1973 Japanese GP

[fines]

I have the (almost) full statistics:

IX JAF Japan Grand Prix
(9th Japanese GP)

1973-05-03 (Thu)
JAF All-Japan Formula 2000 Championship - Round 1
Formula 2000
Fuji International Speedway (J)
50 laps of 4.255 km (2.644 miles) = 212.750 km (132.196 miles)
Lap Leaders: ?
Average Speed: 185.216 kph (115.088 mph)
Fastest Race Lap: ?
Fastest Practice Lap: 1'32.57" - 165.474 kph (102.821 mph) - Vern Schuppan, #6 March/Ford
Cars in action: 13
Drivers in action: 13
Grid format: 4x3, r-l

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Results Pos Driver # Entrant Car Type Chassis Nr Engine Type Laps Time/Out Grid Qualifying
1 Motoharu Kurosawa 18 Heroes Racing Corporation March/BMW 722 March n/a BMW M12/6 50 1:08'55.15" 7 1'46.75"
2 Brian Robertson 1 Fred Opert Racing Brabham/Ford BT38 MRD n/a Ford/Hart BDA 50 1:08'57.89" 6 1'45.82"
3 Graeme Lawrence 5 Theodore Racing Surtees/Ford TS15 Surtees n/a Ford/Hart BDA 50 1:09'02.56" 4 1'37.65"
4 Hiromu Tanaka 17 Heroes Racing Corporation March/BMW 732 March n/a BMW M12/6 50 1:09'56.78" 5 1'42.50"
5 Michael Hall 2 Fred Opert Racing Brabham/Ford BT40 MRD n/a Ford/Hart BDA 48 1:09'06.38" 13 3'12.22"
6 Kuniomi Nagamatsu 10 Bellco Racing Team Brabham/Colt BT36 MRD n/a Mitsubishi R39B/2 48 1:09'14.45" 2 1'35.80"
7 Koichi Sato 16 Koichi Sato Racing Brabham/Ford BT23 MRD n/a Ford BDA 48 1:10'00.87" 11 2'09.50"
(8) Osamu Masuko 11 Bellco Racing Team Brabham/Colt BT30 MRD n/a Mitsubishi R39B/2 44 1:09'14.13" 3 1'37.50"
(9) Riki Okubo 9 Riki Racing Developments Lotus/Toyota 69 Lotus n/a Toyota 2T-G 43 1:10'16.00" 10 1'59.47"
(10) Jiro Yoneyama 19 Jiro Yoneyama Mana/Chevrolet 08B n/a n/a Chevrolet/Cosworth EAA 40 1:08'58.64" 12 3'14.85"
(11) Noritake Takahara 14 Noritake Takahara Racing Brabham/Ford BT36 MRD n/a Ford/Hart BDA 23 accident 8 1'47.63"
(12) Vern Schuppan 6 Theodore Racing March/Ford 722 March 722-40 Ford/Richardson BDA 17 overheating 1 1'32.57"
(13) Tomohiko Tsutsumi 15 Yoichi Takizawa Jaraco/Ford Y182 n/a n/a Ford FVC 16 suspension 9 1'50.64"
X Jean-Pierre Jarier 3 March Engineering March/BMW 732 - - - - - [withdrawn] - -
X Sonny Rajah 7 Theodore Racing March/BMW 732 - - - - - [withdrawn] - -
X Leo Geoghegan 8 Leo Francis Geoghegan Birrana/Ford 273 - - - - - [withdrawn] - -
X Hiroshi Fushida 12 Fushida Racers Chevron/Ford B25 - - - - - [withdrawn] - -

I know that the Opert cars were sponsored by Marlboro, the Yip cars by Singapore Airlines, the Bellco cars by Mitsubishi (Colt GT Special) and the Heroes cars by Nihon Trumpet. I know that Jaraco stands for Japan Racing Corporation. I know that Kurosawa, Lawrence, Tanaka and Takahara used Bridgestone tyres, Robertson, Hall, Okubo and Schuppan Firestones and Nagamatsu, Sato, Masuko, Yoneyama and Tsutsumi Dunlops. All very fine.

But I can't seem to find any reports about the actual happenings on the track! Why are the practice times so much slower than the race average? Who recorded fastest lap in the race, and how fast? Who led the race? Any chassis numbers known? Who built the Mana, and who built the Jaraco? ANY info is welcomed!

With an American, a Canadian, a New Zealander and an Australian in this race, there simply has to be someone around who knows something!?

________________
Michael Ferner

[WANHER]

i have to check that in a french book this evening

[fines]

Thanks WANHER, very much appreciated!!!

[WANHER]

Still looking about it I know I have it but in which
one .
Robert