Shinji Nakano

Shinji Nakano Formula One World Championship career Nationality Japanese Active years 1997–1998 Teams Prost, Minardi Entries 33 Championships 0 Wins 0 Podiums 0 Career points 2 Pole positions 0 Fastest laps 0 First entry 1997 Australian Grand Prix Last entry 1998 Japanese Grand Prix 24 Hours of Le Mans career Years 2005 - 2008 Teams Courage Compétition, Creation Autosportif, Epsilon Euskadi Best finish DNF (43rd, 2008) Class wins -

Not to be confused with Japanese Moto GP rider Shinya Nakano.

Shinji Nakano (中野 信治, born April 1, 1971) is a racing driver from Japan.

His father, Tsuneharu was also a racing driver who competed in the All-Japan Formula Three Championship etc.

Racing career

Pre Formula One Career

1984-'88:	Karting, several Japanese titles.
1989:	7th in Japanese Formula 3 championship
1990:	European Formula Opel Lotus Championship, 1 victory
1991:	Formula Opel Lotus Euroseries
1992:	Japanese Formula 3 and Formula 3000 championship
1993-'94:	Japanese Formula 3 championship
1995-'96:	Japanese Formula 3000 championship

Formula One Career

Nakano in the 1998 Spanish Grand Prix, driving a Minardi.

Nakano made his debut at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne for the Prost Grand Prix team, owned by legendary four times Formula One World Champion Alain Prost. The 1997 season saw him score two world championship points with a pair of 6th places.

With his place at Prost heavily reliant on their engine partners Mugen-Honda it came as no surprise when a switch to Peugeot power saw the French outfit drop Nakano in favour of the young Jarno Trulli and the fit again Olivier Panis. However Nakano was able to pick up a ride at perennial backmarkers Minardi for the 1998 season.

Unsurprisingly, Nakano struggled in the under-powered, under-financed Italian team. He failed to score any points in 1998 and bowed out of F1 racing for good at his home Grand Prix at Suzuka, Japan, having contested a total of 33 Grands Prix. He spent 1999 as an occasional test driver for the Jordan team, which also used Mugen-Honda engines.

After Formula One

After F1 Nakano went to race in Champ Car for Walker Racing and Fernandez Racing. He made 56 starts from 2000 to 2002 with a best points finish of 17th in 2002 and a best race result of 4th at the 2002 Molson Indy Toronto. He also started 15th in the 2003 Indianapolis 500 for Beck Motorsports, finishing 14th. He competed in the 2006 and 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans races.

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year	Team	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Team	WDC	Points
1997	Prost Gauloises Blondes	Prost JS45	Mugen-Honda MF-301HB 3.0 V10	AUS 7	BRA 14	ARG Ret	SMR Ret	MON Ret	ESP Ret	CAN 6	FRA Ret	GBR 11	GER 7	HUN 6	BEL Ret	ITA 11	AUT Ret	LUX Ret	JPN Ret	EUR 10	Prost	18th	2
1998	Fondmetal Minardi Team SpA	Minardi M198	Ford JD Zetec-R 3.0 V10	AUS Ret	BRA Ret	ARG 13	SMR Ret	ESP 14	MON 9	CAN 7	FRA 17	GBR 8	AUT 11	GER Ret	HUN 15	BEL 8	ITA Ret	LUX 15	JPN Ret		Minardi	NC	0

External links

• Shinji Nakano official website