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Toranosuke Takagi

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Japanese racing driver (born 1974)

Toranosuke Takagi
In 2008, as a Super GT driver
Born (1974-02-12) 12 February 1974 (age 50)
Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityJapan Japanese
Active years1998–1999
TeamsTyrrell, Arrows
Entries32
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1998 Australian Grand Prix
Last entry1999 Japanese Grand Prix

Toranosuke "Tora" Takagi (高木 虎之介; born 12 February 1974) is a Japanese former racing driver.

Early career

Takagi was heavily influenced by his father, a touring car driver. In the early 1980s he began racing karts, competing in his first championship kart race in 1987. After winning several All Japan National Kart A2 series races, Takagi ended his kart racing career in 1991 and began racing Formula Toyota in 1992. In 1993, he began competing in All Japan Formula Three, finishing 10th in his rookie season.

Formula One

Takagi driving for Tyrrell at the 1998 Spanish Grand Prix.

During his performance in a 1994 race he drew the attention of Japanese Formula One driver Satoru Nakajima, joining the Nakajima Racing team and competing in Formula 3000. He was heavily involved in the team from 1995 until he was chosen as Tyrrell's Formula One test driver in 1997. He graduated to a race seat for 1998. Takagi later competed with the Arrows Formula One team, and his European popularity was on the rise. However, there were organizational and communication problems between Takagi and both teams, and he left Formula One at the end of the 1999 season.

Post–Formula One career

Takagi competing at Rockingham Motor Speedway during the 2002 CART season.

In 2000, Takagi joined Nakajima Racing's Formula Nippon team, earning eight victories in ten races, the most dominant performance ever by a driver in the series. He later competed in CART for the Walker Racing team in 2001 and 2002 finishing in a career-best 4th place in Houston, Texas. He transferred to Indy Racing League and joined Mo Nunn Racing, finishing 10th in 2003. In the same year, he competed in the Indianapolis 500, starting in 7th place and finishing in 5th, earning him the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award.

After another, largely disappointing season in the IndyCar Series, Takagi returned to Japan in 2005 to compete in Formula Nippon once again, taking part ownership of the Cerumo team and running one of their cars in his own name (Takagi Planning with CERUMO). Takagi also was one of the co-drivers of the #38 Toyota Supra Super GT car, claiming the series title along with Yuji Tachikawa. Takagi's title made him the first Super GT rookie to become champion in the GT500 class since John Nielsen and David Brabham in 1996, as well as the last until Jenson Button in 2018.

Career timeline

  • 1987 – Finished 8th in Japanese A2 National Kart Series championship.
  • 1988 – Finished 4th in Japanese A2 National Kart Series championship.
  • 1989 – Won the Japanese A2 National Kart Series championship.
  • 1990 – Won the Japanese A2 National Kart Series championship.
  • 1991 – Finished 2nd in Japanese FA National Kart Series championship.
  • 1992 – Won two races in Formula Toyota.
  • 1993 – Finished 10th in his rookie season in Japanese Formula 3 championship.
  • 1994 – Finished 6th in Japanese Formula 3 championship. Spot participation in Japanese Formula 3000 championship from Nakajima Planning, scoring three top-10 finishes.
  • 1995 – Finished 2nd in Japanese Formula 3000 championship with Nakajima Planning, scoring three victories.
  • 1996 – Finished 4th in Japanese Formula Nippon championship (ex Japanese F3000)with Nakajima Planning, scoring two victories.
  • 1997 – Served as test driver for Tyrrell Formula One team. Takagi scored one victory en route to finishing 6th in Japanese Formula Nippon championship with Nakajima Planning.
  • 1998 – Drove in Formula One in rookie year driving for Tyrrell. He finished in the top-10 twice, including ninth at Silverstone and Monza.
  • 1999 – Competed in Formula One with Arrows, scoring two top-10 finishes, including a career-best seventh at Melbourne (Australian Grand Prix).
  • 2000 – Won eight of 10 races en route to winning the Japanese Formula Nippon series title with Nakajima Planning .
  • 2001 – Finished 21st in CART point standings in rookie year driving for Walker Racing. He finished in the top-10 three times, including a career-best fourth at Houston.
  • 2002 – Finished 15th in CART point standings with Walker Racing. He finished in the top-10 seven times, including tying career-best finish with a fourth place at Chicago.
  • 2003 – Finished 10th in Indy Racing League point standings in rookie year driving for Mo Nunn Racing. He scored nine top-10 finishes, including a season-best third in June at Texas. He started seventh and finished fifth in first Indianapolis 500, the highest-finishing rookie. He won the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award.
  • 2004 – Competed in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series with Mo Nunn Racing.
  • 2005 – Competed in Formula Nippon as owner-driver of Takagi Planning with CERUMO.

