is a Japanese factory racing driver, currently competing in the Autobacs Super GT Series as a factory driver for Nissan. He is a graduate of the Nissan Driver Development Program (NDDP), and a past champion of the Bathurst 12 Hour race, and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.

Career Early career Chiyo began racing cars in 2007, competing in the Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ) series after earning a scholarship from the NDDP. He finished third in the 2008 FCJ series, before moving into the National Class of the All-Japan Formula Three Championship in 2009. Chiyo won the National Class title in 2011 with NDDP Racing, winning five races to defeat Honda prospect Tomoki Nojiri on a tie breaker.

Chiyo returned to All-Japan F3 in 2013, competing in the main class with the B-Max Racing Team. He finished third in the championship, with two victories. Chiyo took part in the 2013 Macau Grand Prix, finishing in 15th place. In 2015, Chiyo made a one off return to F3 at Fuji Speedway. In 2016, Chiyo returned to F3 to contest the full season with B-Max Racing. He won one race, and finished sixth in the championship, after missing four races over two rounds due to a back injury.

Super GT (2012-present)

After winning the All-Japan F3 National Class title in 2011, Chiyo stepped up to the Autobacs Super GT Series, racing a Nissan GT-R GT3 in the GT300 class for NDDP Racing. He took his first victory at Sportsland SUGO with Yuhi Sekiguchi, and went on to finish the season in fourth place. With NDDP prospect Daiki Sasaki moving up to GT300, Chiyo moved to pro-am team Dijon Racing for the 2013 season. He finished 28th in the standings after taking just one points-scoring finish.

After missing the 2014 season due to his new commitments in Europe, Chiyo returned to Super GT in 2015, this time with Gainer in their new Nissan GT-R alongside André Couto. Chiyo and Couto won the second round of the championship, the Fuji 500km. Then in the Suzuka 1000km, Chiyo, Couto, and third driver Ryuichiro Tomita won the GT300 class, despite carrying 88 kilogrammes of Success Ballast. Chiyo finished the season second in the championship, despite missing two races due to his ongoing commitments in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.

His performances in Japan and Europe secured a promotion to the GT500 class for the 2016 season, joining three-time GT500 champion Satoshi Motoyama at MOLA. Chiyo and Motoyama finished third at Okayama International Circuit in their first race together. Chiyo suffered a spinal injury after a crash in the summer race at Fuji, which forced him to miss over a month of competition including the Suzuka 1000km. He finished the season twelfth in the standings in 2016, and again in 2017, where Chiyo nearly took his first premier class victory at Sugo after a last-lap battle between Motoyama and Kohei Hirate.

Chiyo and Motoyama remained team mates in 2018, as MOLA were replaced in GT500 by the new NDDP Racing with B-Max team. They finished 17th in the championship that season. After the season, Chiyo was assigned to drive in the Intercontinental GT Challenge for Nissan and KC Motorgroup (KCMG), resulting in his second sabbatical from Super GT. Instead, he was appointed reserve driver for the GT500 class, and in addition to providing commentary on television programs, he accompanied the team to all rounds that did not clash with the Intercontinental GT Challenge schedule. At the sixth round of the season in Autopolis, Chiyo was called on as a last-minute replacement for James Rossiter at Calsonic Team Impul, after Rossiter was diagnosed with acute tinnitus.

Chiyo returned to full-time GT500 competition in 2020, returning to NDDP Racing with B-Max alongside Hirate. They ranked 13th in the championship in 2020, and both drivers were retained for 2021.

In 2022, Mitsunori Takaboshi, a fellow NDDP graduate, replaced Hirate at NDDP Racing alongside Chiyo, coinciding with the debut of the new Nissan Z GT500. At long last, Chiyo won for the first time as a GT500 driver when he and Takaboshi won the Suzuka GT 300km Race. It was also the first win for the new Z in GT500. Chiyo scored his second career win at Sugo in September, winning in a wet race. Chiyo and Takaboshi would finish second in the GT500 championship standings, a career-best for both drivers.

