Kakunoshin Ohta, Honda driver and graduate of the Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP), will compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA) in the premier GTP class in 2025.
Ohta will participate as fourth driver for the Acura Meyer Shank Racing team’s No. 93 car to compete in IMSA, the premier sports car racing series in North America. He will be driving the Acura ARX-06, an LMDh car developed and supplied by Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US), which is responsible for Honda’s motorsports activities in North America. Ohta will compete in a total of three races, including the 24 Hours of Daytona.
In addition, HRC US engineers will join the team as race engineers for the No. 93 car starting in the 2025 season, with HRC US taking on a larger role in the team and aiming to train engineers and advance technology through racing.
Ohta gained a scholarship at the Suzuka Circuit Racing School (now Honda Racing School Suzuka <HRS>) in 2018, and after graduating from the Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP), a Honda driver development program, began his racing career in 2023, in Japan’s top categories, Super Formula and the SUPER GT GT500 class.
Regarding his entry into IMSA, Ohta began his training using a driving simulator at the HRC US facility in Indianapolis in October 2024, and in November, he drove the Acura ARX-06 at the official IMSA test held at the Daytona International Speedway, gaining real-life experience. In recognition of his performance in Japanese races and on the track, he had been selected to participate in the 2025 season.
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), which is responsible for Honda’s motorsports activities, aims to nurture racing drivers who aspire to win in the world’s top categories, and will continue to support young aspiring drivers to challenge the world, through positioning Japan’s top categories, such as Super Formula and SUPER GT, as a path to world-class competition.
Kakunoshin Ohta Highlights
| 1999 | Born on June 16 (age 25) in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| 2018 | Honda Racing School Suzuka (SRS-F, now HRS) Scholarship JAF-F4: 5 wins. Western Japan Champion and East-West Champion |
| 2019 | FIA-F4: 3 pole positions, 2 wins French F4: Wildcard entry, 2nd place JAF-F4: Japan finals wildcard entry, champion for a second consecutive year |
| 2020 | FIA-F4: 3 rounds, 2 podium finishes |
| 2021 | FIA-F4: Entry with SRS Kochira Racing, 2nd place Super Taikyu series: Entry with TEAM 5ZIGEN. 4 podiums, 3rd overall |
| 2022 | Super Formula Lights: 2nd SUPER GT GT300: 2 podiums |
| 2023 | Super Formula: Won final round, 7th overall SUPER GT GT500: 1 podium |
| 2024 | Super Formula: Entered with DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING Wins two consecutive victories (8th and 9th rounds at Suzuka Circuit) contributing to team’s title win, 4th in driver’s ranking SUPER GT GT500: Entered with Astemo REAL RACING as Kodai Tsukakoshi’s co-driver Pole position and 3rd place finish in Round 2, Fuji Speedway, 10th overall in the drivers’ ranking |
