Kazuyoshi Hoshino – F2/F3000 | The “forgotten” drivers of F1

1978 Donington Park Euro F2 Championship – Kuzuyoshi Hoshino (Nova 532 BMW) through McLeans. Photo and info Steve Wilkinson

1978 F2 Donington “50 000” #47 Norman Dickson. Photo Tony Carwithen

1978 Suzuka Great20 Drivers Race Heros – Kazuyoshi Hoshino Racing Team NOVA 532P BMW with Satoru Nakajima. Photo via FB

1978 no more info. Photo via FB

1978 F2 Japan Championship. Photo via FB

1978 F2 JAF Suzuka GP. Photo Tano Kiyohito

1980 Kazuyoshi Hoshino , Masahiro Hasemi , Mike Thackwell , Teo Fabi , Kunimitsu Takahashi. 1980 JAF GP at Suzuka – All Japan F2 Championship. Photo via FB

1980 JAF GP at Suzuka – All Japan F2 Championship. Photo Osamu Aihara

1981 – Kazuyoshi Hoshino Heros Racing Team Lola T850 BMW, 1981 Suzuka Big 2&4 Race. Photo and info from FB F2

1983 Donington Park. Photo from FB Scherer Race & Rally News

1983 F2 Donington March 832. Photo via FB

1990. Photo via FB

1990. Photo via FB

Legendary Japanese driver, “the fastest man from Japan”, Kazuyoshi Hoshino was still active in the 90’s not only driving touring cars and prototypes, but also open-wheel. This is the Lola T96/52 number #19 entered by IMPUL for the boss for the 1996 Formula Nippon season. (First season under Formula Nippon name, being known/called as All-Japan F3000 before 1996.) Despite being completely associated to Nissan in all environments, for the FN’s effort, as Nissan wasn’t an engine supplier, Honda supported them suppling its MUGEN-tuned MF308. Hoshino-san, who I call the “Calsonic Man” (literally, there’s no better nickname for this legend), finished the first race of 1996 FN in 1st place, held at Suzuka. He went to the podium other three times, and decided to retire from open-wheel racing after that season, focusing only in sports car racing onwards. His last win at the season’s opener was his 39th of his career in top-tier formula racing in Japan. Let’s not forget: he was 49 years old that time! This was also the first and the last season Calsonic had sponsored primary a formula race car by this way (throwing all the bucket of blue painting on the whole car just like the JTCC and JGTC ones). Although the bright blue remained for 1997 for Takuya Kurosawa, with “IMPUL” being exposed instead of “Calsonic”. 📸 Hiro-kun. Photo and info from FB Japanese Racing Cars