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Keiji Matsumoto
NationalityJapanese
Born(1949-12-26)26 December 1949
Kyoto, Japan
Died17 May 2015(2015-05-17) (aged 65)
Previous series
1976–1977
1978–1986
1983–1989
1987–1992		All-Japan Formula 2000 Championship
Japanese Formula Two Championship
All Japan Endurance Championship
Japanese Formula 3000 Championship
Championship titles
1979
1983		Japanese Formula Two Championship
Fuji Grand Champion Series
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1986–1987
TeamsNISMO
Best finishDNF (1986, 1987)
Class wins0

Keiji Matsumoto (松本 恵二, Matsumoto Keiji, 26 December 1949 – 17 May 2015)[1][2] was a Japanese racing driver who competed at the top level of Japanese Formula racing, currently known as Super Formula, between 1976 and 1992. Under the Japanese Formula 2 moniker, he won the championship in 1979[2] and was runner-up to future Formula 1 driver Satoru Nakajima in 1982 and 1985.

Motorsport career

Matsumoto scored 11 wins and 29 podium finishes, seventh all-time in both accounts, over a 129-race career, which put him third in all-time Super Formula career starts behind generational peers Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Kunimitsu Takahashi. In a rare overseas foray in 1981, he also took part in the Donington "50.000", a race of the European Formula Two championship, crossing the finish line in 15th place.

Until 1989, he also dabbled in Japanese sports car racing, winning the Fuji Grand Champion Series in 1983,[2] and the Fuji 1000 km in 1985 and 1989.[3] In the 1985 win, Matsumoto, Hoshino, and Akira Hagiwara became the first Japanese drivers to ever win a race in the World Sportscar Championship;[4] Hoshino was actually the only one who got to drive the car before the race was stopped early due to heavy rain. Matsumoto also competed in the 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Hoshino and Kenji Takahashi as an official Nissan driver.[5]

Matsumoto was the first public face of Cabin Racing, begun by Japan Tobacco in 1986, and his appearance in TV commercials brought him wide public attention.[2] After retiring, he remained active in the Japanese motorsports scene and was a driver coach for Shintaro Kawabata, Ryo Michigami, Shinji Nakano, and Juichi Wakisaka among others.[6]

Personal life and death

Matsumoto was born in Kyoto Prefecture.[2] He died in Kyoto on May 17, 2015 after several years with cirrhosis.[1]

Racing record

Japanese Top Formula Championship results

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2021)

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Points
1976 Matsumoto Racing Union FUJ SUZ
Ret 		FUJ SUZ
8 		SUZ
Ret 		17th 3
1977 Matsumoto Racing Union SUZ
7 		SUZ
5 		MIN
3 		SUZ
6 		FUJ
9 		FUJ
10 		SUZ
7 		SUZ
Ret 		9th 32 (34)
1978 Matsumoto Racing Union SUZ
7 		FUJ
4 		SUZ
6 		SUZ
4 		SUZ
9 		MIN
2 		SUZ
11 		5th 50 (60)
1979 Diatone Racing SUZ
9 		MIN
1 		SUZ
3 		FUJ
1 		SUZ
5 		SUZ
1 		SUZ
5 		1st 79 (90)
1980 Diatone Racing SUZ
6 		MIN
3 		SUZ
Ret 		SUZ
Ret 		SUZ
1 		SUZ
4 		4th 42
1981 DHL Team Le Mans SUZ
1 		SUZ
11 		SUZ
2 		SUZ
9 		SUZ
Ret 		4th 37
1982 Team Le Mans SUZ
2 		FUJ
4 		SUZ
2 		SUZ
2 		SUZ
7 		SUZ
Ret 		2nd 55 (59)
1983 Team Le Mans SUZ
5 		FUJ
DSQ 		MIN
Ret 		SUZ
1 		SUZ
Ret 		FUJ
10 		SUZ
7 		SUZ
8 		8th 36
1984 Team Le Mans SUZ
3 		FUJ
Ret 		MIN
9 		SUZ
3 		SUZ
15 		FUJ
8 		SUZ
Ret 		SUZ
4 		5th 39
1985 Team Le Mans SUZ
1 		FUJ
6 		MIN
Ret 		SUZ
3 		SUZ
9 		FUJ
6 		SUZ
5 		SUZ
2 		2nd 67 (69)
1986 Team Le Mans SUZ
1 		FUJ
5 		MIN
1 		SUZ
5 		SUZ
5 		FUJ
5 		SUZ
Ret 		SUZ
Ret 		4th 72
1987 Cabin Racing SUZ
13 		FUJ
3 		MIN
3 		SUZ
4 		SUZ
4 		SUG
3 		FUJ
Ret 		SUZ
4 		SUZ
3 		4th 78
1988 Meiju Racing SUZ
13 		FUJ
6 		MIN
Ret 		SUZ
Ret 		SUG FUJ
Ret 		SUZ
16 		SUZ
Ret 		12th 1
1989 Wacoal Dome Racing Team SUZ
14 		FUJ
6 		MIN
6 		SUZ
Ret 		SUG
Ret 		FUJ
6 		SUZ
6 		SUZ
Ret 		14th 4
1990 Dome SUZ
3 		FUJ
Ret 		MIN
1 		SUZ
1 		SUG
Ret 		FUJ
14 		FUJ
Ret 		SUZ
7 		FUJ
13 		SUZ
Ret 		4th 22
1991 Dome SUZ
Ret 		AUT
Ret 		FUJ
2 		MIN
Ret 		SUZ
Ret 		SUG
Ret 		FUJ
24 		SUZ
12 		FUJ
C 		SUZ
18 		FUJ
Ret 		12th 6
1992 Dome SUZ
13 		FUJ
Ret 		MIN
Ret 		SUZ
Ret 		AUT
Ret 		SUG
Ret 		FUJ
9 		FUJ
Ret 		SUZ
9 		FUJ
14 		SUZ
NC 		25th 0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1986 Japan Nissan Motorsport Japan Kazuyoshi Hoshino
Japan Aguri Suzuki 		Nissan R86V C1 64 DNF DNF
1987 Japan Nissan Motorsport Japan Kenji Takahashi
Japan Kazuyoshi Hoshino 		Nissan R87E C1 181 DNF DNF

References

  1. ^ a b Brown, Allen (2021-03-19). "Driver: Keiji Matsumoto". Old Racing Cars. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e "全日本F2などで活躍。松本恵二さん亡くなる" [Active in all-Japan F2. Keiji Matsumoto dies] (in Japanese). 2015-05-18. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  3. ^ O'Connell, R. J. (2020-11-25). "10 outstanding Japanese drivers who never reached F1". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  4. ^ O'Connell, R. J. (2020-03-18). "Rhapsody in Blue: The History of Calsonic & Nissan Racing". Daily Sportscar. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
  5. ^ Cooper, Adam (2015-05-18). "Keiji Matsumoto 1949-2015". Adam Cooper's F1 Blog. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  6. ^ O'Connell, R. J. (2020-10-25). "Last-To-First Victory & A Season Sweep For NISMO At Suzuka Circuit". Daily Sportscar. Retrieved 2021-05-23.



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