rules and Hoshino again took the title with a Nova-BMW.Satoru Nakajima
is a Japanese former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to .
Born and raised in Okazaki, Aichi, Nakajima began his racing career at the Suzuka Circuit in 1973. He progressed to Japanese Formula Two in ...
in a March
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...
-Honda
commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
, and one further title in 1991 for Ukyo Katayama
is a Japanese former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to .
Katayama participated in 97 Grands Prix, debuting at the 1992 South African Grand Prix, making him the sport's most experienced Japanese driv ...
(Lola
Lola may refer to:
Places
* Lolá, a or subdistrict of Panama
* Lola Township, Cherokee County, Kansas, United States
* Lola Prefecture, Guinea
* Lola, Guinea, a town in Lola Prefecture
* Lola Island, in the Solomon Islands
People
* Lol ...
-Cosworth DFV
The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. The name is an abbreviation of ''Double Four Valve'', the engine being a V8 development of the earlier four-cylinder FVA, which had f ...
) when the series had moved on to Formula 3000
Formula 3000 (F3000) was a type of open wheel, single seater formula racing, occupying the tier immediately below Formula One and above Formula Three. It was so named because the cars were powered by 3.0 L engines.
Formula 3000 championship ...
regulations.
Complete Formula One results
( key)
References
{{reflist
External links
Stats
at ''Motor Sport
Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific terms ''automobile ...
'' magazine database
Stats at laberezina.com (in French)
Formula One entrants
Japanese auto racing teams
Japanese Formula 3 Championship teams