is a Japanese

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 racing

Auto racing

Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...

 driver from Kobe

Kobe

, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...

, Hyogo Prefecture

Hyogo Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...

. He is known for holding the record for the most participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...

 without winning, having run on 29 occasions (28 of which were consecutive) since . He is also third behind Henri Pescarolo

Henri Pescarolo

Henri Pescarolo is a former racing driver from France. He participated in 64 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 22 September 1968. He achieved one podium, and scored a total of 12 championship points...

 and Bob Wollek

Bob Wollek

Bob Wollek , nicknamed "Brilliant Bob", was a race car driver from Strasbourg, France. He was killed on March 16, 2001 at age 57 in a road accident in Florida while riding a bicycle back to his accommodation after the day's practice sessions for the following day's race, the 12 Hours of...

 for the drivers with the most participations. His best overall finish was seventh in , although he has had several class victories over the years.

He began his racing career in a Honda S600

Honda S600

The Honda S600 is an automobile manufactured by Honda. It was launched in March 1964. It was the first Honda car to be offered in two versions: as a roadster – bearing strong resemblance to the Honda S500 – and as a fastback coupé , introduced in March 1965...

 in 1969, before he was taken on as Mazda's factory driver

Factory-backed

Factory-backed is a term commonly used in motorsports to describe a sponsored racing team, car, motorcycle or driver that competes with official sanction and financial support, or "backing" from a manufacturer. As motorsports competition is an expensive endeavor, some degree of factory support is...

, a position he held through the 1990s including participating in the World Sportscar Championship

World Sportscar Championship

The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...

 and All Japan Sports Prototype Championship

All Japan Sports Prototype Championship

The , abbreviated as JSPC, formed by the Japanese Automobile Federation, was a domestic championship which took place in Japan for Group C and IMSA GTP prototype cars and also featured cars that were eligible for touring car racing in its earlier years...

.

He also took class wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona

24 Hours of Daytona

The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...

 on two occasions, including in the Mazda RX-7

Mazda RX-7

Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980...

's debut race in 1979, scoring a GTU class win at fifth place overall. The other occasion was a fourth place overall finish and a GTO class win in 1982.

When he is not racing, he runs the Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

-based AutoExe tuning business, specialising in tuning parts and accessories for Mazda

Mazda

is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...

. and instructs on driving at NATS (Nihon Automobile High Technical School)