Career results

Complete Formula Nippon results

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

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Points
1994 Nakajima Racing SUZ FUJ MIN SUZ SUG FUJ SUZ
7 		FUJ
8 		FUJ SUZ
9 		NC 0
1995 Nakajima Racing SUZ
7 		FUJ
C 		MIN
5 		SUZ
Ret 		SUG
1 		FUJ
12 		TOK
1 		FUJ
1 		SUZ
Ret 		2nd 29
1996 PIAA Nakajima Racing SUZ
Ret 		MIN
3 		FUJ
Ret 		TOK
Ret 		SUZ
1 		SUG
1 		FUJ
Ret 		MIN
Ret 		SUZ
6 		FUJ
Ret 		4th 25
1997 PIAA Nakajima Racing SUZ
Ret 		MIN
DNS 		FUJ
3 		SUZ
1 		SUG
Ret 		FUJ
Ret 		MIN
5 		MOT
Ret 		FUJ
Ret 		SUZ
5 		6th 18
2000 PIAA Nakajima Racing SUZ
1 		MOT
1 		MIN
Ret 		FUJ
1 		SUZ
1 		SUG
1 		MOT
1 		FUJ
1 		MIN
1 		SUZ
2 		1st 86
2005 Team Cerumo MOT
9 		SUZ
Ret 		SUG
11 		FUJ
9 		SUZ
10 		MIN
9 		FUJ
8 		MOT
Ret 		SUZ
12 		15th 0
2006 Team LeMans FUJ
22 		SUZ
16 		MOT
11 		SUZ
8 		AUT
16 		FUJ
8 		SUG
Ret 		MOT
Ret 		SUZ
Ret 		18th 0
2007 Forum Engineering
Team LeMans 		FUJ
Ret 		SUZ
12 		MOT
9 		OKA
16 		SUZ
8 		FUJ
9 		SUG
10 		MOT
12 		SUZ
8 		16th 3

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Points
1998 PIAA Tyrrell Ford Tyrrell 026 Ford V10 AUS
Ret 		BRA
Ret 		ARG
12 		SMR
Ret 		ESP
13 		MON
11 		CAN
Ret 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
9 		AUT
Ret 		GER
13 		HUN
14 		BEL
Ret 		ITA
9 		LUX
16 		JPN
Ret 		NC 0
1999 Repsol Arrows F1 Team Arrows A20 Arrows V10 AUS
7 		BRA
8 		SMR
Ret 		MON
Ret 		ESP
12 		CAN
Ret 		FRA
DSQ 		GBR
16 		AUT
Ret 		GER
Ret 		HUN
Ret 		BEL
Ret 		ITA
Ret 		EUR
Ret 		MAL
Ret 		JPN
Ret 		NC 0

Complete American Open Wheel racing results

(key)

CART

Year Team No. Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Rank Points Ref
2001 Walker Racing 5 Reynard 01i Toyota RV8F V8t MTY
10 		LBH
20 		TXS
NH 		NZR
14 		MOT
20 		MIL
DSQ 		DET
20 		POR
18 		CLE
14 		TOR
22 		MIS
13 		CHI
11 		MDO
21 		ROA
22 		VAN
7 		LSZ
6 		ROC
26 		HOU
4 		LS
13 		SRF
16 		FON
15 		21st 29
2002 Walker Racing Reynard 02i Toyota RV8F V8t MTY
14 		LBH
6 		MOT
8 		MIL
14 		LS
16 		POR
18 		CHI
4 		TOR
8 		CLE
7 		VAN
15 		MDO
12 		ROA
15 		MTL
14 		DEN
15 		ROC
6 		MIA
15 		SRF
18 		FON
18 		MXC
6 		15th 53

IndyCar Series

Year Team Chassis No. Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points Ref
2003 Mo Nunn Racing G-Force GF09 12 Toyota Indy V8 HMS
12 		PHX
22 		MOT
8 		INDY
5 		TXS
3 		PPIR
6 		RIR
13 		KAN
18 		NSH
7 		MIS
6 		NZR
14 		CHI
9 		FON
18 		TX2
7 		10th 317
Dallara IR-03 STL
7 		KTY
18
2004 Mo Nunn Racing Dallara IR-04 HMS
4 		PHX
8 		MOT
10 		INDY
19 		TXS
10 		RIR
19 		KAN
21 		NSH
11 		MIL
20 		MIS
20 		KTY
20 		PPIR
19 		NZR
17 		CHI
13 		FON
14 		TX2
12 		15th 263

Indianapolis 500

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
2003 G-Force Toyota 7 5 Mo Nunn Racing
2004 Dallara Toyota 26 19 Mo Nunn Racing

Complete Super GT results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Points
2005 ZENT Toyota Team Cerumo Toyota Supra GT500 OKA
14 		FUJ
1 		SEP
11 		SUG
11 		MOT
12 		FUJ
1 		AUT
7 		SUZ
1 		1st 67
2006 Toyota Team Cerumo Lexus SC430 GT500 SUZ
5 		OKA
5 		FUJ
Ret 		SEP
12 		SUG
1 		SUZ
7 		MOT
3 		AUT
5 		FUJ
Ret 		5th 71
2007 ZENT Toyota Team Cerumo Lexus SC430 GT500 SUZ
1 		OKA
11 		FUJ
6 		SEP
4 		SUG
11 		SUZ
7 		MOT
14 		AUT
Ret 		FUJ
4 		7th 53
2008 Toyota Team SARD Lexus SC430 GT500 SUZ
12 		OKA
14 		FUJ
13 		SEP
12 		SUG
6 		SUZ
15 		MOT
13 		AUT
13 		FUJ
5 		21st 11

References

  1. "Tora Takagi – 2001 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  2. "Tora Takagi – 2002 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  3. "Toranosuke Takagi – 2003 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  4. "Toranosuke Takagi – 2004 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 2 August 2023.

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded byTom Coronel Formula Nippon
Champion
2000 		Succeeded bySatoshi Motoyama
Preceded bySatoshi Motoyama
Richard Lyons 		Super GT
GT500 Champion
2005
With: Yuji Tachikawa 		Succeeded byJuichi Wakisaka
André Lotterer
Awards and achievements
Preceded byAlex Barron
Tomas Scheckter 		Indianapolis 500
Rookie of the Year
2003 		Succeeded byKosuke Matsuura
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