Ryo Michigami to compete for Honda Racing Team JAS as fourth factory driver at WTCC Round 9, Japan
Honda is delighted to announce that Ryo Michigami will compete in the FIA World Touring Car Championship’s Race of Japan as a wild-card entry
The 43-year-old Japanese driver will contest the event at Twin Ring Motegi on September 2-4 as a fourth factory driver for Honda Racing Team JAS in a Civic WTCC.
Ryo has an impressive racing record in his homeland with 11 victories, 51 podium finishes and 11 pole positions in top-level series such as Super GT, Super Formula and the Japanese Touring Car Championship.
He joined the Honda Racing Family in 1998 and won twice in Super GT (then known as the Japanese GT Championship) that season. Ryo became Super GT champion in 2000 and has remained a front-running driver ever since.
Ryo created his own team, ‘DRAGO CORSE’, in 2014 and has led the squad to a total of nine podiums in both Super Formula and Super GT
Ryo Michigami, Honda Racing Team JAS, said: “I had a chance to test the Civic WTCC at Barcelona last week and was hoping for an opportunity to race it, so I’m very excited that I’ll be able to do this so soon. I was involved in the development of the Civic Type R, which was released last year, and had been watching the Civic WTCC closely as well. I will be racing with my heart and soul at Motegi and putting all my experience to best use. Honda and JAS Motorsport have given me a wonderful opportunity; the car felt consistently fast in Spain and I’ll definitely be well-prepared for the races in Japan.”
Daisuke Horiuchi, Large Project Leader WTCC Development, Honda R&D, said: “I’m excited to have a Japanese driver competing for us at our home race. Ryo has been racing with Honda for a long time, so he immediately grasped the characteristics of the Civic WTCC at Barcelona. There isn’t much time between now and the Motegi event, but we’ll be working our hardest with JAS to provide the support he needs. We’re looking forward to Ryo racing fast in front of the Japanese fans