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.

Kunimitsu Takahashi
Jim Redman, Luigi Taveri and Kunimitsu Takahashi (1963)
Nationality	Japanese
Born	(1940-01-29) 29 January 1940 Tokyo, Japan
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1960–1964 First race 1960 250cc German Grand Prix Last race 1964 125cc French Grand Prix First win 1961 250cc German Grand Prix Last win 1962 125cc Spanish Grand Prix Team(s) Honda Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 129 4 15 N/A 3 107

Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1977
Teams	non-works Tyrrell
Entries	1
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1977 Japanese Grand Prix
Last entry	1977 Japanese Grand Prix

24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	1986–1990, 1994–1996
Teams	Team Kunimitsu Honda, Kremer Racing
Best finish	8th (1995)
Class wins	1 (1995)

Motorcycle racing

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.[1] 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.

Car racing

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 won their first Drivers Championship in 2018 with Naoki Yamamoto and 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button behind the wheel of the #100 Raybrig Honda.[2]

Career motorsports results

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6
Points	8	6	4	3	2	1

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Class	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Points	Rank	Wins
1960	125cc	Honda	IOM	NED	BEL		ULS 6	NAT							1	10th	0
	250cc	Honda	IOM	NED	BEL	GER 6	ULS 5	NAT 4							6	7th	0
1961	125cc	Honda	ESP	GER 6	FRA 6	IOM	NED	BEL	DDR 3	ULS 1	NAT	SWE 2	ARG 3		24	5th	1
	250cc	Honda	ESP	GER 1	FRA 3	IOM 4	NED	BEL	DDR 3	ULS 6	NAT	SWE 3	ARG 2		29	4th	1
1962	50cc	Honda	ESP 6	FRA 2	IOM	NED	BEL	GER		DDR	NAT	FIN	ARG		7	9th	0
	125cc	Honda	ESP 1	FRA 1	IOM NC	NED	BEL	GER	ULS	DDR	NAT	FIN	ARG		16	4th	2
1963	50cc	Honda	ESP	GER	FRA	IOM	NED	BEL			FIN		ARG	JPN 11	0	-	0
	125cc	Honda	ESP 3	GER 5	FRA 3	IOM 8	NED 5	BEL	ULS 5	DDR	FIN	NAT 3	ARG	JPN	14	7th	0
	250cc	Honda	ESP 4	GER NC		IOM NC	NED	BEL 6	ULS 4	DDR		NAT	ARG	JPN	7	9th	0
1964	50cc	Honda	USA	ESP NC	FRA	IOM	NED	BEL	GER			FIN		JPN	0	-	0
	125cc	Honda	USA	ESP	FRA 4	IOM	NED		GER	DDR	ULS	FIN	NAT	JPN	3	14th	0

Complete Formula One results[3]

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	WDC	Points
1977	Meiritsu Racing Team	Tyrrell 007	Cosworth V8	ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	ESP	MON	BEL	SWE	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	USA	CAN	JPN 9	NC	0

References

1. Kunimitsu Takahashi career statistics at MotoGP.com
2. "Motegi Super GT: Jenson Button holds off late threat for title". Autosport.com. Autosport. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
3. Kunimitsu Takahashi Formula One statistics at formula1.com

External links

• Kunimitsu Takahashi career statistics at MotoGP.com
• Official Team Site
• Kunimitsu Takahashi career summary at DriverDB.com