Career Summary:

Tomoki Nojiri

  • September 15, 1989
  • 34
  • Japan
  • Super Formula
  • 165
  • Team Mugen, Autobacs Racing Team Aguri
  • 10
  • 44
  • 14
  • 13
  • 6.06%
  • 26.67%

Tomoki Nojiri is a Japanese racing driver who currently competes in two major Japanese championships – Super GT Series and Super Formula, driving for Honda in both competitions. Nojiri is on a double programme since 2014, previously competing in Formula 3 and Formula Challenge Japan.

Tomoki Nojiri ARTA 2016

Tomoki Nojiri

Graduating at Suzuka Circuit Racing School

Born in September 1989, Tomoki spent his teenage years in karting competitions, switching to formula racing in 2008. That year, he graduated in the Suzuka Circuit Racing School and competed in the Japanese Formula 4.

His next competition was the Formula Challenge Japan in 2009, in which he scored five podiums to finish fifth in the points. He also made one guest appearance in the Formula BMW Pacific. Next year, he was again third in the FCJ standings.

Nojiri joined Honda's programme for young drivers in 2011

In 2011, Nojiri made a step up into the Japanese Formula 3 Championship, scoring three wins and finishing second in the National class, tied in the points with Katsumasa Chiyo.

Nojiri competed in Formula 3 as a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project, a programme dedicated to discovering talented young drivers.  Ever since then he is driving for Honda.

Racing in Japanese Formula 3 until 2013

In 2012, Nojiri competed in the main Championship Class of the Japanese Formula 3, driving the #8 Dallara-Honda to one victory and five more podiums, finishing fifth in the final standings. Nojiri's last F3 season was 2013 when he was driving the #2 Dallara-Toda for Toda Racing. He scored no wins, just seven podiums, to finish fourth in the final classification.

In 2013, Nojiri also made a debut in the Super GT Series, joining Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA) to drive the #55 Honda CR-Z at Suzuka 1000. Sharing a car with Shinichi Takagi and Takashi Kobayashi, he didn't finish the race.

Nojiri is driving Dandelion Racing's #40 Honda since 2014

Nojiri is driving Dandelion Racing's #40 Honda since 2014

Double Super GT/Super Formula programme since 2014

In 2014, Nojiri became full-time driver of Team Mugen's #0 Honda CR-Z in GT300 class of the Super GT Series, sharing a car with Yuhki Nakayama. They were on a podium once, at Fuji, to finish tenth in the points.

In the same year, Nojiri joined Docomo Team Dandelion Racing in the Japanese Super Formula Championship, driving the #40 Dallara SF14-Honda. He scored his maiden Super Formula victory in the sixth round at Sportsland Sugo, finishing tenth in the final points.

Tomoki Nojiri pictured in 2015

Tomoki Nojiri pictured in 2015

Two seasons without wins

In 2015, Nojiri stayed with Docomo Team Dandelion Racing in the Super Formula and moved to ARTA in the Super GT Series to drive the #8 Honda NSX-GT in GT500 class, alongside Kosuke Matsuura as his co-driver. Nojiri was without wins in both championships, finishing 14th in Super GT Series and seventh in Super Formula.

For the 2016 season, Nojiri didn't change teams and he was again without wins. In the Super Formula, he scored one podium in the #40 Honda to finish ninth in the points. In GT championship, he and Matsuura finished 15th in the points.

Tomoki Nojiri scored his maiden Super GT win in 2017 at Fuji Speedway

Tomoki Nojiri scored his maiden Super GT win in 2017 at Fuji Speedway

Back to the top podium spot in 2017

Nojiri returned to the top podium spot in 2017, winning the Super GT race in the fifth round at Fuji. His new partner in the #8 Honda NSX-GT was Takashi Kobayashi. They finished ninth in the final classification. In shortened 2017 Super Formula season, Nojiri's highlight was a pole position at Autopolis. He finished 17th in the standings among nineteen drivers.

In 2018, Nojiri continued to drive the #8 Honda NSX-GT and the #40 Dallara-Honda. He and his new partner Takuya Izawa won two Super GT races and they finished third in the points, what is Nojiri's best GT racing result so far. In the Super Formula, he was seventh in the points.

Nojiri and Izawa stayed together in 2019 and scored a victory in the season-opening Super GT race at Okayama.

Tomoki Nojiri

Tomoki Nojiri

Photos: Tomoki Nojiri FB,