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1974 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 42nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 15 and 16 1974. It was the fifth round of the World Championship of Makes.-Pre-race:...	S 3.0	25		Sigma MC74 Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  12A 1.2L 2-Rotor	Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  Automotive	Yasuhiro Okamoto   Harukuni Takahashi	155	NC	NC
1981 1981 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1981 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 49th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 13 and 14 1981. It was also the eighth round of the World Championship for Makes.-Pre-race:...	IMSA GTO	38		Mazda RX-7 Mazda RX-7 Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980... Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13B 1.3L 2-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Hiroshi Fushida Hiroshi Fushida is a former racing driver from Japan. He unsuccessfully entered two Formula One Grands Prix with Maki, the first in The Netherlands in 1975 where a blown engine prevented him from starting, and the second at the British GP the same year, where he failed to qualify.He placed first in Class C and...   Win Percy Win Percy Winston "Win" Percy is a former motor racing driver from England. He competed in many classes of motorsport during his long career, but is perhaps most famous as one of the greats of touring car racing. Joe Saward of Autosport magazine once described him as being "often regarded as the World's...	25	DNF	DNF
1982 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 50th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 19 and 20 1982. It was also the fourth round of the World Endurance Championship.-Race:For 1982, the new FIA Group C rules were in effect...	IMSA GTX	82		Mazda RX-7 Mazda RX-7 Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980... Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13B 1.3L 2-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Takashi Yorino   Allan Moffat Allan Moffat Allan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...	282	14th	6th
1983 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 51st Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 18 and 19 1983. It was also the fourth round of both the World Endurance Championship and European Endurance Championship. The win was fought right down to the line between the Rothmans Porsche 956s of Al...	C Jr	60		Mazda 717C Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13B 1.3L 2-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Takashi Yorino   Yoshimi Katayama Yoshimi Katayama is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. Katayama began his Grand Prix career in 1964 with Suzuki. He enjoyed his best season in 1967 when he won two races and finished the season in second place behind his Suzuki team-mate, Hans-Georg Anscheidt in the 50cc world championship. He...	302	12th	1st
1984 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 52nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 16 – 17 June 1984. It was also the third round of the World Endurance Championship....	C2	86		Mazda 727C Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13B 1.3L 2-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Pierre Dieudonné Pierre Dieudonné Pierre Dieudonné is a Belgian auto racing driver.-Career:He spent a large part of his career competing in Touring car racing. He twice finished third in the European Touring Car Championship in 1977 and 1979. He won two consecutive Spa 24 Hours in 1974 and 1975 with a BMW 3.0 CSi...   Takashi Yorino	261	20th	6th
1985 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 53rd Grand Prix of Endurance as well as the fourth round of the 1985 World Endurance Championship. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, France, on June 15 and 16 1985....	C2	86		Mazda 737C Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13B 1.3L 2-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Yoshimi Katayama Yoshimi Katayama is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. Katayama began his Grand Prix career in 1964 with Suzuki. He enjoyed his best season in 1967 when he won two races and finished the season in second place behind his Suzuki team-mate, Hans-Georg Anscheidt in the 50cc world championship. He...   Takashi Yorino	264	24th	6th
1986 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 54th Grand Prix of Endurance as well as the third round of the 1986 World Sports-Prototype Championship. It took place on May 31 and June 1, 1986.-Pre-race:...	GTP	171		Mazda 757 Mazda 757 The Mazda 757 was a prototype racing car built by Mazdaspeed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans running under the IMSA-spec GTP class. It replaced the previous lineage of Group C2 class cars which ended with the 737C and was the first chassis built entirely by Mazdaspeed and designed by Nigel Stroud... Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13G 2.0L 3-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Takashi Yorino   Yoshimi Katayama Yoshimi Katayama is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. Katayama began his Grand Prix career in 1964 with Suzuki. He enjoyed his best season in 1967 when he won two races and finished the season in second place behind his Suzuki team-mate, Hans-Georg Anscheidt in the 50cc world championship. He...	59	DNF	DNF
1987 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 55th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 13 and 14 1987. It was also the fifth round of the 1987 World Sports-Prototype Championship.-Track alterations:...	GTP	201		Mazda 757 Mazda 757 The Mazda 757 was a prototype racing car built by Mazdaspeed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans running under the IMSA-spec GTP class. It replaced the previous lineage of Group C2 class cars which ended with the 737C and was the first chassis built entirely by Mazdaspeed and designed by Nigel Stroud... Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13G 2.0L 3-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Yoshimi Katayama Yoshimi Katayama is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. Katayama began his Grand Prix career in 1964 with Suzuki. He enjoyed his best season in 1967 when he won two races and finished the season in second place behind his Suzuki team-mate, Hans-Georg Anscheidt in the 50cc world championship. He...   Takashi Yorino	34	DNF	DNF
