The Japanese Nova Group first entered into motorsport in 1991 with the creation of the Super Nova Racing team, contesting the All Japan Formula 3 championship form 1991 until 1993. Having quickly established themselves as a front-running team in the highly respected Japanese domestic series. Super Nova Racing made the move into International arena of European Formula 3000 in 1994. the David Sears lead team ran Japan's Takachino ('Taki") Inoue and Italy's Vincenzo Sospiri, a championship title contender victory, Sospiri ultimately finished fourth in the highly competitive series, a remarkable achievement for the fledging team.

In 1995, Super Nova's second year of operation, the team dominated the Formula 3000 championship. Italian Vincenzo Sospiri and Brazilian Ricardo Rosset took their Reynard 95Ds across the line in the first place on no fewer than five occasions (Silverstone, Barcelona, Pau, Enna-Pergusa and Spa Francorchamps) er route to claiming first and second places in the championship with one round of the series remaining. By the end of the sight race series Super Nova has accrued a total of 72 championship points, whilst no other team collected more than 26 points.

1996 once again saw Super Nova consistently leading the field. Swede Kenya Brace won 4 races on the road, had no less than 7 podium finished, and only missed clinching the Championship title by one point with Brazilian Marcos Guiros finishing in 5th position. Despite a dispute at the last round in Hockenheim, Kenny Brack was the moral victor of the Championship.

In 1997 Super Nova were determined to regain the Championship crown once again and this they did with Brazilian Ricardo Zonta taking the title in some style at the penultimate race at Mugello, Italy. The 1997 season saw no less than 6 different race winners during the 10 rounds which threw the Championship wide open with at one point six drivers in the running for the title, however Ricardo Zonta triumphed for Super Nova.

1998 was yet another very good year for Super Nova with 7 pole positions and 9 podium finishes, Colombian Juan Pable Montoya took the F3000 title at Nurburgring in Germany. Being a frontrunner all season, it was still down to the final race before he could claim the throne. Since no one could predict the outcome, the excitement of the Championship was kept on top until the finishing line.

Despite a slow start to the 1999 season, Dane Jason Watt finished strongly with two poles at the last two races at Spa and Nurburgring. this along with David Saelens picking up some valuable points meant the team finished second in the Teams Championship with Jason finishing second in the drivers Table.

The 2000 season saw an exciting battle for the Driver's Championship between Super Nova's Nicolas Minassin and Bruno Junquiera of the Petrobras Jnr. Team. After 7 rounds, both drivers were on equal points having won 3 races each, but going into the final race at Spa, Nicolas had fallen to 7 points behind Junqueira, meaning that he had to finish on no lower than first position to stand a chance of winning the championship. Despite a very strong challenge, the task was just too much and Nicolas had to settle for second place, 3 points behind winner Junqueira. Team mate David Saelens, in his second year for Super Nova finished in equal sixth place with three third places at Mangy Cours, Monaco and Barcelona.

The Super Nova team are currently the most successful team in the history of the championship.

Super Nova Statistics

	YEAR	DRIVER	RACES	WINS	2ND	3RD	POLES	F LAPS	CHAMP	POINTS
	1994	Vincenzo Sospiri Taki Inoue	8 8	0 0	2 0	1 0	0 0	1 0	4	24
	1995	Vincenzo Sospiri Riccardo Rossett	8 8	3 2	2 1	0 0	0 1	0 2	1 2	42 29
	1996	Kenny Brack Marcos Gueiros	10 10	3 3	2 2	2 0	3 4	3 4	2 1	49 39
	1997	Ricardo Zonta Laurent Redon	10 10	3 0	2 0	0 1	4 0	4 0	1 9	39 10
	1998	Juan Pablo Montoya Boris De Riechbourge	12 12	4 0	2 0	3 1	7 0	5 0	1 15	65 5
	1999	Jason Watt Riccardo Maurico David Saelens	10 3 7	2 0 0	1 0 0	0 0 1	1 0 0	0 0 0	2   9	30 0 8
	2000	Nicholas Minassian David Saelens	10 10	3 0	1 0	1 3	0 2	0 0	2 6	45 15
		Totals (68 races)	136	20	14	15	18	16	3	381

Super Nova operates form 11,000 square feet purpose built race factory at Grison, Norfolk. With a full time staff of fifteen personnel, Super Nova is run under the managerial leadership of Sears, and the technical direction of race engineers Andy Roche and Rob Creswell.

