Kakunoshin Ohta
| Kakunoshin Ohta | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ohta at Suzuka Circuit in November 2024 | |
| Nationality |  Japanese |
| Born | 22 June 1999 Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan |
| Super GT career | |
| Debut season | 2022 |
| Current team | Real Racing |
| Car number | 17 |
| Former teams | |
| Starts | 16 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | 14th in 2023 |
| Super Formula career | |
| Debut season | 2023 |
| Current team | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing |
| Car number | 6 |
| Starts | 18 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Podiums | 4 |
| Poles | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| Best finish | 4th in 2024 |
| Previous series | |
| 2022 2022 2021-22 2019 2018-21 | Super GT - GT300 Super Formula Lights Super Taikyū French F4 Championship F4 Japanese Championship |
| Championship titles | |
| 2022 | Super Taikyū - ST-Z |
Kakunoshin "Kaku" Ohta (太田格之進, Ōta Kakunoshin, born 22 June 1999) is a Japanese racing driver for Honda Motor Company who currently competes in Super GT for Astemo Real Racing and in Super Formula for docomo Team Dandelion Racing.
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Ohta made his single-seater racing debut in 2018, racing at a single round of the F4 Japanese Championship with MYST. The following season, he made his full-time debut in the 2019 championship with backing from the Honda Formula Dream Project,[1] claiming 2 wins but finishing 6th in the standings. That year, Ohta also made a guest appearance in the French F4 championship alongside Honda stablemate Ren Satō, where he finished in the top ten in the three races he competed in and secured one podium. He would also make an appearance in Japan Formula 4 at the end of the year, winning the "All-Japan Deciding Race" over the likes of Satō, Atsushi Miyake, and Riki Ōkusa.[citation needed]
In 2020, Ohta returned to the F4 Japanese Championship, albeit having lost his manufacturer backing.[1] He regained support from Honda and rejoined the Honda Formula Dream project for 2021 to contest his third season in the championship, eventually finishing fifth in the standings.[1]
Ohta stepped up to Super Formula Lights for the 2022 season, driving for Toda Racing.[2] Belying his past record, he impressed immediately, claiming four wins and twelve podiums to finish second in the championship, behind only the returning Kazuto Kotaka.
Super GT
[edit]Ohta began his Super GT career in GT300 with Team UpGarage, paired with veteran driver Takashi Kobayashi.[2] Ohta claimed his maiden podium on debut at the first round in Okayama, and would go on to finish on the podium once more to end the season eighth in the standings. For the 2023 season, Ohta was promoted to the GT500 class, driving for Modulo Nakajima Racing alongside series veteran Takuya Izawa.[3] After promising season, Ohta moves to Real Racing as he replaces Nobuharu Matsushita, and race along with Koudai Tsukakoshi.[4]
Super Formula
[edit]
Following his performance in Super Formula Lights, Ohta was promoted to a top-level drive in the Super Formula Championship for 2023, racing for docomo Dandelion Racing alongside Tadasuke Makino and in place of Hiroki Ōtsu.[3] Ohta struggled during the first half of the season but proved to be a revalation following the summer break, qualifying in the top ten for the first time at the fifth round at Sportsland SUGO and proceeding to qualify in the top four in each of the season's four remaining rounds. He claimed his first podium in the championship in a shortened penultimate round at Suzuka, and followed it up by fending off the challenge of heavily favored championship contender Liam Lawson and eventual series champion Ritomo Miyata to claim his first race victory in the season finale.[5]