1988 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 56th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12 1988. It was also the fifth round of the World Sports-Prototype Championship season.-Race:...	GTP	203		Mazda 757 Mazda 757 The Mazda 757 was a prototype racing car built by Mazdaspeed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans running under the IMSA-spec GTP class. It replaced the previous lineage of Group C2 class cars which ended with the 737C and was the first chassis built entirely by Mazdaspeed and designed by Nigel Stroud... Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13G 2.0L 3-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Dave Kennedy Dave Kennedy David Kennedy is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland. He was one of his country's first Grand Prix drivers, and is widely seen as having helped pioneer the Irish move into international racing....   Pierre Dieudonné Pierre Dieudonné Pierre Dieudonné is a Belgian auto racing driver.-Career:He spent a large part of his career competing in Touring car racing. He twice finished third in the European Touring Car Championship in 1977 and 1979. He won two consecutive Spa 24 Hours in 1974 and 1975 with a BMW 3.0 CSi...	337	15th	1st
1989 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 57th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 10 and 11 1989.-Race:The race was the last time the 24 Hours of Le Mans ran without the two chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight; for the interest of safety to reduce speeds after speeds reaching in the previous...	GTP	203		Mazda 767 Mazda 767 thumb|300px|right|Mazda 767B Central Circuit, Hyōgo PrefectureThe Mazda 767/767B were prototype racing cars built by Mazdaspeed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans running under the IMSA-spec GTP class... Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13J 2.6L 4-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Marc Duez Marc Duez Marc Duez is a race and rally driver from Belgium.He won the 24 Hours Nürburgring several times, and also the 24 Hours Spa.Duez also has competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Andros Trophy....   Volker Weidler Volker Weidler Volker Weidler is a former racing driver from Germany, best known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991.-Formula racing:In 1985, he became German Formula Three champion....	339	12th	3rd
1990 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 58th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 16 and 17 1990.-Pre-race:This was the first race after the installation of two chicanes along the Mulsanne Straight in an attempt to slow the prototypes down after speeds of were reached in previous...	GTP	203		Mazda 767B Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13J 2.6L 4-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Takashi Yorino   Yoshimi Katayama Yoshimi Katayama is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. Katayama began his Grand Prix career in 1964 with Suzuki. He enjoyed his best season in 1967 when he won two races and finished the season in second place behind his Suzuki team-mate, Hans-Georg Anscheidt in the 50cc world championship. He...	304	20th	1st
1991 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 59th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 22 and 23 1991. It was also the fourth round of the Sportscar World Championship.-Pre-race:...	C2	56		Mazda 787 Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  R26B 2.6L 4-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.   Oreca Oreca Oreca is a French racing team, founded and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. Oreca has had success in many areas of motorsport including Formula Three where drivers including Alain Prost, Jacques Laffite and Jean Alesi have won the French Formula Three Championship for...	Pierre Dieudonné Pierre Dieudonné Pierre Dieudonné is a Belgian auto racing driver.-Career:He spent a large part of his career competing in Touring car racing. He twice finished third in the European Touring Car Championship in 1977 and 1979. He won two consecutive Spa 24 Hours in 1974 and 1975 with a BMW 3.0 CSi...   Takashi Yorino	346	8th	8th
1992 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 60th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 20 and 21 1992. It was also the third round of the Sportscar World Championship...	C1	6		Mazda MXR-01 Mazda MXR-01 The Mazda MXR-01 was a Group C sportscar used by Mazda's factory team Mazdaspeed in the 1992 World Sportscar Championship season. It would be the final Mazda entry in sportscars since the inception of their Le Mans project in 1983.-Development:... Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  (Judd Judd (engine) Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England... ) MV10 3.5L V10	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.   Oreca Oreca Oreca is a French racing team, founded and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. Oreca has had success in many areas of motorsport including Formula Three where drivers including Alain Prost, Jacques Laffite and Jean Alesi have won the French Formula Three Championship for...	Maurizio Sandro Sala   Takashi Yorino	124	DNF	DNF
