| Category | Single seaters |
|---|---|
| Country |  Japan |
| Region | Autopolis, Ōita Prefecture |
| Inaugural season | 1991 |
| Folded | 1992 |
| Constructors | Sabre Racing Cars |
| Engine suppliers | Buick |
The Formula Crane 45 was a single-seater racing series held at Autopolis in 1991 and 1992.
History
Owner of the Autopolis circuit Tomonori Tsurumaki ordered 30 Buick powered US built single seater race cars called Sabre FC45 for a race to take place on his circuit's grand opening on November 1990, consisting of a mixture of invited US CART drivers such as Stan Fox, Johnny Rutherford, Dick Simon, Gary and Tony Bettenhausen against local Japanese drivers. The cars were originally built for a spec racing class to have been run by USAC; however, this class was never realized. After the grand opening, Tsurumaki planned on a series with the cars, known as Formula Crane 45. With only a handful of cars during the 1991 and 1992 season the class was not very successful. When Autopolis went bankrupt the assets including the cars were sold to the highest bidder.[1]
1991
| Round | Date | Winning driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 21 | Masatomo Shimizu |
| 2 | June 9 | Masatomo Shimizu |
| 3 | August 18 | Shunji Kasuya |
| 4 | November 11 | Shunji Kasuya |
1992
| Round | Date | Winning driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 31 | Shunji Kasuya |
| 2 | September 20 | Tetsuji Tamanaka |
| 3 | October 18 | Fumio Muto |
| 4 | November 22 | Tetsuji Tamanaka |
Champions
| Year | Driver | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Masatomo Shimizu | Sabre FC45 |
| 1992 | Tetsuji Tamanaka | Sabre FC45 |
References
- ↑ "Formula Crane 45". Racing History Japan. Retrieved 2 January 2014.