JAF Suzuka Grand Prix

Suzuka, 6 Nov 1977

All cars are 2-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B40 [40-77-02] (Riccardo Patrese): New to Trivellato Racing Team for Riccardo Patrese to drive in F2 in 1977 with works Rosche BMW engines. Patrese started the season in a B35. After the Estoril F2 race in early October, the B40 was taken to Japan for the JAF Suzuka Grand Prix in early November, which Patrese won. Subsequent history unknown, but this is likely to be the "works" Chevron B40 raced in Japan in 1978 by Lamberto Leoni, Piercarlo Ghinzani, and Patrick Gaillard.
2. March 742 [9] (Kenji Takahashi): New to Masami Kuwashima, run for him by Roy Kennedy, and raced in European F2 until September, at which point the car was shipped to Japan for the JAF GP in November. Retained by Kuwashima for the Japanese F2 series in 1975, then to Kenji Takahashi for 1976, 1977 and 1978.
3. Chevron B40 [40-77-09] (Masahiro Hasemi): Shown in Chevron records as sold to Le Mans Co in Japan with a Nissan engine. This must be the car run by Kojima Engineering for Masahiro Hasemi in Formula Pacific specification with Nissan LZ14 engines in late 1977. Retained by Hasemi for the Formula Pacific series in 1978 and 1979. Used again for a couple of races at the beginning of 1980, when Hasemi was struggling to develop his new March 802, and then raced by Kazuyoshi Hoshino in one race at the end of the season. Subsequent history unknown.
4. Chevron B40 [40-77-07] (Tetsu Ikuzawa): Shown in Chevron records as sold to Le Mans Co for Tetsu Ikuzawa. Raced by Ikuzawa in Japanese Formula 2 in 1977, using BMW engines. Used again by Ikuzawa for one race at the beginning of 1978. This is almost certainly the car converted to Formula Pacific specification and raced by Satoru Nakajima in the Japanese Formula Pacific series in 1980 and early 1981 using Toyota engines. Subsequent history unknown, but in 2014 a Chevron B40 was acquired from "a guy who used to work at Kojima" by Warwick Mortimer in New Zealand. This car had the chassis plate "40-77-07" but was said to be "ex-Hasemi" and had been Nissan-powered and then BMW-powered.
5. Surtees TS15 (Jiro Yoneyama): Jiro Yoneyama raced a Hart-engined Surtees TS15 in Japanese F2 from September 1974 until November 1977. The car was entered by Jirou Motor Racing in 1974, Hickok Racing Team in 1975, Jirou Motor Racing again in 1976, and then Hickok Racing Team again in 1977. Nothing more known.
6. Chevron B35 [35-76-12?] (Fumiyasu Sato): Sold to Japanese agent Le Mans Co according to Chevron records, but unknown until used as a F2 car with Hart 420R engine by Teddy Yip's Theodore Racing for Patrick Tambay to race in the JAF Fuji Grand Prix in June 1977. Then very probably the Tom's car raced by Fumiyasu Sato in Formula Pacific specification at the JAF Suzuka Grand Prix in November 1977, and by the team in the new Formula Pacific championship in 1978, 1979 and 1980. Subsequent history unknown.
7. March 742 (Didier Pironi): Masahiro Hasemi raced a March 742 in Japanese Formula 2 from late 1974 to the end of 1976. It was entered by either Kojima Engineering or Sakai Racing Team. Nothing more known.
8. Chevron B35/B40 [35-76-14?] (Keiji Matsumoto): New as a works entry with BMW engine for Rolf Stommelen to race at Hockenheim in June. Then raced by Hans Binder for the rest of the F2 season, and also in the Shellsport G8 race at Brands Hatch in late August. Then sent out to Japan for Jacques Laffite to win the Nihon Grand Prix at Fuji in November. The car remained in Japan and was raced by Tetsu Ikuzawa at two races in March and April before his new B40 was delivered. It is believed to be the car raced by Kuniomi Nagamatsu later that season, and then by Keiji Matsumoto for the rest of 1977 and through the 1978 season. Subsequent history unknown.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.