Toshio Suzuki (racing driver)


Toshio Suzuki is a former racing driver from Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

Racing career

As a youth, Suzuki won the All-Japan Kart Championships in 1975 and 1976. In 1979, he took the title of the first All-Japan Formula Three Championship.
In 1992, he won the 24 Hours of Daytona with Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Masahiro Hasemi. In the same year, he was runner-up in the Japanese F3000 championship.

Formula One

In, he participated in two Formula One Grands Prix, standing in for Philippe Alliot at the Larrousse team. Though he scored no championship points, Suzuki finished both races.

After Formula One

Suzuki competed mainly in national championships, including the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship, Japanese Touring Car Championship and All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship. He also participated into the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1996, he made a single start in the NASCAR Busch Series, driving for Joe Bessey at Nazareth Speedway; an accident during the race left him with a concussion.
In 2006, he became director of the R&D SPORT in Super GT to continue the team that Direxiv abandoned.

GT-R

Most recently, he worked for Nissan as a test driver to help in the development of the R35 Nissan GT-R.

Motorsports career results

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Japanese Formula Two/Formula 3000/Formula Nippon results

YearEntrant1234567891011DCPoints
1989Cabin Racing HeroesSUZ
7		FUJ
Ret		MIN
12		SUZ
13		SUG
8		FUJ
20		SUZ
17		SUZ
6		19th1
1990Super Evolution RacingSUZ
20		FUJMIN
14		SUZ
11		SUG
8		FUJ
11		FUJ
Ret		SUZ
22		FUJ
11		SUZ
12		NC0
1991Universal RacingSUZ
11		AUT
DNS		FUJ
8		MIN
5		SUZ
5		SUG
9		FUJ
DNQ		SUZ
11		FUJ
C		SUZ
12		FUJ
11		15th4
1992Universal RacingSUZ
Ret		FUJ
Ret		MIN
Ret		SUZ
7		AUT
Ret		SUG
2		FUJ
2		FUJ
1		SUZ
17		FUJ
1		SUZ
Ret		2nd30
1993Universal RacingSUZ
6		FUJ
4		MIN
Ret		SUZ
Ret		AUT
C		SUG
4		FUJ
C		FUJ
1		SUZ
3		FUJ
5		SUZ
Ret		5th22
1994Mirai CorporationSUZ
7		FUJ
6		MINSUZSUGFUJSUZFUJFUJSUZ16th1
1995Hoshino RacingSUZ
5		FUJ
C		MIN
2		SUZ
1		SUG
Ret		FUJ
3		TOK
6		FUJ
3		SUZ
1		1st34
1996Team ImpulSUZ
18		MIN
Ret		FUJ
12		TOK
11		SUZ
9		SUG
10		FUJ
7		MIN
4		SUZ
3		FUJ
Ret		12th7
1997MiraiSUZ
8		MIN
5		FUJ
7		SUZ
Ret		SUG
4		FUJ
16		MIN
9		MOT
8		FUJ
Ret		SUZ
9		13th5

Complete Formula One results

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678910111213141516WDCPoints
1993Larrousse F1Larrousse LH93Lamborghini V12RSABRAEURSMRESPMONCANFRAGBRGERHUNBELITAPORJPN
12		AUS
14		NC0

NASCAR

Busch Series