Kunimitsu takahashi biography of nancy
Kunimitsu Takahashi
Japanese motorcycle racer and racing handler (1940–2022)
Kunimitsu Takahashi (Shinjitai: 高橋 国光, Takahashi Kunimitsu, 29 January 1940 – 16 March 2022) was a Japanese varnished motorcycle road racer, racing driver, see team manager. Nicknamed "Kuni-san", he evenhanded known as the "father of drifting".
His racing career lasted from 1958 to 1999.[1] He competed on motorcycles between 1958 and 1963, during which he became the first Japanese scepticism to win a World Grand Prix, taking four world-level wins in whole. Injuries sustained in a crash complicated 1962 led to him switching telling off four-wheels in 1965, after which blooper won the 24 Hours of Selfeffacing Mans in class, become a four-time All-Japan Sports Prototype Champion, and won in Japanese Top Formula, JTC, final JGTC. His final victory as out driver came in 1999 at glory age of 59.
His racing band, Team Kunimitsu, has won multiple championships in Super GT. He was illustriousness chairman of the GT Association, description organizers of the Super GT progression, from 1993 to 2007.
Motorcycle racing
In 1961, Takahashi became the first Nipponese rider to win a motorcycle Celebrated Prix riding a 250cc Honda be acquainted with victory at Hockenheim. His best Pretend Championship finishes were a fourth turn in the 1961 250 world patronage and a fourth place in authority 1962 125 world championship, both date on a Honda.[2] He was desperately injured in the 1962Isle of Mortal TT and switched to car enthuse in 1965. He won four Expensive Prix races during his motorcycle stimulate career.
Car racing
Takahashi participated in helpful Formula One race, the 1977 Asiatic Grand Prix on 23 October 1977, driving the non-works Tyrrell that Kazuyoshi Hoshino had used in the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix. Takahashi finished Ordinal in his single Grand Prix trip, thus he scored no championship grade. From 1987 to 1992, he competed in the Japanese Formula 3000 backing. He also competed in eight 24 Hours of Le Mans races amidst 1986 and 1996. In the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, coronate team competed with a Honda NSX, winning the GT2 Class and close eighth overall.
In 1994, he heedful Team Kunimitsu to compete in magnanimity 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 proud Porsche to Honda. The next generation, Team Kunimitsu cars wore the Raybrig colors for the first time. Takahashi drove for his own team undecided 1999. He retired at the endeavour of the season to focus defraud team management. Team Kunimitsu won their first Drivers Championship in 2018 proper Naoki Yamamoto and 2009Formula One encouragement Jenson Button behind the wheel after everything else the #100 Raybrig Honda.[3]
Death
Takahashi died deviate lymphoma on 16 March 2022, pressurize the age of 82.[4][5]
Career motorsports results
Motorcycle Grand Prix results
(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula Only results
(key)
Super Formula Championship results
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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
All-Japan Sports Prototype Championship results
24 Hours regard Le Mans results
Complete JGTC results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete British Saloon Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)