Hiroshi Fushida (born 10 March 1946) is a Japanese former racing driver and motorsport executive. He was the first Japanese driver to enter a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix and, alongside Tetsu Ikuzawa, one of the first two Japanese competitors at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
| Born | 10 March 1946 Kyoto, Japan |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Active years | 1975 |
| Teams | Maki |
| Entries | 2 (0 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1975 Dutch Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1975 British Grand Prix |
Fushida’s influence extended well beyond his driving career. Nearly three decades after making his own Le Mans debut, he served as operations director of the organisation behind Bentley’s victorious 2003 campaign.
Racing career
Fushida began his professional career in 1965 as a Honda factory driver. He switched to Toyota the following year and was among the five drivers selected for the Toyota 2000GT speed trial at the Yatabe High Speed Test Track.
He became a prolific endurance racer in Japan, winning the Fuji 1000 Kilometres four times—in 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1979. He also claimed the Suzuka 1000 Kilometres in 1968 and 1971.
Fushida competed in the major Japanese Grand Prix sports-car races of 1968 and 1969 and captured the 1972 Fuji Grand Championship title.
Racing in America
After leaving Toyota at the end of 1969, Fushida travelled to North America. He entered the SCCA Continental Championship, Can-Am and Trans-Am, gaining experience across several distinctly different categories.
A serious accident during a 1971 Trans-Am event at Road America left him injured and eventually prompted a return to Japan.
Le Mans pioneer
Fushida and fellow Japanese driver Tetsu Ikuzawa made national motorsport history at the 1973 24 Hours of Le Mans. They drove the Sigma MC73, powered by a Mazda rotary engine, becoming the first Japanese drivers to compete in the famous endurance race.
Fushida returned to Le Mans in 1975 and made his third and final appearance with Mazdaspeed in 1981. All three of his starts ended in retirement, but his role in opening the event to Japanese drivers and manufacturers proved much more significant than the finishing record suggests.
Formula One
Fushida entered two Formula One Grands Prix with the Japanese Maki team in 1975.
His first attempt came at Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix. An engine failure prevented him from starting, despite his having entered the event.
He tried again at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone but failed to qualify. Maki subsequently replaced him with Tony Trimmer, and Fushida made no further Formula One entries.
Although he never started a World Championship race, his Dutch appearance made him the first Japanese driver officially entered for one.
Bathurst
Later in 1975, Fushida partnered Don Holland in the Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Mount Panorama. The pair won Class C and finished an impressive fifth overall.
He remained active until 1981, retiring after his final Le Mans campaign.
Motorsport management
Fushida’s second career began with Dome Racing in 1986. Three years later, he joined Japanese tuning and racing company TOM’S.
He moved to Britain in 1992 to lead TOM’S GB and oversee its British Formula Three programme. Audi acquired the operation in 1998 and renamed it Racing Technology Norfolk, better known as RTN.
As RTN’s operations director, Fushida oversaw development and competition for the Bentley Speed 8. The programme reached its goal in 2003 when Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans—30 years after Fushida had helped put the first Japanese drivers on its starting grid.
Following that victory, he returned to Japan and resumed working primarily with Dome. Fushida succeeded company founder Minoru Hayashi as president in September 2012 and held the position until retiring in July 2015. He subsequently continued his association with Dome as a consultant.
Complete Formula One results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Maki Engineering | Maki F101C | Cosworth V8 | ARG | BRA | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL | SWE | NED DNS | FRA | GBR DNQ | GER | AUT | ITA | USA | NC | 0 |
