Juichi Wakisaka (脇阪寿一)
- Super GT Series

Juichi Wakisaka, in living colour

The elder half of the dynamic duo in the LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM’S, Juichi Wakisaka’s introduction to the world of racing came rather unconventionally in the traditional sense of the word.

Starting with go-karts, Juichi started quite late at the age of 19 but adapted quickly to produce impressive results. When asked what inspired him to choose go-karts, the man from Nara in the southern half of Japan’s Honshu Island responds, “Ryo Michigami” (who is also a GT driver). It was Michigami’s will to win a go-kart race from the back of the grid that inspired Juichi to switch his attention to racing.

Strong-minded and competitive, Juichi never looked back since. From go-karts, Juichi graduated to the All Japan Formula 3 Championship in 1995, winning the title the following year. Despite being a part-time driver at that stage, his form certainly impressed scouts.

An encounter with Aguri Suzuki in 1998 was a defining moment for the then 24-year old. It was then that Juichi was offered his first professional stint as a race-car driver by Aguri. That encounter opened the doors for Juichi to pursue his racing career.  He was subsequently offered an F1 test drive, later signing on as the test driver for the Jordan F1 Team in the 1998 season.

A year with the Jordan F1 Team was enough for Juichi when he made the bold decision to not continue in F1. With his feet still firmly grounded, Juichi continued to progress in Japan’s racing scene competing in the All Japan Formula Nippon championship with Team Aguri and All Japan GT Championship driving the NSX.
 
His four-year stint in GT’s saw Juichi clinch his first championship title in both the driver and team categories for the GT500 class in 2002 with then teammate Akira Iida in a Toyota . This was a feat he would repeat in 2006, this time with current teammate André Lotterer and the TOM’S team. Sporting the PETRONAS colours in 2008, the dynamic duo of Juichi and André clinched the team championship title after a closely contested season.

When he is not on the tarmacs of a race circuit, Juichi spends the bulk of his free time on the greens of a golf-course. While golf is a passion that is shared by many of his racing compatriots, Juichi is as serious as a professional golfer, possessing a single-digit handicap.

Opinionated and unafraid to speak his mind, Juichi’s friendly yet colourful character ensures that he stands out amongst the current crop of GT drivers. Aside from being very competitive, he possesses a unique brand of humour that has already won the 37-year old a legion of fans in Japan.

Juichi is also very passionate about his role and the responsibilities of being in the public eye as a race car driver. Inspired by the need to raise the benchmark in Japan’s motorsport industry, he actively uses his own personal experiences and racing accomplishments to promote racing among the younger generation. A member of a talent agency, he appears regularly in TV shows to promote racing. To achieve this goal, Juichi and his brother (also a race car driver) is a regular host/presenter of Best Motoring, Japan’s preeminent automobile magazine show.



Fact Box: Juichi Wakisaka (脇阪寿一)

More on Juichi Wakisaka at www.js-style.com

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