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Tomoki Nojiri

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Tomoki Nojiri
Nojiri at the 2024 Super Formula Motegi round
NationalityJapan Japanese
Born (1989-09-15) 15 September 1989 (age 35)
Sekijō (now Chikusei), Ibaraki, Japan
Super GT GT500 career
Debut season2015
Current teamAutobacs Racing Team Aguri
Car number8
Former teamsTeam Mugen
Starts82
Wins9
Podiums14
Poles11
Fastest laps8
Best finish2nd in 2021
Super Formula career
Debut season2014
Current teamTeam Mugen
Car number16
Former teamsDandelion Racing
Starts82 (85 entries)
Championships2 (2021, 2022)
Wins12
Podiums22
Poles15
Fastest laps8
Best finish1st in 2021, 2022
Previous series
2013–14
2011–13

2009–10		Super GT - GT300
All-Japan Formula Three Championship
Formula Challenge Japan
Championship titles
2021, 2022Super Formula

Tomoki Nojiri (野尻智紀, Nojiri Tomoki, born 15 September 1989) is a Japanese racing driver who currently competes as a Honda factory driver in Super GT for ARTA and in Super Formula for Team Mugen, where he won the championship title in 2021 and 2022.[1]

Racing career

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Early career

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Nojiri began his karting career in the All-Japan Karting Championship in 2003, and in 2006, he became the FA class champion.[2] Nojiri moved to Europe to race in the European championship, the Italian Masters, and World Cup KF1 in 2007. In 2008, Nojiri was the top graduate from the Suzuka Circuit Racing School Formula, earning him a scholarship to compete in Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ) for 2009. He finished fifth in the FCJ standings in 2009, and again in 2010, while also finishing fifth in the JAF Formula 4 West Series in 2009.[citation needed]

In 2011, Nojiri graduated to the All-Japan Formula 3 Championship National Class with HFDP Racing. He won three times, including in his first start at Suzuka Circuit, and finished second in the championship to Katsumasa Chiyo. In 2021, Nojiri stepped up to the main level championship in Japanese F3; he finished fifth in the standings, and won the tenth round at Okayama International Circuit. Nojiri moved to Toda Racing in 2013, where he finished fourth in the championship.[citation needed]

Super Formula (2014–present)

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Nojiri's championship-winning 2021 car on display

In 2014, Nojiri joined docomo Team Dandelion Racing in the Super Formula Championship. In the sixth and penultimate round of the championship at Sportsland Sugo, Nojiri scored his first career victory in just his seventh race.[3] He finished the year tenth in the championship, and won Rookie of the Year honours ahead of Formula One veteran Vitantonio Liuzzi, and reigning Japanese F3 champion Yuichi Nakayama. Nojiri remained with Dandelion Racing from 2015 to 2018. He finished seventh in the championship in 2015, ninth in 2016, and seventh in 2018. Over these four seasons, Nojiri won three pole positions, recorded four podiums, and two fastest laps.[citation needed]

For the 2019 season, Nojiri transferred to Team Mugen, in a swap for reigning champion Naoki Yamamoto (who took Nojiri's place at Dandelion Racing). The move to Mugen, along with the introduction of the new Dallara SF19 chassis, paid dividends for Nojiri. He finished a career-best fourth in the championship, while also ending a five-year winless drought at the season-ending JAF Grand Prix in Suzuka. He finished fifth in the championship in 2020, winning the fourth round at Autopolis from pole position.[citation needed]

Nojiri won back-to-back races at Fuji Speedway and Suzuka to open the 2021 season. He then went on to win the fifth round at Mobility Resort Motegi from pole position. In the next race at Motegi, Nojiri finished fifth to clinch his first Super Formula drivers' championship, becoming the first driver since Loïc Duval in 2009 to clinch the Japanese top formula championship before the final round of the season.[4]