1993 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 61st Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 19 and 20 1993.A class for Grand Touring style cars was included for the first time since the 1985 race.-Official results:...	GT	45		Lotus Esprit S300 Lotus Lotus Cars Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...  2.2L Turbo I4	Lotus Sport Lotus Cars Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...   Chamberlain Engineering	Peter Hardman Peter Hardman Peter Hardman is an English racing driver.Peter boasts an extensive motor racing history as a multiple race winner and one of Britain’s most experienced international drivers...   Thorkild Thyrring Thorkild Thyrring Thorkild Thyrring is a Danish auto racing driver. He drove several times in the Le Mans 24 hour race, most recently in 2005 and 2006 for Sebah Automotive Ltd in a Porsche 911 GT3. His best result in the race was finishing nineteenth overall in 2005. Previously he raced a Lotus in 1993 and 1994,...	92	DNF	DNF
1994 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 62nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 19 and 20, 1994.-Race:The 1994 race was won by a car that had its roots in a 10 year old design...	IMSA GTS	74		Mazda RX-7 Mazda RX-7 Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980...  GTO Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13J 2.0L 3-Rotor	Team Artnature	Franck Fréon Franck Fréon Franck Fréon is a French race car driver. He began his career in the French Renault 5 Turbo Championship in 1986 and 1987 then competed in French Formula Three from 1988 to 1989...   Pierre de Thoisy	250	15th	2nd
1995 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 63rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 17 and 18 1995.-Race:The 1995 race was won by a McLaren F1 GTR entered in the GT1 category. The car was already well known for dominating the BPR Global GT Series with customer teams, but the car that won was...	WSC	5		Kudzu DG-3 Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  13B 2.0L 4-Rotor	D.T.R.   Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Jim Downing Jim Downing James "Jim" Downing, born January 4, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia, is the five-time IMSA Championship winning, owner/driver of , and principal in the development of the HANS Device.-Personal life:...   Franck Fréon Franck Fréon Franck Fréon is a French race car driver. He began his career in the French Renault 5 Turbo Championship in 1986 and 1987 then competed in French Formula Three from 1988 to 1989...	282	7th	3rd
1996 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 64th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 15 and 16 1996.-Race:The 1996 race was won by a car that was considered by Porsche to not be a factory-backed entry, instead run by Joest Racing...	LMP2	20		Kudzu DLM Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  2.0L 3-Rotor	Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...  Co. Ltd.	Jim Downing Jim Downing James "Jim" Downing, born January 4, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia, is the five-time IMSA Championship winning, owner/driver of , and principal in the development of the HANS Device.-Personal life:...   Franck Fréon Franck Fréon Franck Fréon is a French race car driver. He began his career in the French Renault 5 Turbo Championship in 1986 and 1987 then competed in French Formula Three from 1988 to 1989...	251	25th	1st
1997 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 65th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 14 and 15 1997.-Pre-race:The Dunlop chicane was modified slightly in order to slow speeds again but also accommodate larger gravel traps as runoff area for the protection of motorcycle riders using the Bugatti...	LMP	15		Kudzu DLM-4 Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  R26B 2.6L 4-Rotor	Team D.T.R   Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...	Jim Downing Jim Downing James "Jim" Downing, born January 4, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia, is the five-time IMSA Championship winning, owner/driver of , and principal in the development of the HANS Device.-Personal life:...   Franck Fréon Franck Fréon Franck Fréon is a French race car driver. He began his career in the French Renault 5 Turbo Championship in 1986 and 1987 then competed in French Formula Three from 1988 to 1989...	263	17th	6th
1998 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 66th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 6 and 7 1998.-Race:1998 saw a significant increase in manufacturer involvement. Porsche and Mercedes-Benz remained, with upgraded cars in both GT1 and LMP. Toyota sent three of their new, extremely fast...	LMP1	24		Courage Courage Compétition Courage Compétition was a racing team and chassis constructor company now owned by Oreca, based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. It was founded by Yves Courage, a French race driver who ran hillclimbs before founding the company...  C36 Porsche Porsche Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....  Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	Courage Compétition Courage Compétition Courage Compétition was a racing team and chassis constructor company now owned by Oreca, based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. It was founded by Yves Courage, a French race driver who ran hillclimbs before founding the company...	Franck Fréon Franck Fréon Franck Fréon is a French race car driver. He began his career in the French Renault 5 Turbo Championship in 1986 and 1987 then competed in French Formula Three from 1988 to 1989...   Olivier Thévenin	300	16th	5th
1999 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 67th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13, 1999.-Pre-race:1999 saw another increase in manufacturers involvement. Although Porsche did not send a team to contest, Toyota retained their three updated GT-Ones, now moved to the LMGTP class due...	LMP	24		Autoexe LMP99 Ford Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...  6.0L V8	Autoexe Motorsport	Franck Fréon Franck Fréon Franck Fréon is a French race car driver. He began his career in the French Renault 5 Turbo Championship in 1986 and 1987 then competed in French Formula Three from 1988 to 1989...   Robin Donovan	74	DNF	DNF
2000 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 68th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 17 and 18 2000.-Pre-race:After the 1999 race, most of the manufacturers in the top classes went in different directions. BMW and Toyota went into Formula One, while Mercedes-Benz left sportscars after the CLR...	LMP675	36		WR Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...  LMP Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...  2.0L Turbo I4	Rachel Welter Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...	Richard Balandras   Sylvain Boulay	266	26th	2nd
