Kazuyoshi Hoshino In 2010, as the team principal of Impul Born (1947-07-01) 1 July 1947 (age 64) Formula One World Championship career Nationality Japanese Active years 1976 - 1977 Teams Heros Racing Races 2 Championships 0 Wins 0 Podiums 0 Career points 0 Pole positions 0 Fastest laps 0 First race 1976 Japanese Grand Prix Last race 1977 Japanese Grand Prix 24 Hours of Le Mans career Participating years 1986 - 1990, 1995 - 1998 Teams Nismo, TOM'S Best finish 3rd (1998)

Kazuyoshi Hoshino (Shinjitai: 星野 一義, Hoshino Kazuyoshi^?, born in Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, 1 July 1947) is a former racing driver and businessman from Japan.^[1]

Hoshino's nickname was "the fastest man/guy in Japan" (日本一速い男, Nippon ichi hayai otoko^?). He won the Japanese motocross national championships in the 90cc and 125cc classes for Kawasaki in 1968 before switching to cars as a Nissan factory driver in 1969.^[2]

Hoshino participated in two Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 24 October 1976 at the Japanese Grand Prix.^[3] Driving a Tyrrell-Ford for Heros Racing, he retired having used up his tyre supply. He returned in 1977 and once again entered the Japanese Grand Prix driving for Heros Racing. He finished in eleventh place driving a year-old Kojima-Ford.^[4] He scored no championship points in his Formula 1 career.^[5]

Hoshino won the Japanese Formula 2000 championship in 1975 and 1977, before winning the Japanese Formula Two championship in 1978.^[6][7] His only major world championship win was in the 1985 World Sportscar Championship round at the Fuji 1000 race, which was boycotted by many competing teams due to torrential rain.^[8] He then competed in the Japanese Formula 3000 championship, winning that title in 1987, 1990 and 1993.^[9] Like his compatriot, Masahiro Hasemi, he continued his career racing for Nissan, driving a Skyline GT-R to win the Japanese Touring Car Championship in 1990. Hoshino drove a Nissan R90C with Toshio Suzuki to win the 1990 Suzuka 1000 race.^[8] Hoshino and Suzuki also won the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship in 1991 and 1992.^[10] Along with Nissan Motorsports teammates Aguri Suzuki and Masahiko Kageyama, Hoshino drove a Nissan R390 GT1 to a third place finish at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans.^[11]

Hoshino retired from racing in 2002 and now continues to run his own Super GT team and his own Nissan specialised aftermarket parts company, Impul. Since 2003, his racing team has won the Formula Nippon championship seven times in eight years. His son, Kazuki Hoshino, competes in Super GT, driving for his father's team.

[edit] Complete Formula One results^[5]

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References[link]

External links[link]

• Calsonic Sponsor's site (Japanese)
• Impul Own aftermarket company and team site (Japanese)
• Calsonic racing team (Japanese)
• Team profile
• Nismo.com: Hoshino History 1969-2002 (Japanese) - charting the motorsport career of Hoshino
• f1 corner statistics Kazuyoshi Hoshino's Statistics in Formula 1