Kunimitsu Takahashi

Kunimitsu Takahashi (Shinjitai: 高橋 国光, Takahashi Kunimitsu, born January 29, 1940 in Tokyo) is a Japanese former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, racing driver, and current owner and team manager of Team Kunimitsu in Super GT. He is considered as the "father of drifting". He was the chairman of the GT-Association, the organizers of the Super GT series, from 1993 to 2007.

In 1961, Takahashi became the first Japanese rider to win a motorcycle Grand Prix riding a 250cc Honda to victory at Hockenheim. His best finishes were a fourth place in the 1961 250 world championship and a fourth place in the 1962 125 world championship, both times on a Honda. He was seriously injured in the 1962 Isle of Man TT and switched to car racing in 1965. He won four Grands Prix in his motorcycle racing career.

He participated in one Formula One race, the 1977 Japanese Grand Prix on October 23, 1977, driving a non-works Tyrrell. This was in fact the same car that Kazuyoshi Hoshino used in the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix. Takahashi finished 9th in his single Grand Prix outing, thus he scored no championship points. From 1987 to 1992, he competed in the Japanese Formula 3000 championship. He also competed in eight 24 Hours of Le Mans races between 1986 and 1996. In the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, his team competed with a Honda NSX, winning the GT2 Class and finishing eighth overall.

In 1994, he formed Team Kunimitsu to compete in the inaugural JGTC season, running a Porsche 911 RSR Turbo in the GT1 class alongside Keiichi Tsuchiya. In 1996, with the advent of the GT500 class, Team Kunimitsu switched manufacturers from Porsche to Honda. The next year, Team Kunimitsu cars would adorn the Raybrig colors for the first time. Takahashi would drive for his own team until 1999, where he retired at the end of the season to focus on team management role. Team Kunimitsu is currently the defending champions of Super GT, with the team winning its first championship in 2018 with Naoki Yamamoto and 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button behind the wheel of the #100 Raybrig Honda.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula One results[3]

(key)