is a Japanese racing driver affiliated with Toyota Gazoo Racing who currently competes in Super GT for Hoppy Team Tsuchiya. A longtime competitor in the series, he is best known for winning the 2016 championship in the GT300 class, driving alongside Takeshi Tsuchiya. He is also a four-time class champion in the Super Taikyū endurance racing series, winning the title in 2009, 2017, 2018, and 2022, as well as a two-time class winner at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Career
Early career Matsui began his racing career in kart racing in 2001, and competed primarily in regional championships in Okayama until his move up to single-seaters in 2006. He made his debut in the Okayama FJ1600 series in 2006, taking four wins and the championship, and made cameos in the national FJ1600 series at Motegi and Formula Toyota at Fuji Speedway. After catching the attention of , a retired racing driver and director of Okayama International Circuit, Matsui joined the Toyota Young Driver Program (TDP) the following year and moved to the Formula Challenge Japan series with Toyota support, but was released from the programme after the 2008 season.
In 2009, Matsui switched to endurance racing following his departure from Toyota, competing in the Super Taikyū Series in a Honda Civic Type R for Tatsuya Tanigawa's BOLD Motor Sports and winning the class title despite claiming only one victory. He returned to Formula Challenge Japan for 2010, this time with manufacturer support from Nissan, and finished runner-up to the dominant Yūichi Nakayama. Despite this, he left Nissan at the end of the year and would not drive full-time for the next two years, instead getting a job in the shipping industry. However, after being contacted by Takeshi Tsuchiya, who had previously worked with him during his time as a Toyota junior, Matsui returned to his full-time racing career in 2014, competing for Tsuchiya's teams in the Asian Le Mans Series and the newly introduced Japan Formula 4. With the exception of a one-round cameo in the All-Japan Formula Three Championship in 2016, where he won both races in the somewhat poorly contested National class, Matsui has competed exclusively in sports car racing since 2014.
Super GT
Matsui made his debut in the top-flight Super GT series' GT300 category in 2015, driving a Dome-developed Toyota 86 MC alongside Takeshi Tsuchiya for Tsuchiya's VivaC Team Tsuchiya, which returned to the series for the first time since 2008. Matsui would rejoin Toyota in 2015 alongside his Super GT commitments after being recommended by Naoya Gamou, returning to Super Taikyū for the TOM'S-run Toyota Gazoo Racing team and making his international debut with TGR at the 2015 Nürburgring 24 Hours.
After claiming one race victory at Sugo during his 2015 campaign, Matsui remained with the team for 2016 to contest what would be his most successful season in the category, taking a dominant victory at Chang (now Buriram) and charging from the midfield at Motegi to emerge as series champion alongside his teammate Tsuchiya, who retired from full-time driving duties at the end of the year to focus on team management.
Despite his performances, Matsui did not move up to GT500, and instead remained with Tsuchiya's team in the GT300 class for 2017, partnered by Super Formula driver Kenta Yamashita. Alongside Yamashita and fellow Toyota-supported formula racers Sho Tsuboi and Kimiya Sato, Matsui would spend 2017, 2018, and 2019 in inconsistent form, demonstrating exceptional qualifying pace and taking pole positions but more frequently finishing towards the end of the field. Results would dip further after the team's switch to the Porsche 911 GT3 R for the 2020 season, and remained unremarkable until Matsui's departure at the end of the 2022 season.
Matsui joined Team Mach alongside professional sim racer Yusuke Tomibayashi for the 2023 season, driving the familiar Toyota 86 MC. However, the team would ultimately fail to score a single point over the course of the year.