Nojiri's form carried into 2022; he opened the season with a win and second place finish at the doubleheader weekend at Fuji, along with a pole position in round two. He strung together four consecutive pole positions, six podiums and never finished lower than fourth in the first eight races of the season. At the JAF Grand Prix Suzuka, Nojiri won the pole for the first race, and clinched his second consecutive championship with a second place finish. He completed the season with a pole-to-win victory, his second of the season. Nojiri became the first driver since Tsugio Matsuda to win consecutive championships in Japanese top formula racing.[5]

Super GT (2013–present)

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The Honda NSX-GT with which Nojiri took his first Super GT win in 2017

Nojiri's first Super GT start came in the GT300 class, driving Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA)'s Honda CR-Z GT300 at the 2013 Suzuka 1000km. He stepped up to full-time Super GT competition in 2014 with Team Mugen, taking over for reigning GT300 champion Hideki Mutoh. Nojiri and co-driver Yuhki Nakayama finished tenth in the GT300 championship, with a third place finish at the Fuji 500 km.

In 2015, Nojiri moved up to the GT500 class with ARTA, driving a Honda NSX-GT. He finished fourth in his top class debut, at Okayama. Two years later, Nojiri won his first GT500 pole in the fourth round at Sugo, and then won the fifth round at Fuji Speedway (with co-driver Takashi Kobayashi) to take his first career GT500 victory. Takuya Izawa transferred to ARTA as Nojiri's new co-driver in 2018. Nojiri and Izawa won the third round at Suzuka, and the eighth and final round at Motegi, en route to a third place finish in the GT500 championship. They won the rain-shortened opening round at Okayama in 2019, but fell to tenth in the standings at the end of the season.

For 2020, Nirei Fukuzumi joined ARTA as Nojiri's co-driver. After a difficult start to the season, Nojiri and Fukuzumi strung together four top five finishes to finish the year fifth in the championship; this included a win at the seventh round at Motegi. Nojiri and Fukuzumi returned to ARTA for the 2021 season. One week after clinching the Super Formula championship, Nojiri won the sixth round of the Super GT series at Autopolis alongside Fukuzumi, then won the following round at Motegi. They finished the year second in the drivers' championship.

In 2022, Nojiri and Fukuzumi won a shortened Golden Week race at Fuji Speedway.

Nojiri was joined by Toshiki Oyu for the 2023 season after Fukuzumi was moved to ARTA's new sister entry to partner Hiroki Otsu. Nojiri and Oyu would go on to finish eighth in the championship after inconsistent qualifying form throughout the season, taking a dominant victory at Sportsland Sugo. He is set to contest the 2024 season alongside Nobuharu Matsushita, who will move over from Real Racing after Oyu's departure from the Honda factory stable for rivals Toyota Gazoo Racing.