Both drivers remained at NDDP Racing for the 2023 season. Chiyo and Takaboshi were leading the Suzuka GT 450km Race on 4 June when the race was red-flagged following a severe accident involving NISMO driver Tsugio Matsuda. Because they had not made two pit stops to fulfill the sporting regulations for the event, they were dropped from first to fourth in the final classification.

International GT racing Chiyo began racing in the Blancpain Endurance Series (now the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup) in 2014, driving a Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 for RJN Motorsport. He scored a podium finish at Circuit Paul Ricard. Along with Alex Buncombe and Wolfgang Reip, Chiyo won the 2015 series. The trio won the 1000 km Paul Ricard and finished third in the final race of the series at the Nürburgring, taking the title by three points over the Bentley M-Sport entry of Steven Kane, Andy Meyrick and Guy Smith. In doing so, Chiyo became the first Japanese driver to win a championship in a top-level sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation, and the first to win a major sports car racing championship of any kind outside of Asia.

Chiyo competed in the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour as part of the Nismo Global Driver Exchange, driving a Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 with Buncombe and Reip. Chiyo was involved in a crash in the early stages of the race, ending the team's chances after 58 laps. Chiyo returned to the race in 2015, this time paired with Reip and Florian Strauss. The trio won the race after Chiyo took the lead with two laps remaining. In the 2016 race, Chiyo finished a close second driving with Kelly and Strauss.

In 2017, Chiyo participated in the Blancpain Endurance Series with Alex Buncombe and Lucas Ordonez with RJN who retired the Nissan GT Academy program to run a new program with Motul forming Motul Team RJN Nissan. Chiyo, Buncombe and Ordóñez withdrew the first race after Bentley Team M-Sport's driver Guy Smith caused a severe multi-car pileup accident which involved Chiyo. The team went on to finish twenty-third in the championship talley. Chiyo returned to the sport in 2019, driving for KCMG after RJN Motorsport withdrew the Nissan marque. He was teamed with Tsugio Matsuda and Josh Burdon. Chiyo was set to debut the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour with Burdon and Matsuda but withdrew the race after he crashed in the first practice which caused major damage to the Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3.

Super Formula (2018) Chiyo competed for one season in the Japanese Super Formula Championship, driving for B-Max Racing Team in 2018. His best finish was tenth place at the season-ending JAF Grand Prix Suzuka.

Racing record Career summary Season Series Team Races Wins Poles Podiums Points Position 2007 Formula Challenge Japan ? 12 0 0 0 0 28 15th 2008 Formula Challenge Japan NDDP 16 3 1 1 6 136 3rd 2009 Japanese Formula 3 Championship - National Team Nova 16 0 0 0 5 48 6th 2010 Japanese Formula 3 Championship - National Denso Team Le Beausset 16 1 1 1 7 66 3rd 2011 Japanese Formula 3 Championship - National NDDP Racing 14 5 5 3 10 89 1st 2012 Super GT - GT300 NDDP Racing 8 1 0 0 2 53 4th 2013 Super GT - GT300 Dijon Racing 8 0 0 0 0 2 28th Japanese Formula 3 Championship B-MAX Engineering 15 2 1 2 8 72 3rd Macau Grand Prix 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 15th 2014 Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro-Am Nissan GT Academy Team RJN 5 0 0 0 1 25 12th 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP910000N/ADNF GT Asia Series B-Max Racing Team 3 0 0 0 0 11 46th 2015 Super GT - GT300 Gainer 6 2 1 0 3 74 2nd Japanese Formula 3 Championship B-MAX Racing Team 2 0 0 0 0 4 10th Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro Nissan GT Academy Team RJN 5 1 0 1 2 62 1st2016Super GT - GT500MOLA700012312th Japanese Formula 3 Championship B-MAX Racing Team with NDDP131023346th 2017 Super GT - GT500 MOLA 8 0 0 0 1 29 12th Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Motul Team RJN Nissan 5 0 0 0 0 12 23rd Intercontinental GT Challenge Nissan Motorsport100000NC Motul Team RJN Nissan10000 2018 Super GT - GT500 NDDP by B-Max Racing 8 0 0 0 0 14 17th Super Formula B-MAX Racing Team 6 0 0 0 0 0 18th 2019 Super GT - GT500 Team Impul100000NCNismoReserve Driver Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup KCMG 5 0 0 0 0 0 NC Intercontinental GT Challenge50020831st 24H GT Series - A6-Pro100000NC Super Taikyu - ST-TCR Waimarama Kizuna Racing Team5001278.5‡5th‡ 2020 Super GT - GT500 NDDP Racing with B-Max800002913th Super Taikyu - ST-TCR Waimarama Kizuna Racing Team52014102.5‡ 2nd‡ 2021 Super GT - GT500 NDDP Racing with B-Max800013910th Super Taikyu - ST-Z Porsche Team EBI Waimarama6100152.5‡7th‡ 2022 Super GT - GT500 NDDP Racing8201266 2nd Super Taikyu - ST-Z Porsche Team EBI Waimarama5002180‡5th‡ 2023 Super GT - GT500 NDDP Racing7100363 2nd Super Taikyu - ST-Z Porsche Team EBI Waimarama6022150‡8th‡2024 Super GT - GT500 NISMO80012458th Super Taikyu - ST-Q2025 Super GT - GT500 NISMO81012496th Super Taikyu ST-TCR Waimarama Racing621NA5122‡ 1st‡ 2026 Super GT - GT500 NISMO * Season still in progress.