Ohta returned to Dandelion in 2024.[4] He began the year by finishing fourth at Suzuka, where he qualified second before dropping multiple places owing to a poor start.[6] Fifth at Autopolis preceded a non-score at SUGO, as Ohta went off at the final corner during a restart in wet conditions. He failed to start the next race at Fuji before experiencing a strong run at Motegi, qualifying second and progressing to the lead thanks to an undercut strategy.[7] However, he was chased down by teammate Makino in the closing stages and lost the victory on the penultimate lap, as a throttle issue caused him to spin out of the race.[8] Ohta had another strong qualifying session in Fuji, as he started from second, but dropped to ninth by the flag due to degrading tyres in the final laps.[9] He finished the second race of the weekend in fourth. At the final event in Suzuka, Ohta qualified on pole for race 1 before cruising to a dominant victory.[10] Starting from second the following day, he took the lead at turn one and later defended against Sho Tsuboi right after the pit stop phase to clinch his second successive victory.[11] He ended the year fourth in the standings.[12]
Endurance racing
[edit]Ohta was given a chance to test the Acura ARX-06 in the IMSA Sanctioned Test at Daytona International Speedway in November 2024.[13]
On December 11, 2024 it was announced that he would be driving 3 races during the 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship in the 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06, alongside Renger van Der Zande and Nick Yelloly, for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen and the Battle of the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Alex Palou for the Rolex 24 exclusively. [14][15]
Karting record
[edit]Karting career summary
[edit]| Season | Series | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | IAME International Final — X30 Junior | Super Winforce RT | NC |
| 2014 | CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy — Academy | Ota Masatoshi | 2nd |
| IAME International Final — X30 Junior | 34th | ||
| 2015 | Asia Pacific Championship — KF | Toyota Yamaha RT | 17th |
| Sources:[16][17] | |||
Racing record
[edit]Career summary
[edit]† As he was a guest driver, Ohta was ineligible to score points.
‡ Team standings.
Complete F4 Japanese Championship results
[edit]| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | MYST | OKA 1 |
OKA 2 |
FUJ1 1 |
FUJ1 2 |
SUZ 1 |
SUZ 2 |
FUJ2 1 27 |
FUJ2 2 Ret |
SUG 1 |
SUG 2 |
AUT 1 |
AUT 2 |
MOT 1 |
MOT 2 |
47th | 0 |
| 2019 | Honda Formula Dream Project | OKA 1 Ret |
OKA 2 Ret |
FUJ1 1 2 |
FUJ1 2 5 |
SUZ 1 1 |
SUZ 2 1 |
FUJ2 1 4 |
FUJ2 2 9 |
AUT 1 3 |
AUT 2 6 |
SUG 1 18 |
SUG 2 27 |
MOT 1 8 |
MOT 2 7 |
6th | 125 |
| 2020 | Vegaplus | FUJ1 1 |
FUJ1 2 |
FUJ1 3 |
SUZ 1 5 |
SUZ 2 2 |
SUZ 3 3 |
MOT 1 6 |
MOT 2 9 |
MOT 3 8 |
FUJ2 1 9 |
FUJ2 2 7 |
FUJ2 3 4 |
7th | 68 | ||
| 2021 | Honda Formula Dream Project | FUJ1 1 4 |
FUJ1 2 31 |
SUZ 1 2 |
SUZ 2 2 |
MOT1 1 3 |
MOT1 2 5 |
MOT1 3 2 |
SUG 1 8 |
SUG 2 9 |
SUG 3 6 |
MOT2 1 3 |
MOT2 2 2 |
FUJ2 1 Ret |
FUJ2 2 4 |
5th | 150 |
Complete Formula Regional Japanese Championship Results
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Rn-sports | OKA 1 |
OKA 2 |
OKA 3 |
MOT 1 |
MOT 2 |
MOT 3 |
FUJ 1 |
FUJ 2 |
FUJ 3 |
SUG 1 4 |
SUG 2 3 |
SUZ 1 |
SUZ 2 |
14th | 27 |
Complete Super Formula Lights results
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Toda Racing | FUJ 1 Ret |
FUJ 2 2 |
FUJ 3 4 |
SUZ 1 2 |
SUZ 2 1 |
SUZ 3 2 |
AUT 1 2 |
AUT 2 1 |
AUT 3 2 |
SUG 1 Ret |
SUG 2 3 |
SUG 3 5 |
MOT 1 2 |
MOT 2 9 |
MOT 3 4 |
OKA 1 1 |
OKA 2 3 |
OKA 3 1 |
2nd | 113 |
Complete Super Formula results
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | docomo Team Dandelion Racing | Honda | FUJ 15 |
FUJ 19 |
SUZ 17 |
AUT 16 |
SUG 15 |
FUJ 63 |
MOT Ret2 |
SUZ 3 |
SUZ 12 |
7th | 35.5 | |||
| 2024 | docomo Team Dandelion Racing | Honda | SUZ 42 |
AUT 5 |
SUG 14 |
FUJ DNS |
MOT 19†2 |
FUJ 92 |
FUJ 4 |
SUZ 11 |
SUZ 12 |
4th | 75 | |||
| 2025 | docomo Team Dandelion Racing | Honda | SUZ |
SUZ |
MOT |
MOT |
AUT |
FUJ |
FUJ |
SUG |
FUJ |
FUJ |
SUZ |
SUZ |
||
* Season still in progress.
