Teams and drivers
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The 2013 Formula Challenge Japan was a multi-event motor racing championship for open-wheel formula racing cars, and the eighth and final 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 30 March and ended on 10 November. [1] [2]
The championship was won by Toyota-backed rookie Kenta Yamashita after a season-long battle where the championship lead changed hands numerous times. Yamashita claimed the title after a hat-trick of wins at the final round in Fuji, more than doubling his points tally to emerge victorious in front of Honda-supported Tsubasa Takahashi and fellow Toyota junior Keishi Ishikawa. Hiroki Shinotani, who had lead the championship going into the final round, slipped to fourth in the standings. The season saw five winners, with Yamashita claiming four, Takahashi winning thrice, Shinotani and Shō Tsuboi claiming two each, and Shōta Kiyohara dominating a single round.
This was the final season of Formula Challenge Japan before it was replaced by Japan Formula 4 in 2014, and by the FIA F4 Japanese Championship in 2015.
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| Round | Circuit | Date | Pole position | Fastest lap | Winning driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fuji Speedway, Oyama | 30 March |  Kiyoto Fujinami | Keishi Ishikawa | Shō Tsuboi |
| 2 | 31 March | Kiyoto Fujinami | Shō Tsuboi | Tsubasa Takahashi | |
| 3 | Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi | 11 May |  Nanin Indra-Payoong | Kenta Yamashita | Kenta Yamashita |
| 4 | 12 May | Shinya Sean Michimi | Hiroki Shinotani | Tsubasa Takahashi | |
| 5 | Fuji Speedway, Oyama | 22 June | Kiyoto Fujinami | Hiroki Shinotani | Hiroki Shinotani |
| 6 | Kiyoto Fujinami | Hiroki Shinotani | |||
| 7 | 23 June | Hiroki Shinotani | Tsubasa Takahashi | ||
| 8 | Fuji Speedway, Oyama | 24 August | Shōta Kiyohara | Shōta Kiyohara | Shōta Kiyohara |
| 9 | 25 August | Shinya Sean Michimi | Keishi Ishikawa | Shō Tsuboi | |
| 10 | Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka | 9 November | Kenta Yamashita | Kenta Yamashita | Kenta Yamashita |
| 11 | Kenta Yamashita | Kenta Yamashita | Kenta Yamashita | ||
| 12 | 10 November | Tsubasa Takahashi | Kenta Yamashita |
Points were awarded to the top six classified finishers, with one point awarded for pole position and fastest lap respectively.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | PP | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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