Ryo Michigami to make FIA WTCC debut in Japan

Ryo Michigami © DR

– Long-term Honda driver gets fourth factory Civic at Motegi
– Increased factory presence underlines Honda’s WTCC commitment

Honda will increase its factory attack on the FIA World Touring Car Championship to four cars when Japanese driver Ryo Michigami joins its line-up for WTCC JVCKENWOOD Race of Japan from 2-4 September.

 

Michigami has been part of the Honda Racing family since 1998, while his career highlights include 11 wins, 51 podiums and 11 pole positions in major categories such as the Japanese Touring Car Championship, Super Formula and Super GT.

In 2014, the 43-year-old established his own team, DRAGO CORSE, which competes in Super Formula and Super GT. To date, the squad has nine podiums to its name.

The WTCC races at Twin Ring Motegi, which is located 145 kilometres north of the Japanese capital Tokyo, will mark Michigami’s debut in the series and will make him the first driver from his homeland to race a TC1 World Touring Car.

He will join Rob Huff, Norbert Michelisz and Tiago Monteiro in driving a factory Honda Civic WTCC at Motegi following a test in one of the Honda Racing Team JAS-run cars at Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona recently. Fittingly, Twin Ring Motegi is owned by Honda and houses the famous Honda Collection Hall, which contains a number of classic race- and road-going Honda cars and motorbikes.

“After giving independent champion Norbert Michelisz his dream factory drive in the WTCC, Honda is now handing a local hero in Ryo Michigami the chance to make his World Touring Car Championship debut, which not only underlines Honda’s commitment to the WTCC but will also generate even more interest in the event among Japanese fans,

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