The 2008 Formula Challenge Japan was a multi-event motor racing championship for open-wheel formula racing cars, and the third season of the Formula Challenge Japan racing 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 5 April and ended on 21 September.[1][2] All but one of the race weekends were run in support of the Formula Nippon Championship.
Toyota junior driver Yūji Kunimoto, whose brother Keisuke had won the previous year's title, dominated the championship in his second year of competition. Kunimoto took eight wins and seven pole positions from the season's sixteen races, and finished all but one race on the podium to secure a 101-point lead over his nearest rival, Nissan junior and former Formula BMW UK driver Kimiya Satō. Nissan stablemate Katsumasa Chiyo won thrice to finish third in the standings, while Takamitsu Matsui and Tsubasa Mekaru took the remaining race victories.
Teams and drivers
Race calendar and results
All races were held in Japan. All rounds, with the exception of rounds 7–8, were run in support of Formula Nippon.
Championship standings
Drivers' Championship
Points were awarded to the top ten classified finishers, with one point awarded for pole position and fastest lap respectively.
| 1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
PP
|
FL
|
| 20
|
15
|
12
|
10
|
8
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
Driver
|
FUJ
|
SUZ
|
MOT
|
FUJ
|
SUZ
|
MOT
|
FUJ
|
SUG
|
Points
|
| 1
|
Yūji Kunimoto
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
272
|
| 2
|
Kimiya Satō
|
4
|
6
|
4
|
6
|
6
|
7
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
14
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
6
|
2
|
171
|
| 3
|
Katsumasa Chiyo
|
3
|
14
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
7
|
9
|
7
|
5
|
15
|
4
|
2
|
21
|
7
|
Ret
|
136
|
| 4
|
Takamitsu Matsui
|
1
|
2
|
DNS
|
22
|
23
|
6
|
3
|
1
|
10
|
16
|
6
|
1
|
4
|
14
|
9
|
4
|
129
|
| 5
|
Makoto Kanai
|
16
|
15
|
6
|
5
|
13
|
16
|
13
|
5
|
21
|
10
|
2
|
5
|
9
|
2
|
5
|
6
|
78
|
| 6
|
Masayuki Yamashita
|
14
|
10
|
Ret
|
2
|
12
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
6
|
Ret
|
24
|
17
|
12
|
18
|
17
|
67
|
| 7
|
Tsubasa Mekaru
|
7
|
5
|
Ret
|
4
|
4
|
Ret
|
9
|
Ret
|
12
|
19
|
1
|
6
|
16
|
9
|
DNS
|
15
|
63
|
| 8
|
Naoya Gamou
|
13
|
12
|
13
|
7
|
24
|
Ret
|
6
|
Ret
|
4
|
2
|
10
|
10
|
15
|
22
|
3
|
3
|
62
|
| 9
|
Takashi Kobayashi
|
5
|
3
|
Ret
|
16
|
Ret
|
9
|
26
|
13
|
11
|
9
|
7
|
8
|
8
|
Ret
|
2
|
21
|
51
|
| 10
|
Kazuki Miura
|
6
|
19
|
11
|
Ret
|
25
|
3
|
23
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
22
|
17
|
Ret
|
24
|
10
|
8
|
46
|
| 11
|
Kōta Lee
|
17
|
Ret
|
7
|
14
|
7
|
8
|
5
|
24
|
Ret
|
12
|
17
|
11
|
5
|
6
|
12
|
10
|
34
|
| 12
|
Tohjirō Azuma
|
11
|
13
|
Ret
|
8
|
5
|
18
|
10
|
11
|
18
|
18
|
8
|
7
|
14
|
4
|
11
|
7
|
33
|
| 13
|
Yūichi Nakayama
|
10
|
4
|
8
|
13
|
20
|
Ret
|
12
|
8
|
6
|
Ret
|
5
|
Ret
|
11
|
10
|
13
|
13
|
32
|
| 14
|
Kenji Hosokawa
|
18
|
8
|
2
|
18
|
11
|
Ret
|
14
|
7
|
13
|
11
|
21
|
12
|
7
|
7
|
15
|
Ret
|
31
|
| 15
|
Daiki Sasaki
|
9
|
11
|
Ret
|
12
|
10
|
DNS
|
15
|
21
|
15
|
14
|
Ret
|
18
|
12
|
5
|
4
|
5
|
29
|
| 16
|
Kazuma Kokubu
|
23
|
21
|
5
|
Ret
|
8
|
Ret
|
8
|
10
|
16
|
21
|
4
|
9
|
13
|
13
|
14
|
12
|
27
|
| 17
|
Yūki Iwasaki
|
8
|
9
|
9
|
11
|
3
|
12
|
11
|
14
|
14
|
13
|
12
|
14
|
18
|
11
|
16
|
16
|
19
|
| 18
|
Toshihiro Hinata
|
12
|
7
|
Ret
|
9
|
18
|
5
|
17
|
16
|
9
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
21
|
10
|
18
|
19
|
9
|
19
|
| 19
|
Shigetomo Shimono
|
15
|
16
|
DNS
|
20
|
9
|
10
|
16
|
15
|
Ret
|
7
|
11
|
15
|
22
|
8
|
22
|
14
|
10
|
| 20
|
Hikaru Abe
|
20
|
24
|
15
|
Ret
|
15
|
14
|
21
|
12
|
8
|
22
|
9
|
13
|
19
|
19
|
8
|
18
|
8
|
| 21
|
Kōtarō Hatano
|
26
|
22
|
10
|
15
|
14
|
13
|
19
|
20
|
17
|
15
|
Ret
|
23
|
6
|
15
|
20
|
11
|
7
|
| 22
|
Igor Sushko
|
22
|
18
|
12
|
10
|
19
|
15
|
22
|
19
|
Ret
|
8
|
13
|
16
|
24
|
16
|
17
|
22
|
4
|
| -
|
Kazuumi Kobayashi
|
21
|
23
|
14
|
19
|
17
|
11
|
18
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
17
|
24
|
20
|
0
|
| -
|
Mika Kagoshima
|
25
|
20
|
16
|
21
|
16
|
Ret
|
24
|
17
|
23
|
23
|
16
|
Ret
|
21
|
20
|
23
|
24
|
0
|
| -
|
Kōta Matsui
|
19
|
17
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
21
|
17
|
25
|
22
|
22
|
24
|
19
|
22
|
23
|
23
|
21
|
23
|
0
|
| -
|
Kazuki Kawamura
|
24
|
25
|
Ret
|
17
|
22
|
Ret
|
20
|
23
|
20
|
17
|
20
|
20
|
Ret
|
25
|
Ret
|
19
|
0
|
|
|
Driver
|
FUJ
|
SUZ
|
MOT
|
FUJ
|
SUZ
|
MOT
|
FUJ
|
SUG
|
Points
|
|
| Key
|
| Colour |
Result
|
| Gold |
Race winner
|
| Silver |
2nd place
|
| Bronze |
3rd place
|
| Green |
Points finish
|
| Blue
|
Non-points finish
|
| Non-classified finish (NC)
|
| Purple |
Did not finish (Ret)
|
| Black
|
Disqualified (DSQ)
|
| Excluded (EX)
|
| White
|
Did not start (DNS)
|
| Race cancelled (C)
|
| Withdrew (WD)
|
| Blank |
Did not participate
|
Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap
|
References