2001 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 69th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 16 and 17 2001.On recommendation of the FIA following the incidents involving the Mercedes-Benz CLRs in 1999, the large hill on the third section of the Mulsanne straight was lowered in order to decrease the...	LMP675	30		WR Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...  LMP01 Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...  2.0L Turbo I4	Gerard Welter Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...	Stéphane Daoudi   Jean-René de Fournoux	245	19th	2nd
2002 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 70th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 15 and 16 2002.-Pre-race:Following a reconstruction of the Bugatti Circuit, the Le Mans circuit was changed between the Dunlop Bridge and Esses, with the straight now becoming a set of fast sweeping turns...	LMP675	24		Autoexe (WR Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans... ) LMP-02 Mazda Mazda is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...  R26B 2.6L 4-Rotor	Autoexe Motorsport	John Fergus   Jim Downing Jim Downing James "Jim" Downing, born January 4, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia, is the five-time IMSA Championship winning, owner/driver of , and principal in the development of the HANS Device.-Personal life:...	5	DNF	DNF
2003 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 71st Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 14 and 15 2003.-Race:After three consecutive wins, the Audi factory team officially did not field a team, although several privateers did use R8 chassis...	LMP675	24		WR Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...  LMP01 Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...  2.0L Turbo I4	Rachel Welter Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...	Olivier Porta   Gavin Pickering	235	NC	NC
2004 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 72nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13 2004.-Race:With the end of the Bentley project, there were no official factory teams at this years race, theoretically leaving it open to anyone...	LMP2	24		WR Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...  LM2001 Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...  2.0L Turbo I4	Rachel Welter Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...	Patrice Roussel   Olivier Porta	270	26th	2nd
2005 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 73rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 18 and 19 2005.This race marked the record 7th victory for Tom Kristensen, including his 6th straight.-Race:...	LMP2	24		WR Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...  LMP04 Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...  2.0L Turbo I4	Rachel Welter Welter Racing Welter Racing is a French sports car maker that mainly enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since 1990 under the name of Gérard Welter or Rachel Welter.Gerard Welter is well versed in endurance circuits, especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans...	Patrice Roussel   William Binnie	233	NC	NC
2006 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 74th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place over June 17–18, 2006.-Pre-race:Prior to this race the ACO redeveloped the area around the Dunlop Curve and Dunlop Chicane, moving the Dunlop Curve in tighter to create more run-off area, while also turning the Dunlop...	LMP2	24		Lola B05/42 Lola B05/40 The Lola B05/40 is a Le Mans Prototype built by Lola Cars International for use in the LMP2 class for the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Developed in 2005, it was intended as a replacement for both the Lola B2K/40 and the MG-Lola EX257. It shares various... Zytek Zytek Zytek Group Ltd is an automotive and motorsport company founded in 1981 and based in Fradley and Repton, United Kingdom. Zytek Group has two main division: Zytek Automotive, which is based at Fradley, Staffordshire; and Zytek Engineering, which is based at Repton, Derbyshire.-Zytek Automotive:Zytek...  ZG348 3.4L V8	Binnie Motorsports	William Binnie   Allen Timpany	326	13th	2nd
2007 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 75th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France from 16–17 June 2007. Four classes of cars raced together, with each class having honors for its highest finishers...	LMP2	29		Dome Dome (constructor) , literally "child's dream", is a Japanese-based racing car constructor, involved mainly in open wheel and sports car racing.-Background:In 1965 Minoru Hayashi built his first racing car, a rebodied Honda S600 coupe. Belonging to Tojiro Ukiya, it was called the "Karasu" , due to its shape...  S101.5 Mader 3.4L V8	T2M Motorsport	Robin Longechal   Yutaka Yamagishi	56	DNF	DNF
2008 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 76th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place on 14–15 June 2008 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The test day was on June 1. The race was attended by 258,000 spectators...	LMP1	24		Courage Courage Compétition Courage Compétition was a racing team and chassis constructor company now owned by Oreca, based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. It was founded by Yves Courage, a French race driver who ran hillclimbs before founding the company...  LC70 Mugen Mugen Motorsports Mugen Motorsports is a Japanese company formed in 1973 by Hirotoshi Honda, the son of Honda Motor Company founder Soichiro Honda, and Masao Kimura. Mugen, meaning "Without Limit", or "Unlimited", is an engine tuner and parts manufacturer closely associated with the Honda Motor Company... MF408S 4.0L V8	Terramos	Hiroki Katoh   Kazuho Takahashi	224	NC	NC

External links

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