Calendar

	2001 FIA INTERNATIONAL FORMULA 3000 CHAMPIONSHIP
	Round 1	March 31	Interlagos, Brazil
	Round 2	April 14	Imola, San Marino
	Round 3	April 28	Barcelona, Spain
	Round 4	May 12	Spielberg, Austria
	Round 5	May 26	Monaco, Monte Carlo
	Round 6	June 24	Nurburgring, Germany
	Round 7	June 30	Magny Cours, France
	Round 8	July 14	Silverstone, Great Britain
	Round 9	July 28	Hockenheim, Germany
	Round 10	August 15	Hungaroring, Hungary
	Round 11	September 1	Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
	Round 12	September 15	Monza, Italy

Final Standings

		2001 FIA INTERNATIONAL FORMULA 3000 CHAMPIONSHIP 1. Justin Wilson (GB) 71 pts 2. Mark Webber (AUS) 39 pts 3. Tomas Enge (CZ) 39 pts 4. Sebastian Bourdais (F) 26 pts 5. Ricardo Sperfico (BR) 24 pts 6. Antonio Pizzonia (BR) 22 pts

TEAM MANAGER: David Sears

David began his motorsport career in 1976 completing a Jim Russell Racing Drivers Schools Course and winning both the races he entered. In 1977 and 1978 he privately entered and raced a Royale RP24 Formula Ford 1600 in the British National Formula Ford Championship, finishing third overall with the accolade of highest placed privateer.

The results encouraged Royal to offer David a works car loan for the 1979 season, and Minister lent him works engines. He won both the highly competitive RAC and P&O Formula Ford 1600 Championships, winning 19 races in his Rushen Green prepared car. At the end of the season he was presented the prestigious Grovewood Award as one of the most promising British and Commonwealth drivers.

In 1980 Sears consolidated his single seater experience by competing in Formula Three for Rushen Green, beating such notable drivers as Nigel Mansell, Stefan Johansson and Roberto Guerro. He also won the BMW County championship, driving alongside Martin Brundle and Patrick Neve in a BMW 323i.

The next season, due to budgetary restrictions, David raced in select F3 races for the fledging Eddie Jordan Racing Team. He finished consistently in the top six, beating Martin Brundle, Jonathon Palmer and Roberto Moreno on several occasions.

David joined Gerry Marshall in the 1982 Willhire 24 hour race in Capri, and the pair finished in a strong second place. In 1983 David moved into Sports 2000 thundersports, taking several class victories and never finishing off the podium.

In 1984 he drove the works XJS Jaguar for the highly respected Tom Walkinshaw Racing outfit in the European Touring Car Championship, scoring a notable second place in the rain affected Tourist Trophy at Silverstone always in the top three places.

In 1985 David competed in the selected Group A races for Ford with Andy Rouse. The pair led the Tourist Trophy at Silverstone until a wheel failure forced them into retirement, and at Brand Hatch he finished second to Rouse, helping him to win yet another Group A Championship. He also competed in selected Group A races in Japan for Toyota at the end of the season.

In 1986 he continued to race Group A cars for Ford and Toyota in the UK and Japan, and made his Group C debut in a Sard Toyota.

Again his racing career changing direction, David raced in an Ecosse C2 car in the British Sports Car Championship with Don Shead. At Donington he shared the winning car with Andy Rouse in the only driver race in the British Saloon Car Championship and again finished second in the Willhire 24 hour race in a BMW M3 with Robin Brundle and Gerritt Van Kouwen, being the quickest driver in the two car, six driver team.

1990 saw a highly successful privateer entry at the Le Mans 24 hour race when the all British driver line up of Saers, Anthony Reid and Tiff Needell drove their Alpha Porsche to third, behind the two work Jaguars.

Having finally hung up his helmet David formed the International Formula 3000 team, Super Nova Racing, in January 1994. After a highly successful first season, Super Nova Racing then finished first and second in the 1995 FIA Formula 3000 Championship in their Cosworth powered Reynard with Vincenzo Sospiri and Ricardo Rosset.

David Sears has an outstanding reputation for extracting the best out of his team, and his ability to maximise a driver's talent and focus his mind is renowned within the motor racing fraternity. David is the son of Jack Sears, twice British saloon Car champion and a leading driver in the 1960's Jack is now a director of the RAV and past Chairman of Silverstone Circuits.