Racing record

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Career summary

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Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2009 Formula Challenge Japan HDFP/SRS-F ARTA 8 0 1 3 5 39 5th
Formula BMW Pacific TopSpeed Racing Shanghai 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC†
2010 Formula Challenge Japan HDFP/SRS-F ARTA 8 0 0 0 3 27 5th
Formula BMW Pacific EuroInternational 1 0 0 0 1 0 NC†
2011 Japanese Formula 3 Championship - National Honda Formula Dream Project 14 3 5 2 10 89 2nd
2012 Japanese Formula 3 Championship Honda Formula Dream Project 15 1 2 1 6 49 5th
2013 Japanese Formula 3 Championship Toda Racing 15 0 0 0 7 50 4th
Super GT - GT300 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Asian Le Mans Series - SGT 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2014 Super Formula docomo Team Dandelion Racing 9 1 0 0 1 10 10th
Super GT - GT300 Team Mugen 8 0 0 0 1 26 11th
2015 Super GT Autobacs Racing Team Aguri 8 0 0 0 0 10 14th
Super Formula docomo Team Dandelion Racing 8 0 0 2 2 19 7th
2016 Super GT Autobacs Racing Team Aguri 8 0 0 0 0 16 15th
Super Formula docomo Team Dandelion Racing 8 0 1 0 1 14.5 9th
2017 Super GT Autobacs Racing Team Aguri 8 1 3 2 1 37 9th
Super Formula docomo Team Dandelion Racing 8 0 1 0 0 2 17th
Super Taikyu - ST-X K's Frontier 3 0 0 0 0 36‡ 7th‡
2018 Super Formula docomo Team Dandelion Racing 7 0 1 0 1 12.5 7th
Super GT Autobacs Racing Team Aguri 8 2 3 2 3 71 3rd
2019 Super GT ARTA 8 1 0 0 0 31 10th
Super Formula Team Mugen 7 1 0 0 1 24 4th
Super Taikyu - ST-TCR Modulo Racing with Dome 1 0 1 0 0 88‡ 2nd‡
2020 Super GT ARTA 8 1 0 0 3 54 5th
Super Formula Team Mugen 7 1 2 0 1 47 5th
Super Taikyu - ST-TCR Floral Racing with Uematsu 1 0 0 0 1 194‡ 1st‡
2021 Super GT ARTA 8 2 1 0 2 60 2nd
Super Formula Team Mugen 7 3 2 2 4 86 1st
2022 Super GT ARTA 8 1 0 0 1 24 12th
Super Formula Team Mugen 10 2 6 1 8 154 1st
2023 Super GT ARTA 7 1 1 0 2 35 8th
Super Formula Team Mugen 8 3 4 0 5 106 3rd
2024 Super GT ARTA 6 1 1 0 1 26* 10th*
Super Formula Team Mugen 9 2 2 2 4 87 2nd
Super Taikyu - ST-Q Team HRC
Super Taikyu - ST-2 Honda R&D Challenge

† As Nojiri was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
‡ Team standings.
* Season still in progress.

Complete Japanese Formula 3 results

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

Year Team Engine Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 DC Pts
2011 HFDP Racing Toyota N SUZ
1
4 		SUZ
2
7 		FUJ
1
6 		FUJ
2
8 		FUJ
3
5 		FUJ
1
8 		FUJ
2
8 		MOT
1
8 		MOT
2
11 		OKA
1
3 		OKA
2
10 		SUZ
1
C 		SUZ
2
C 		SUG
1
7 		SUG
2
8 		SUG
3
10 		2nd 89
2012 HFDP Racing Toda Racing SUZ
1
3 		SUZ
2
3 		MOT
1
5 		MOT
2
3 		FUJ
1
8 		FUJ
2
Ret 		MOT
1
5 		MOT
2
2 		OKA
1
2 		OKA
2
1 		SUG
1
9 		SUG
2
5 		SUG
3
6 		FUJ
1
8 		FUJ
2
Ret 		5th 49
2013 Toda Racing Toda Racing SUZ
1
6 		SUZ
2
6 		MOT
1
3 		MOT
2
4 		MOT
3
6 		OKA
1
2 		OKA
2
3 		FUJ
1
3 		FUJ
2
6 		MOT
1
3 		MOT
2
3 		SUG
1
Ret 		SUG
2
2 		FUJ
1
6 		FUJ
2
4 		4th 50

