Hideki Mutoh

Hideki Mutoh

Hideki Mutoh at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2010.
Nationality Japanese
Born (1982-10-06) October 6, 1982
Tokyo
Super GT GT300 career
Debut season 2011
Current team Team Mugen
Car no. 16
Starts 5
Wins 0
Previous series
2003–2004
2006
2007
2008-2011
2006, 2010
Japan Formula 3
Formula Nippon
Indy Pro Series
IndyCar Series
Super GT GT500
Championship titles
2002 Formula Dream Champion
Awards
2008 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year

Hideki Mutoh (武藤 英紀 Mutō Hideki, born October 6, 1982) is a Japanese race car driver from Tokyo currently racing in Super GT.

Career

History

He began karting at age 12 in 1996 and quickly moved through the ranks, becoming a part of Honda's Formula Dream Project. He moved to Europe in 1998 to compete in Formula Vauxhall. He then moved on to the Formula Ford European Championship and competed in the Formula Ford Festival, finishing seventh in 2000 and third in 2001. He then moved back to Asia to compete in Asian Formula 2000 and Formula Dream, where he finished second in his rookie season. He won the Formula Dream championship in his second year in 2002. Mutoh then moved to Japan Formula 3, finishing 9th and third in his two seasons there. In 2006, he drove in Formula Nippon and Super GT 500–class.

2007

In 2007, Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA) announced that Mutoh had been signed to drive their new entry in the Indy Pro Series in a car prepared by Panther Racing, who had last competed in IPS in 2003, winning the championship with driver Mark Taylor. Mutoh captured his first win in Liberty Challenge Race 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on United States Grand Prix weekend.

On September 9, Mutoh made his Indy Racing League IndyCar Series debut with Panther Racing at Chicagoland Speedway in the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 in the one-off entry #60 car, sponsored by the Formula Dream Project. Mutoh finished 8th and clocked the fastest lap of the race. On October 31, 2007 it was announced Mutoh would replace 2007 IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti at Andretti Green Racing in the team's full-time #27 IndyCar for 2008.[1]

Mutoh practicing for the 2008 Indianapolis 500.

2008

Mutoh at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2009.

Mutoh made his debut for Andretti Green Racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March and in May was the highest qualifying rookie for the 2008 Indianapolis 500. He finished 7th in the race, the second best finishing position for a Japanese driver in the history of the race.

Mutoh scored his best finish of his IndyCar Series career in June at the Iowa Speedway, finishing second to Dan Wheldon, setting a new mark for best IndyCar finish by a Japanese driver, surpassing the 3rd place of Tora Takagi at Texas Motor Speedway in 2003. He failed to finish higher than 6th in the remainder of the season, but beat transitional driver Justin Wilson to the Rookie of the Year title and 10th place overall in the series.

2010

Mutoh announced he will participate in the 2010 season with Newman/Haas Racing on his official website.

2011

Mutoh has been announced as an Aguri Suzuki Honda driver in the Super GT series in Japan for 2011, alongside Takashi Kobayashi.[2]

On September 1, Mutoh confirmed he would be part of the 2011 Indy Japan: The Final race at Motegi to drive No. 17 for Sam Schmidt Motorsports/AFS Racing.[3] Mutoh finished 19th on the lead lap.

Motorsports career results

Complete Formula Nippon/Super Formula results

(key)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Points
2006 Nakajima Racing FUJ
19
SUZ
6
MOT
8
SUZ
Ret
AUT
17
FUJ
16
SUG
10
MOT
10
SUZ
Ret
14th 1
2011 Real Racing SUZ AUT FUJ MOT
10
SUZ SUG MOT1
Ret
MOT2
9
15th 0
2013 Docomo Team Dandelion Racing SUZ
13
AUT
Ret
FUJ
13
MOT
12
SUG
10
SUZ1
12
SUZ2
10
NC 0
2014 Docomo Team Dandelion Racing SUZ
10
FUJ1
10
FUJ2
12
FUJ
11
MOT
5
AUT
10
SUG
12
SUZ1
13
SUZ2
12
15th 4

