Super FJ
Super FJ, commonly abbreviated as S-FJ, is a single-seater motor racing category based in Japan. Utilized by several regional championships throughout Japan since its introduction in 2007 by the Japan Automobile Federation, the category is overseen by the Japan Scholarship System and supported by the FJ Association, and is commonly referred to as the entry point on the Japanese formula racing ladder.
Numerous graduates of Super FJ have gone on to achieve high-level success in motorsport, including ex-Formula One driver Yūki Tsunoda, FIA World Endurance Championship champion Ryō Hirakawa, Super GT champions Tadasuke Makino and Kenta Yamashita, and Super Formula driver Ayumu Iwasa.
Origins and history
Since its inception in 1980, the Formula Ford-adjacent FJ1600 series had served as Japan's entry-level formula racing category; however, the Subaru-manufactured EA71 engine, originally introduced in 1976 for use in the Subaru Leone and long utilised as the regulation engines for FJ1600, had become increasingly difficult to source since the engine was discontinued in 1994. In response to calls for a more accessible regulation set, Super FJ was announced by the Japan Automobile Federation in November 2006 as Japan's new entry-level formula racing category.In the inaugural 2007 season, Super FJ featured JAF-sanctioned regional championships at four major circuits throughout Japan. The Suzuka Series featured grids of solely Super FJ cars, while the championships at Motegi, Okayama, and Tsukuba were run alongside the existing FJ1600 entries. In the subsequent years, new regional championships were introduced for Fuji Speedway, Autopolis, and the northern Tōhoku region
Since 2007, champions and other top competitors in each regional series have competed in the season-ending final race at Suzuka International Racing Course in December. Through the Japan Scholarship System, top drivers in the final race are awarded scholarships to compete in higher-level formula for the following season.
Car specifications
A number of chassis manufacturers compete in Super FJ, with all cars adhering to the same series regulations. All cars feature a Honda L15A engine mated to a five-speed manual racing transmission, powering a steel space-frame chassis designed as an evolution of the FJ1600/Formula Ford design. Unlike the FJ1600 cars, Super FJ cars feature front and rear wings.| Chassis | KK-S 11J RD10V |
| Engine | Honda Motor Co. L15A SOHC 1,500cc inline-4 |
| Gearbox | TODA RACING S-FJ specification 5-speed dogleg manual transmission |
| Minimum weight | 420 kg |
| Power output | ~118 bhp |
| Fuel capacity | 20 litres |
| Fuel delivery | Direct fuel injection |
| Aspiration | Naturally aspirated |
| Brakes | 4-piston aluminum caliper disc brakes |
| Length | 3,700 mm |
| Width | 1,700 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,200 mm |
| Minimum ground clearance | 50 mm |
| Steering | Rack and pinion |
| Tyres | 13-inch Dunlop slick tyres |