Complete Super GT results

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

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Points
2013 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri Honda CR-Z GT300 OKA FUJ SEP SUG SUZ
Ret 		FUJ FUJ
Ret 		AUT MOT NC 0
2014 Team Mugen OKA
9 		FUJ
3 		AUT
5 		SUG
11 		FUJ
18 		SUZ
8 		BUR
9 		MOT
13 		10th 26
2015 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri Honda NSX Concept-GT GT500 OKA
4 		FUJ
13 		CHA
Ret 		FUJ
Ret 		SUZ
10 		SUG
12 		AUT
14 		MOT
11 		14th 10
2016 OKA
Ret 		FUJ
6 		SUG
14 		FUJ
6 		SUZ
9 		CHA
8 		MOT
11 		MOT
13 		15th 16
2017 Honda NSX-GT OKA
DNS 		FUJ
9 		AUT
Ret 		SUG
5 		FUJ
1 		SUZ
8 		CHA
11 		MOT
9 		9th 37
2018 OKA
11 		FUJ
8 		SUZ
1 		CHA
Ret 		FUJ
4 		SUG
2 		AUT
12 		MOT
1 		3rd 71
2019 ARTA OKA
1‡ 		FUJ
9 		SUZ
4 		CHA
Ret 		FUJ
7 		AUT
5 		SUG
12 		MOT
13 		10th 31
2020 FUJ
8 		FUJ
14 		SUZ
13 		MOT
Ret 		FUJ
3 		SUZ
3 		MOT
1 		FUJ
5 		5th 54
2021 OKA
7 		FUJ
8 		MOT
5 		SUZ
11 		SUG
10 		AUT
1 		MOT
1 		FUJ
6 		2nd 60
2022 OKA
10 		FUJ1
1 		SUZ1
7 		FUJ2
5 		SUZ2
13 		SUG
13 		AUT
11 		MOT
8 		12th 24
2023 OKA
3 		FUJ1
11 		SUZ1
12 		FUJ2
14 		SUZ2
14 		SUG
1 		MOT
Ret 		MOT
5 		8th 35
2024 Honda Civic Type R-GT GT500 OKA
8 		FUJ
14 		SUZ
Ret 		FUJ
11 		SUZ
15 		SUG
11 		AUT
 MOT
 10th* 26*

‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.
* Season still in progress.

Complete Super Formula results

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(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
2014 docomo Team Dandelion Racing SUZ
9 		FUJ
Ret 		FUJ
15 		FUJ
12 		MOT
9 		AUT
9 		SUG
1 		SUZ
12 		SUZ
9 		10th 10
2015 SUZ
8 		OKA
3 		FUJ
8 		MOT
6 		AUT
10 		SUG
3 		SUZ
5 		SUZ
Ret 		7th 19
2016 SUZ
9 		OKA
4 		FUJ
13 		MOT
Ret 		OKA
4 		OKA
16 		SUG
3 		SUZ
4 		SUZ
Ret 		9th 14.5
2017 SUZ
16 		OKA
13 		OKA
10 		FUJ
10 		MOT
8 		AUT
14 		SUG
12 		SUZ
C 		SUZ
C 		17th 2
2018 SUZ
3 		AUT
C 		SUG
7 		FUJ
14 		MOT
8 		OKA
4 		SUZ
9 		7th 12.5
2019 Team Mugen SUZ
4 		AUT
18 		SUG
Ret 		FUJ
4 		MOT
8 		OKA
9 		SUZ
1 		4th 24
2020 MOT
7 		OKA
10 		SUG
4 		AUT
1 		SUZ
7 		SUZ
5 		FUJ
Ret 		5th 47
2021 FUJ
1 		SUZ
1 		AUT
5 		SUG
6 		MOT
1 		MOT
5 		SUZ
3 		1st 86
2022 FUJ
2 		FUJ
1 		SUZ
2 		AUT
4 		SUG
3 		FUJ
3 		MOT
3 		MOT
4 		SUZ
2 		SUZ
1 		1st 154
2023 FUJ
2 		FUJ
1 		SUZ
Ret3 		AUT SUG
23 		FUJ
8 		MOT
11 		SUZ
11 		SUZ
43 		3rd 106
2024 SUZ
13 		AUT
9 		SUG
1 		FUJ
3 		MOT
3 		FUJ
6 		FUJ
7 		SUZ
 SUZ
 3rd* 70*

* Season still in progress.

References

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  1. ^ Klein, Jamie (23 July 2021). "The late bloomer emerging from obscurity to become Honda's new hero". Autosport. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Tomoki Nojiri | SUPER GT | Honda.Racing". Honda Racing. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  3. ^ Ribault, Pierre-Laurent (29 September 2014). "Super Formula 2014-6 : Première victoire pour Tomoki Nojiri à Sugo". Leblogauto.com (in French). Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Motegi Super Formula: Nojiri seals title, Otsu wins race". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Super Formula: Tomoki Nojiri crowned 2022 champion at Suzuka". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
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