Complete Super GT results
[edit]| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | DC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Team UpGarage | Honda NSX GT3 Evo | GT300 | OKA 2 |
FUJ 13 |
SUZ Ret |
FUJ 3 |
SUZ 14 |
SUG 11 |
AUT 19 |
MOT 4 |
8th | 34 |
| 2023 | Modulo Nakajima Racing | Honda NSX-Type S GT500 | GT500 | OKA 10 |
FUJ 14 |
SUZ 14 |
FUJ 2 |
SUZ 8 |
SUG 11 |
AUT 11 |
MOT Ret |
14th | 19 |
| 2024 | Astemo Real Racing | Honda Civic Type R-GT GT500 | GT500 | OKA Ret |
FUJ 31 |
SUZ 6 |
FUJ 8 |
SUZ 7 |
SUG Ret |
AUT 14† |
MOT 22 |
10th | 43 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "HFDP Drivers' Documentary SFL Vol.2 ~Kakunoshin Ohta~". honda.racing. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Honda outlines Super Formula driver roster for 2022". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Honda 2023 Motorsports Program Overview". Honda Racing. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ a b "Honda 2024 Motorsports Program Overview". Honda Racing. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "Suzuka Super Formula: Miyata beats Lawson to title, Ota wins finale". motorsport.com. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ Klein, Jamie (10 March 2024). "Super Formula Suzuka: Nojiri wins season-opener, Pourchaire 18th on debut". motorsport.com.
- ^ "Makino takes his second win of the season. Nojiri finishes in third place". honda.racing. 25 August 2024.
- ^ Klein, Jamie (25 August 2024). "Super Formula Motegi: Makino wins after Ota's spin, de Vries 13th". motorsport.com. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Suresh, Tarun (14 October 2024). "Tsuboi crowns himself the King of Fuji: Super Formula Rounds 6 & 7 recap". DIVEBOMB. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Klein, Jamie (9 November 2024). "Super Formula Suzuka: Ota wins race of attrition, Tsuboi closes on title". motorsport.com. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Klein, Jamie (10 November 2024). "Super Formula Suzuka: Tsuboi crowned champion, Ota wins finale". motorsport.com. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Klein, Jamie (23 December 2024). "Ranking the Top 10 Super Formula/SUPER GT drivers of 2024". Japan Racing Insider. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Kakunoshin Ohta To Test Acura ARX-06 At Daytona". dailysportscar.com. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Kakunoshin Ohta to Participate in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | Honda Global Corporate Website". Honda Global. 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ Komar, Maddie (11 December 2024). "Acura Meyer Shank Racing Announces Final Driver for the Rolex 24". Meyer Shank Racing. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Kakunoshin Ohta | Racing career profile | Driver Database". Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ Kartcom. "Ota Kakunoshin". Retrieved 24 January 2025.
External links
[edit]- Kakunoshin Ohta career summary at DriverDB.com
- 1999 births
- Living people
- Japanese racing drivers
- Super GT drivers
- French F4 Championship drivers
- Formula Regional Japanese Championship drivers
- Sportspeople from Kyoto
- Japanese F4 Championship drivers
- Super Formula drivers
- 21st-century Japanese sportsmen
- Dandelion Racing drivers
- Super Formula Lights drivers
- Ritsumeikan University alumni
- Craft-Bamboo Racing drivers