Masanori Sekiya (関谷 正徳, Sekiya Masanori, born 27 November 1949) is a Japanese former racing driver, most famous for being the first Japanese driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 1995.
Sekiya drove in single-seaters in his early career, contesting the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship and Formula Nippon from 1987 to 1993, mostly for the Leyton House team. He never achieved any victories, but finished 4th in the standings in 1988 and 1989, scoring three and four podiums, respectively.
A long-time works Toyota driver, Sekiya drove in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, All Japan Grand Touring Championship and Japanese Touring Car Championship, a series which he won in 1994, driving a Toyota Chaser for the Tom's team. He was also runner-up the following year.
As Sekiya is rather fond of Le Mans, in 1987, he got married in the town prior to the race. His best result in international sports car racing was winning the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the wheel of a McLaren F1 GTR for Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing. He became the first Japanese-born driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was also fourth in the 1993 edition. He competed in the JGTC until the 2000 season and now works as team manager for the Super GT division of the Toyota Team TOM'S and also runs a racing school at Fuji Speedway. In 1998, Sekiya also appeared in a TV commercial in Japan driving a JZA80 Supra promoting its handling package. Sekiya retired from professional motorsports in October 2000 and is now involved in team management.
MasanoriSekiya (関谷 正徳, SekiyaMasanori, born 27 November 1949) is a Japanese former racing driver, most famous for being the first Japanese driver to...
Sekiya may refer to: Sekiya Seikei (1855–1896), Japanese geologist and seismologists MasanoriSekiya (born 1949), racing car driver, Le Mans winner Ryōichi...
events at Fuji Speedway on 30 October. The championship was won by MasanoriSekiya, driving for Toyota Team TOM's. Round 18 was also part of the 1994...
five finishers. The winning car, which was driven by Yannick Dalmas, MasanoriSekiya, and JJ Lehto, was retained by McLaren and never raced again. Returning...
numbered #007, #008, and #009. Future Formula One driver Eddie Irvine, MasanoriSekiya, and Toshio Suzuki would bring a TS010 home in 4th overall, behind...
won by the #59 McLaren F1 GTR driven by JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and MasanoriSekiya entered in the GT1 category. This was the first Le Mans win for a driver...
finished after seven events, also at Fuji Speedway on 8 November. MasanoriSekiya won the championship for the second time, driving for Toyota Team TOM's...
Keiichi Tsuchiya and former works driver and Super GT team manager MasanoriSekiya. There is a Toyota Safety Education Center and a mini circuit. In addition...
1946–1985), Japanese cyclist Masanori Toguchi (戸口 正徳, born 1948), alias of Kim Duk, Zainichi Korean wrestler MasanoriSekiya (関谷 正徳, born 1949), Japanese...
Both cars completed the event with the car of drivers Geoff Lees, MasanoriSekiya, and Kaoru Hoshino finishing in 12th, while the second car was 24th...
second time, driving a Toyota Group C car alongside Toshio Suzuki and MasanoriSekiya. The team finished fourth overall. Irvine remained at Jordan for 1994...
Group A era Category Touring car racing Country Japan Inaugural season 1985 Folded 1998 Last Drivers' champion MasanoriSekiya Last Teams' champion TOM'S...
category, at Sendai Hi-Land Raceway. The victory came just a week after MasanoriSekiya, driver of the winning Castrol TOM's Toyota Supra, became the first...
in the same championship in 1990. In the same year, teaming up with MasanoriSekiya, he won the JAF Grand Prix All Japan Fuji 500km, held at Fuji. In 1992...
outright, at his third attempt, sharing the car with Yannick Dalmas and MasanoriSekiya. Lehto was an integral part of the win, gaining the lead for the team...
Fuji, there was a surprising overall victory for Jones, Lees, and MasanoriSekiya. After a sobering Le Mans test weekend in May 1987, where the fastest...
Champion Series, to be driven by series debutant MasanoriSekiya. In his first race with the Shiden Kai, Sekiya retired after 11 laps; he would finish the next...
Racing (GBR) McLaren F1 GTR-BMW M 298 4055.8 2520.2 JJ Lehto (FIN) MasanoriSekiya (JPN) 1996 Davy Jones (USA) LMP1Tooltip Le Mans Prototype Joest Racing (DEU)...
the 24 Hours of Le Mans, including Henri Pescarolo, Vern Schuppan, MasanoriSekiya, Stanley Dickens, Yannick Dalmas, Derek Warwick, JJ Lehto, Benoît Tréluyer...
Lehto MasanoriSekiya Preceded by Yannick Dalmas Hurley Haywood Mauro Baldi Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1995 With: JJ Lehto & MasanoriSekiya Succeeded by...
fourth Japanese driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the first being MasanoriSekiya, and is only the second to do so for a Japanese manufacturer. In December...
Faure EMKA C84/1-Aston Martin C1 338 11th 11th 1987 Toyota Team Tom's MasanoriSekiya Kaoru Hoshino Toyota 87C-L C1 39 DNF DNF 1988 Toyota Team Tom's Paolo...
team (who raced it as the Eagle HF89). Fuji winners Hitoshi Ogawa and MasanoriSekiya ran the first car, with team–driver Geoff Lees, and the second car...
Hasemi and Toshio Suzuki won the 1992 24 Hours of Daytona with a NISMO; MasanoriSekiya won the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans; and Takuma Sato won the 2017 Indianapolis...
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