The Swift 017.n was the sole racing car for the

Super Formula The Japanese Super Formula Championship is a formula racing series. It is considered as being the top level of single-seater racing in Japan and regional motorsports in Asia. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) an ...

(formerly:

Formula Nippon The Japanese Super Formula Championship is a formula racing series. It is considered as being the top level of single-seater racing in Japan and regional motorsports in Asia. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and ...

) between 2009 and 2013. The initial FN09 version was upgraded for the 2013 season dubbed SF13.

History

After many years of Lola Cars competition in Formula Nippon a new chassis was needed for the 2009 season. As early as 2007 American company Swift Engineering, headed by former Japanese racing driver Hiro Matsushita, was selected to provide the new racing car to all teams. The Swift 017.n was designed by Swift Engineering chief designer Chris Norris. Dutch engineer Casper van der Schoot was the program director. The car was initially intended to compete as of 2009 through 2011, however the run of the race car was extended through 2013. The racecar was characterized by the distinctive exterior appearance. The dual wing design of the front wing and rearwing provided the car with 750 kg of downforce (in combination with the diffuser). The car made its race debut at

Fuji Speedway is a motorsport race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and nati ...

on April 5, 2009.

Kohei Hirate is a Japanese race car driver. Hirate has won the Super GT series twice. Career Hirate began Kart racing, karting in 1999 when he was 13. After winning the All Japan Junior Kart Championship, coming third and fifth in the All Japan Kart Champio ...

scored the pole position as Benoît Tréluyer won the race.

FT5000

In April 2016 it was revealed that the Swift 017.n chassis was chosen as the base chassis for a new race series, Formula Thunder 5000. The series is intended to race in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, resembling the former Tasman Series. New-Zealander Chris Lambden purchased one chassis from Swift Engineering as a prototype for the series. The rolling chassis was fitted with a 5.0L

Ford Coyote V8 The Ford Modular engine is Ford Motor Company's overhead camshaft (OHC) V8 and V10 gasoline-powered small block engine family. Despite popular belief that the Modular engine family received its moniker from the sharing of engine parts across num ...

engine. Michael Borland, of Borland Racing Developments, purchased the molds and drawings to build additional chassis fitted to the FT5000 specifications. The modifications included a modified front wing and heightened air box to more resemble the former Formula 5000.

Statistics

A total of 24 Swift 017.n chassis were built. In Formula Nippon 39 races were run with the American built chassis.

Best laps

Gallery

2010 Formula Nippon Motegi round (May) formation lap.jpg, Formula Nippon at Motegi in 2010 Swift FN09 front wing 2010 Motorsport Japan.jpg, A detail picture of the front wing The frontview of No.1 PETRONAS TEAM TOM'S FN09.JPG, Front view of the Swift 017.n entered by Petronas Team TOM's Loic Duval 2010 Formula Nippon Motegi (May) FP2.jpg, Loïc Duval at Motegi in 2010 Koudai Tsukakoshi Formula Nippon 2012.jpg, Koudai Tsukakoshi at Twin Ring Motegi in 2012

References

Open wheel racing cars Super Formula cars Swift Engineering vehicles {{automobile-stub