‡ Team standings.

Complete Super GT results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Pts 2012 NDDP Racing Nissan GT-R GT300 OKA FUJ SEP SUG SUZ FUJ AUT MOT 4th 53 2013 Dijon Racing Nissan GT-R GT300 OKA FUJ SEP SUG SUZ FUJ AUT MOT 28th 2 2015 GAINER Nissan GT-R GT300 OKA FUJ CHA FUJ SUZ SUG AUTMOT 2nd 74 2016 MOLA Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ AUT SUG FUJ SUZ CHA MOT 12th 23 2017 MOLA Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ AUT SUG FUJ SUZ CHA MOT 12th 29 2018 NDDP by B-Max Racing Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SUZ CHA FUJ SUG AUT MOT 17th 14 2019 Team Impul Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SUZ CHA FUJ AUT SUG MOT NC 0 2020 NDDP Racing with B-Max Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 GT500 FUJ FUJ SUZ MOT FUJ SUZ MOT FUJ 13th29 2021 NDDP Racing with B-Max Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ MOT SUZ SUG AUT MOT FUJ 10th 39 2022 NDDP Racing Nissan Z NISMO GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SUZ FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT 2nd 662023 NDDP Racing Nissan Z NISMO GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SUZ FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT 2nd 63 2024 NISMO Nissan Z NISMO GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SUZ FUJ SUG AUT MOT SUZ 8th 45 2025 NISMO Nissan Z NISMO GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SEP FS1 FS2 SUZ SUG AUT MOT 6th 49 2026 NISMO Nissan Z NISMO GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SEP FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT ‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed. (Number) Driver did not take part in this sprint race, points are still awarded for the teammate's result. * Season still in progress.

Complete Super Formula results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 DC Pts 2018 B-Max Racing Team SUZ AUT SUG FUJ MOT OKA SUZ 18th 0

Complete Intercontinental GT Challenge results Year Manufacturer Car 1 2 3 4 Pos. Points 2016 Nissan Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 (2016) BAT SPA SEP 1st 58 2017 Nissan Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 (2017) BAT SPA LAG 10th 12 2018 Nissan Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 (2018) BAT SPA SUZ LAG 19th 12 * Season still in progress.

Complete Bathurst 12 Hour results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2014 NISMO Athlete Global Team Alex Buncombe Wolfgang Reip Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 A 58 DNF DNF 2015 NISMO Athlete Global Team Wolfgang Reip Florian Strauss Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 AA 269 1st 1st 2016 NISMO Athlete Global Team Rick Kelly Florian Strauss Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 AP 297 2nd 2nd 2017 Nissan Motorsport Alex Buncombe Michael Caruso Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 APP 174 32nd 8th 2019 KCMG Josh Burdon Tsugio Matsuda Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 APP 301 15th 10th

References

External links