Complete Super GT results

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Pts
2006 Nakajima Racing Honda NSX GT500 SUZ
15
OKA
Ret
FUJ
7
SEP
9
SUG
5
SUZ
4
MOT
8
AUT
12
FUJ
1
11th 51
2011 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri Honda HSV-010 GT GT500 OKA
9
FUJ
12
SEP
9
SUG
10
SUZ
9
FUJ
14
AUT
12
MOT
13
15th 7
2012 Team Mugen Honda CR-Z GT300 OKA
FUJ
SEP
SUG
16
SUZ
11
FUJ
3
AUT
10
MOT
11
15th 12
2013 Team Mugen Honda CR-Z GT300 OKA
7
FUJ
2
SEP
2
SUG
2
SUZ
5
FUJ
8
FUJ
1
AUT
9
MOT
2
1st 85
2014 Team Kunimitsu Honda NSX-GT GT500 OKA
9
FUJ
Ret
AUT
6
SUG
11
FUJ
7
SUZ
6
BUR
8
MOT
8
14th 23

American open–wheel racing results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Indy Lights

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points
2007 Super Aguri Panther Racing HMS
3
STP1
2
STP2
4
INDY
5
MIL
Ret
IMS1
1
IMS2
3
IOW
3
WGL1
2
WGL2
6
NSH
6
MDO
5
KTY
1
SNM1
19
SNM2
10
CHI 2nd 481

IndyCar Series

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Rank Points
2007 Panther Racing Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 HMS
STP
MOT
KAN
INDY
MIL
TXS
IOW
RIR
WGL
NSH
MDO
MIS
KTY
SNM
DET
CHI
8
25th 24
2008 Andretti Green Racing Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 HMS
24
STP
6
MOT1
11
LBH1
DNP
KAN
6
INDY
7
MIL
12
TXS
6
IOW
2
RIR
13
WGL
9
NSH
14
MDO
9
EDM
27
KTY
18
SNM
13
DET
11
CHI
22
SRF2
8
10th 346
2009 Andretti Green Racing Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 STP
15
LBH
20
KAN
8
INDY
10
MIL
8
TXS
21
IOW
3
RIR
4
WGL
18
TOR
12
EDM
14
KTY
13
MDO
5
SNM
5
CHI
23
MOT
14
HMS
6
11th 353
2010 Newman/Haas Racing Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 SAO
20
STP
14
ALA
15
LBH
13
KAN
23
INDY
28
TXS
12
IOW
20
WGL
12
TOR
12
EDM
17
MDO
18
SNM
17
CHI
13
KTY
17
MOT
14
HMS
20
18th 250
2011 Sam Schmidt Motorsports
AFS Racing
Dallara IR-05 Honda HI7R V8 STP ALA LBH SAO INDY TXS1 TXS2 MIL IOW TOR EDM MDO NHM SNM BAL MOT
18
KTY LVS 42nd 12
1 Run on same day.
2 Non-points race.
Years Teams Races Poles Wins Podiums
(Non-win)**
Top 10s
(Non-podium)***
Indianapolis 500
Wins
Championships
5 4 54 0 0 2 15 0 0
** Podium (Non-win) indicates 2nd or 3rd place finishes.
*** Top 10s (Non-podium) indicates 4th through 10th place finishes.

Indianapolis 500

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team Note
2008 Dallara Honda 9 7 Andretti Green Fastest rookie qualifier
2nd best rookie finisher
2009 Dallara Honda 16 10 Andretti Green Completed every lap
2010 Dallara Honda 9 28 Newman/Haas Racing Completed 76 laps

References

  1. Freeman, Glenn. Mutoh confirmed at AGR for 2008, Autosport.com, October 31, 2007
  2. Beer, Matt. Mutoh returns to Japan in GT move, Autosport.com, February 7, 2011
  3. Hideki Mutoh To Drive No. 17 AFS/SSM Entry at Motegi
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hideki Mutoh.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Ryan Hunter-Reay
IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year
2008
Succeeded by
Raphael Matos
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