FNIPPON: Fuji testing 96-04-18

Formula Nippon Testing at Fuji International Speedway (2.79 miles) April 17-18, 1996 Weather Conditions: Sunny, mild

Pos No Driver(Nat)             Car              Tire   Time
  1  5 Marco Apicella(I)       Reynard95D/Judd  YH     1'15.340
  2 64 Toranosuke Takagi(JP)   Reynard96D/Mugen BS     1'15.380
  3 27 Masahiko Kageyama(JP)   Reynard96D/Mugen BS     1'15.390
  4 19 Kazuyoshi Hoshino(JP)   LolaT96-51/Mugen BS     1'15.520
  5 65 Takuya Kurosawa(JP)     Reynard96D/Mugen BS     1'15.520
  6  2 Katsumi Yamamoto(JP)    DomeF104i/Mugen  BS     1'15.560
  7  8 Shinji Nakano(JP)       DomeF104i/Mugen  BS     1'15.690
  8 31 Hideki Okada(JP)        LolaT94-50/Mugen BS     1'16.090
  9  1 Toshio Suzuki(JP)       LolaT96-51/Mugen BS     1'16.110
 10  6 Hidetoshi Mitsusada(JP) LolaT94-50/Judd  YH     1'16.120
 11 25 Ralf Schumacher(D)      Reynard96D/Mugen BS     1'16.290
 12 24 Naoki Hattori(JP)       Reynard96D/Mugen BS     1'16.360
 13  9 Pedro de la Rosa(SP)    LolaT96-51/Mugen BS     1'16.410
 14 10 Norberto Fontana(RA)    LolaT95-51/Mugen BS     1'16.540
 15 20 Andrew Gilbert-Scott(GB)Reynard95D/Mugen BS     1'16.560
 16  7 Masami Kageyama(JP)     LolaT95-50/Mugen YH     1'16.620
 17 55 Katsutomo Kaneishi(JP)  Reynard95D/Mugen BS     1'16.850
 18 28 Masahiko Kondo(JP)      Reynard95D/Mugen BS     1'16.860
 19 56 Satoshi Motoyama(JP)    Reynard95D/Mugen BS     1'16.880
 20 21 Michael Krumm(D)        Reynard95D/Mugen BS     1'16.950
 21 30 Eiichi Tajima(JP)       LolaT94-50/Mugen BS     1'17.290
 22 17 Taichiro Onishi(JP)     LolaT94-50/Mugen YH     1'18.030
 23 72 Atsushi Kawamoto(JP)    LolaT93-50/Ford  BS     1'18.330
 24 12 Yukihiro Hane(JP)       LolaT94-50/Mugen BS     1'18.440
 25 73 Tetsuji Tamanaka(JP)    LolaT93-50/Ford  BS     1'20.350
 26 15 Masao Yamada(JP)        LolaT93-50/Mugen YH     1'24.800

This year's Formula Nippon (nee All Japan F3000) attracts 28 entries and almost all was present at Fuji for the last pre-season testing Wednesday and Thursday. Looks like it'll be another competitive series as the first 11 cars are covered in only one second with Marco Apicella at the top of the time sheet followed by Takagi and Kageyama. Both drove shiny new Reynards. Ironman Hoshino, who'll turn 49 in July, put the new Lola at the fourth spot.

The first race will be in Suzuka, April 27-28.