Takashi Kogure

Takashi Kogure is a Japanese racing driver who currently competes in the Japanese Super GT Series with Honda. He debuted in the Japanese GT championship in 2003, reaching the peak in 2010 when he became GT500 class champion.

Until 2017, Kogure also competed in Japanese Super Formula Championship. His career-best result in open-wheel racing was the third place in Formula Nippon in 2007. Early in a career, Kogure was the Japanese Formula 3 champion in 2002.

Takashi Kogure

Successful progress through junior open-wheel categories

Born in August 1980, Takashi Kogure entered the world of racing in 1996, starting a career in karting competitions.  Ha made a step up into car racing in 1999, entering the Formula Japan 1600. In 2000, he finished fifth in Formula Toyota and then made a debut in Formula 3 in 2001. Without wins or podiums, he finished 11th in the points.

Next year, in 2002, he joined Mugen Dome Project and dominantly won the Japanese Formula 3 Championship title. He was a race winner eleven times in twenty races. He also recorded great results in non-championship races, finishing third at F3 Macau Grand Prix and second at F3 Korea Super Prix.

Formula Nippon and GT Championship debut in 2003

In 2003, Kogure made a debut in two major national championships – Formula Nippon and Japanese GT Championship. Driving the #1 Lola-Mugen for Nakajima Racing in Formula Nippon, he scored one podium to finish tenth in the points. In GT Championship, he joined Nakajima Racing in three events, driving the #64 Honda NSX alongside Tsugio Matsuda.

In 2004, Kogure focused to Formula Nippon only, driving the #32 Lola-Mugen for Nakajima Racing. He scored his maiden victory in the season-opening race at Suzuka. He was seventh in the points at the end of the season.

Double programme again since 2005

Kogure returned to a double programme again in 2005, driving for Nakajima Racing in the Formula Nippon and for Dome Project in the newly renamed Super GT Series.

He was fifth in Formula Nippon with three podiums and 19th in Super GT Series with one podium. His co-driver in the #18 Honda NSX was Ryo Michigami. Their best result was the second place at Suzuka 1000, where the third driver was Katsutomo Kaneishi.

Takashi Kogure spent many years in the #18 Honda

Maiden Super GT win for the third place in the championship

In 2006, Kogure and Michigami stayed together in the #18 Honda. Kogure scored his maiden Super GT victory in the second round at Okayama. They added one more podium later in the season to finish third in the championship points.

In the 2006 Formula Nippon, Kogure joined Autobacs Racing Team Aguri to drive the #56 Lola-Honda. In nine events, he was on a pole position five times but his best result in races was the fourth place and he finished just 12th in the points.

Three wins, third place in 2007 Formula Nippon

Kogure proved that he's fast qualifier again in 2007, scoring four pole positions in Super GT Series and four poles in Formula Nippon. In GT championship, he converted those pole positions into one victory, at Motegi, to finish fourth in the points.

In Formula Nippon, he won three times in Nakajima Racing's #32 Lola-Honda but finished just third in the points. Satoshi Motoyama, who also won three times, was fourth. The champion was Tsugio Matsuda, who didn't win any race that year.

Takashi Kogure during an F1 test in 2008

Test drive in Formula One with Honda

In 2008, Kogure continued with a double programme with same teams, driving for Nakajima racing in Formula Nippon and for Dome Racing in Super GT. Without wins, he was fifth in Formula Nippon. In Super GT, he and Ryo Michigami won a race at Sugo to finish sixth in the points.

That season was marked by Kogure's appearance in Formula One. In January, Honda invited him to participate in Formula 1 test at Circuit Ricardo Tormo. He was driving a Honda RA107 F1 car, the 2007's model which Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello were using in the championship.

Takashi Kogure and Loic Duval - 2010 Super GT champions

Super GT champion in 2010

In 2009, Kogure was pretty successful in Formula Nippon, scoring two wins and finishing fourth in the points. In the 2009 Super GT season, he and Ryo Michigami were sharing the #18 Honda NSX, scoring two podiums for the sixth place at the end of the season.

A change of a co-driver and a car followed in 2010 and it brought the championship title to Kogure. He was sharing the #18 Honda HSV-010 GT with Loic Duval. They won one race and added three more podiums.

Celebrating a victory at Suzuka in 2011

Victory at Suzuka in the #1 Honda

As a defending champions, Kogure and Duval were driving the #1 Honda HSV-010 GT in 2011. They won two races, including Suzuka's Pokka GT Summer Special, but finished only third in the championship points. In Formula Nippon, Kogure took one podium with Nakajima Racing to finish seventh in the points.

Carlo van Dam was Kogure's new co-driver in the #18 Honda in 2012. They were race winners at Sepang and finished sixth in the final standings. In the 2012 Formula Nippon, Kogure scored no wins or podiums to finish 10th in the points.

Takashi Kogure was driving the #100 Honda in 2013 and 2014

Moving to the #100 Honda in 2013

After almost a decade in the #18 Honda, Kogure moved to the #100 Honda HSV-010 GT for the 2013 Super GT season, joining Team Kunimitsu. His new co-driver was Takuya Izawa. They won the season-opening race at Okayama and finished tenth in the championship.

In 2013, Formula Nippon has been renamed to Super Formula. Kogure stayed with Nakajima Racing, scored two podiums and finished seventh in the points. In 2014, Kogure was sharing the #100 Honda with Hideki Mutoh, scoring no wins or podiums to finish 14th in the points. Kogure was also winless in the 2014 Super Formula season.

Takashi Kogure with Honda teammates in 2016

Leaving Super Formula at the end of 2017

For the season 2015, Kogure changed teams in both competitions. In Super GT Series, he joined Drago Modulo Honda Racing to drive the #15 Honda NSX Concept-GT alongside Oliver Turvey. In Super Formula, he was driving the #34 Honda for Drago Corse. Kogure was without wins or podiums in both championships.

The draught continued in 2016 when he stayed with Drago Corse in the Super Formula and joined Keihin Real Racing in Super GT Series. He and Koudai Tsukakoshi scored just one podium in the #17 Honda.

In 2017, what was Kogure's last season in the Super Formula, he was driving the #50 Honda for B-Max Racing Team, finishing last without points. In the 2017 Super GT season, he and Tsukakoshi were on a podium twice, finishing tenth in the points.

Victory for Takashi Kogure (right) and Koudai Tsukakoshi in the first race the 2018 Super GT season

Victorious start of the 2018 Super GT season

In 2018, Kogure's only job was to drive the #17 Honda NSX for Real Racing in the Super GT Series, sharing a car with Koudai Tsukakoshi. A duo in the #17 Honda had a dreamy start of the year, taking a pole position for the season-opening race at Okayama and converting it into a victory.

Later in the season, the results were not so good and they added just one more podiums to their account, finishing seventh in the championship points.

Takashi's workplace is the #17 Honda NSX

Photos: Takashi Kogure, XPB Images,