Racing record
Career summary
Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position2006Formula ToyotaWako's Scholarship100001NC 2007 Formula Challenge Japan FTRS Scholarship18000250 12th Formula Toyota TOM'S Spirit70010 21 9th2008 Formula Challenge Japan TDP Scholarship163345129 4th 2009 Super Taikyū - ST-4 BOLD Motor Sports71356100‡ 1st‡ 2010 Formula Challenge JapanNDDP FCJ12100856 2nd 2012 Super Taikyū - ST-1 Team Samurai1111150‡ 3rd‡ 2013 Porsche Carrera Cup JapanRacing X-Road Service31122478th2014 Asian Le Mans Series - GT AAI-RStrada40001486th Japan Formula 4 - East Samurai Supporters6111581 2nd Japan Formula 4 - West30012336th2015 Super GT - GT300 VivaC Team Tsuchiya611013510th Super Taikyū - ST-4 Gazoo Racing TOM'S Spirit6002355.5‡6th‡ 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP3T Team Toyota Gazoo Racing10000N/A4th2015-16 Asian Le Mans Series - LMP3 Team AAI1000006th2016 Super GT - GT300 VivaC Team Tsuchiya8230478 1st Japanese Formula 3 Championship - National Team Samurai22222246th Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit6141396‡ 2nd‡ 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP3T Toyota Gazoo Racing10000N/ANC2017 Super GT - GT300 VivaC Team Tsuchiya81312485th Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit65436135‡ 1st‡ 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP3T Toyota Gazoo Racing10011N/A 2nd2018 Super GT - GT300 Tsuchiya Engineering80212397th Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit64525159‡ 1st‡ 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP-Pro Toyota Gazoo Racing11111N/A 1st2019 Super GT - GT300 Tsuchiya Engineering803201719th Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit62524123.5‡ 2nd‡ 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP-Pro Toyota Gazoo Racing11111N/A 1st2020 Super GT - GT300 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya800001020th Super Taikyū - ST-4 Endless Sports4000074‡4th‡2021 Super GT - GT300 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya800002114th Super Taikyū - ST-2ROOKIE Racing2022023‡8th‡ Super Taikyū - ST-Q30003N/ANC2022 Super GT - GT300 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya80000134th Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit65536177.5‡ 1st‡ Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP-ProToyota Gazoo Racing1 Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP412023 Super GT - GT300 Team Mach800000NC Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit61055100.5‡ 3rd‡ Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP8 Team HAL11111N/AN/A TGR GR86/BRZ Cup Netz Toyama Racing510012012th 2024 Super GT - GT300 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya800000NC Super Taikyu - ST-Q GR Team Spirit TGR GR86/BRZ Cup Netz Toyama Racing61001516th2025 Super Taikyu - ST-Q GR Team Spirit Super GT - GT300 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP8T TOYOTA GAZOO ROOKIE Racing2026Super Taikyu - ST-QGR Team ORC FieldSuper GT - GT300Hoppy Team Tsuchiya * Season still in progress.
Complete Super GT results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year TeamCarClass 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pos. Points 2015 VivaC Team Tsuchiya Toyota 86 MC GT300 OKA FUJ CHA FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT 10th 35 2016 VivaC Team Tsuchiya Toyota 86 MC GT300 OKA FUJ SUG FUJ SUZ CHA MOT MOT 1st 782017 VivaC Team Tsuchiya Toyota 86 MC GT300OKAFUJAUTSUGFUJSUZCHAMOT5th48 2018 Tsuchiya Engineering Toyota 86 MC GT300OKAFUJSUZCHAFUJSUGAUTMOT7th39 2019 Tsuchiya Engineering Toyota 86 MC GT300OKAFUJSUZCHAFUJAUTSUGMOT19th17 2020 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya Porsche 911 GT3 R GT300FUJFUJSUZMOTFUJSUZMOTFUJ20th10 2021 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya Porsche 911 GT3 R GT300OKAFUJMOTSUZSUGAUTMOTFUJ14th21 2022 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya Toyota GR Supra GT300 GT300OKAFUJ1SUZ1FUJ2SUZ2SUGAUTMOT34th1 2023 Team Mach Toyota 86 MC GT300 GT300OKAFUJ1SUZ1FUJ2SUZ2SUGAUTMOTNC02024 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya Toyota GR Supra GT300 GT300 OKA FUJ SUZ FUJ SUG AUT MOT SUZNC0 2025 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya Toyota GR Supra GT300 GT300 OKA FUJ SEP FS1 FS2 SUZ SUG AUT MOT 31st 2 2026 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya Toyota GR Supra GT300 GT300 OKA FUJ SEP FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT
References
External links