Hitoshi Ogawa

Hitoshi Ogawa (小河等, Ogawa Hitoshi, February 15, 1956 – May 24, 1992) was a Japanese racing car driver.

Career

During the 1980s, he competed in several Fuji Grand Champion Series races. Ogawa won the 1989 All Japan Formula 3000 Championship and finished 2nd in the same championship in 1990. In the same year, teaming up with Masanori Sekiya, he won the JAF Grand Prix All Japan Fuji 500km, held at Fuji. In 1992, he won the first round of the World Sportscar Championship in Monza in C1, partnering Geoff Lees.

Complete Japanese Formula 3 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	DC	Pts
1981	gallop wheel Hayashi	Toyota	SUZ	TSU	FUJ 5	MIN	SUG C	TSU 4	MIN Ret	SUZ 5	SUZ Ret		8th	28
1982	Racing Team Hayashi	Toyota	SUZ Ret	FUJ	MIN	SUZ Ret	SUG Ret	MIN 4	SUZ 2	TSU 5	SUZ 5		6th	37
1987	TOM'S	Toyota	SUZ 3	TSU Ret	FUJ 3	SUZ 2	SUG 2	SEN 2	MIN 1	TSU 2	SUZ 1	SUZ 5	2nd	112
1988	Funaki Racing	Toyota	SUZ Ret	TSU 2	FUJ 2	SUZ Ret	SUG Ret	TSU 7	SEN 3	SUZ 1	MIN 5	SUZ 11	4th	27

Japanese Formula 3000 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	DC	Pts
1988	Leyton House Racing Team	SUZ	FSW	MIN	SUZ 12	SUG 12	FSW 11	SUZ 11	SUZ 8				NC	0
1989	Auto Beaurex Motorsport	SUZ 2	FSW 2	MIN 4	SUZ 4	SUG Ret	FSW 2	SUZ 1	SUZ Ret				1st	33
1990	Stellar International	SUZ 11	FSW 2	MIN 2	SUZ Ret	SUG 4	FSW 6	FSW 12	SUZ 2	FSW 2	SUZ 2		2nd	34
1991	Stellar International	SUZ 2	AUT 6	FSW 3	MIN Ret	SUZ 2	SUG 17	FSW 12	SUZ 5	FSW C	SUZ 6	FSW Ret	5th	20
1992	Racing Team Cerumo	SUZ	FSW	MIN	SUZ 5	AUT	SUG	FSW	FSW	SUZ	FSW	FSW	16th	2

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1988	Toyota Team Tom's	Tiff Needell Paolo Barilla	Toyota 88C	C1	283	24th	15th
1989	Toyota Team Tom's	Paolo Barilla Ross Cheever	Toyota 89C-V	C1	45	DNF	DNF
1990	Toyota Team Tom's	Masanori Sekiya Geoff Lees	Toyota 90C-V	C1	347	6th	6th

Death

Ogawa was killed in an accident on lap 27 of an All-Japan Formula 3000 race held at Suzuka in May 1992. Ogawa aimed to overtake Andrew Gilbert-Scott's car on the main straight, but the latter held his position while Ogawa moved slightly to the side. He clipped the rear left wheel and the front of his car became lodged in the rear bodywork. Both went down the straight at speed and went into the gravel trap, which was insufficient in slowing down either car. Gilbert-Scott spun, hit the tyre wall and flipped, landing upside-down. Ogawa went in nose-first, hit a mound in the gravel trap and was launched over the tyre barrier, hitting a high-fence supporting pole. Both cars were wrecked and the race was stopped immediately. As a result of the accident at least one cameraman, several photographers, and Gilbert-Scott all sustained injuries. Ogawa was freed but had suffered severe leg, head and neck injuries and was pronounced dead on the way to hospital.