Satoshi Motoyama

Satoshi Motoyama (本山哲 - Motoyama Satoshi; born March 4, 1971) is a Japanese professional racing driver and team manager.

He is best known for racing in the Super GT Series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) as a factory driver for Nissan, and for racing in the Formula Nippon Championship (now known as the Super Formula Championship).

He is a three-time champion of the GT500 class of Super GT, and a four-time Formula Nippon/Super Formula champion, making him one of the most successful Japanese racing drivers of all-time.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Motoyama began his karting career at 13 years old in 1984.

He won the A1 class All-Japan Karting Championship in 1986, and the A2 class titles in 1987 and 1989.

Motoyama graduated from karts in 1990, taking part in the All-Japan Formula Three Championship.

Motoyama enjoyed only limited success over his first three seasons, and in 1993 and 1994 he struggled to secure sponsorship and raced only part-time in the series.

In 1995, Motoyama signed with Dome Racing and finished second in the championship to Pedro de la Rosa, winning one race as De la Rosa took victories in the other eight races that season.

Motoyama raced in the Japanese Touring Car Championship (JTCC) from 1995 to 1997 during the Super Touring era.

Motoyama made his debut in the All-Japan GT Championship in the third round of the 1996 season at Sendai Hi-Land Raceway, driving a GT300 class Nissan Silvia S14 owned by Kazuyoshi Hoshino.

He took GT300 class pole position in his debut race, and also scored pole position in the fifth round at Sportsland Sugo.

In 1997, Motoyama won three races and finished third in the championship driving for Nismo.

But the season-ending race at Fuji Speedway was marred by controversy, when after he was hit by championship rival Osamu Nakako, Motoyama returned to the track and intentionally spun Nakako out and into the protective sponge barriers at the 100R corner.

Motoyama was suspended for the final round of that year's Formula Nippon championship and the JGTC All-Star Race at Twin Ring Motegi, and fined ¥500,000.

For the 1997 season, Motoyama stepped up to the premier GT500 class, driving alongside Hoshino in the Calsonic Nissan Skyline GT-R for Team Impul.

Motoyama finished 11th in the 1997 standings, and 12th in 1998.

By winning his first JGTC title, and the Formula Nippon title earlier in the year, Motoyama became only the second driver to win both championships in the same calendar year, joining 1997 "double champion" Pedro de la Rosa.

Motoyama switched teams for the 1998 season, partnering up with Aguri Suzuki and the new Autobacs Racing Team Aguri squad and co-driver Takeshi Tsuchiya.

In 1999, Motoyama, who had just won his first Formula Nippon championship, was promoted to the reigning champions at Nismo, driving the Pennzoil Skyline GT-R alongside defending series champion and Formula 1 veteran Érik Comas.

In the fourth round of the season, Motoyama scored his first career GT500 victory at the Central Park Miné Circuit.

Motoyama scored four podium finishes in total, and finished third in the Drivers' Championship as Comas went on to win his second straight GT500 title.

Motoyama only missed the second round of the 1999 season at Fuji Speedway, as he was participating in a pre-qualifying session for the 24 Hours of Le Mans that same day.

Motoyama moved back to Calsonic Team Impul in 2000, and had another solid year that included a second career win at Miné in the penultimate round of the year.

He once again finished third in the championship with co-driver Hoshino.

In 2002, Motoyama moved back to Nismo having won his second Formula Nippon title.

His new co-driver was German driver Michael Krumm.

Motoyama and Krumm renewed their partnership in 2003 after a disappointing 2002 season, scoring points in all seven rounds that year, and podium finishes at TI Circuit Aida, Sugo, Fuji, and Suzuka Circuit.

Despite not winning a race, Motoyama and Krumm's consistency in the #23 Xanavi Skyline GT-R was enough for them to become GT500 champions, clinching the championship with a third-place finish at Suzuka.

Motoyama was given a new car for his 2004 title defense, the new Nissan Fairlady Z33, which succeeded the Skyline GT-R as Nissan's flagship GT500 car.

He also had a new co-driver in Richard Lyons.

In their first race together at Nismo, and the first race for the new Nissan Z, Motoyama ended a four-year winless drought by winning the opening round at TI Circuit.

Taking podium finishes at Sepang International Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi, plus a second win at the Autopolis circuit, Motoyama won back-to-back GT500 championships with Nismo.

Motoyama won one race in each of the next three seasons, and continued to compete for championships in 2005 and in 2006, finishing third and sixth in the standings respectively.

2008 saw the introduction of the new R35 Nissan GT-R as Nissan's GT500 challenger, and Motoyama continued on with Nismo, with new co-driver Benoît Tréluyer.

The duo led a 1-2 finish in the GT-R's Super GT debut at the opening round at Suzuka.

They followed that up with a win at Okayama International Circuit, taking back-to-back wins to open the year.

Though they struggled through the next few rounds with heavy success ballast, Motoyama and Tréluyer won their third race of the year at Autopolis, and went on to win the championship - making Motoyama the first three-time GT500 champion.

Motoyama and Tréluyer won twice in 2009, at Fuji and at Sugo.

In 2010, Motoyama and Tréluyer failed to win a race for the first time, coming as close as two second-place finishes at Sepang, and at the Suzuka Summer Special in August.

The victory at Sugo was Motoyama's 12th career GT500 win, moving him ahead of Yuji Tachikawa for the all-time wins record.