Riki Okusa

Riki Okusa
NationalityJapan Japanese
Born (1999-11-25) 25 November 1999 (age 25)
Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Super GT career
Debut season2022
Current teamNakajima Racing (GT500)
Racing licence FIA Silver
Car number64
Former teamsGAINER (GT300)
Starts16
Wins1
Podiums3
Poles1
Fastest laps0
Best finish3rd in 2022
Super Formula Championship career
Debut season2023
Current teamTGM Grand Prix
Car number53
Starts2
Wins0
Podiums0
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Previous series
2021
2020-22

2018		Porsche Carrera Cup Japan
Formula Regional Japanese Championship
Japanese Formula 3 Championship

Riki Okusa (大草 りき, Ōkusa Riki) (born November 25, 1999) is a Japanese racing driver. He currently competes in the GT500 class in Super GT for Nakajima Racing for the 2024 season and previously in the GT300 class in for GAINER, partnered with Hironobu Yasuda.[1]

Racing career

Early career

In 2018, Okusa made his formula racing debut in the final round of the Japanese Formula 3 Championship, finishing fifth in his first race.[2] The following year, he contested the shootout for Honda's Suzuka Circuit Racing School [ja] scholarship, but lost out to current Formula 2 driver Ayumu Iwasa. After spending 2019 starring in Super Taikyū, where he claimed the championship title in the ST-3 class, Okusa returned to formula racing in the inaugural season of the Formula Regional Japanese Championship, claiming the first podium of his formula racing career by finishing third in a one-off appearance at Fuji Speedway. In Super Taikyū, he switched to the ST-TCR class, ultimately finishing as championship runner-up alongside Katsumasa Chiyo and mentor Hironobu Yasuda. He returned to the Formula Regional Japanese championship in 2021 with his personal sponsor's eponymous team, PONOS Racing. Although he only competed in three rounds, Okusa managed to clinch third place in the standings, with 2 wins and seven podiums to his name. Okusa made another two cameos again at 2022 Formula Regional Japanese Championship with Sutekina Racing, claiming a win, a pole position, and three podiums.

Super GT

Okusa made his debut in Super GT's GT300 class with GAINER, paired up alongside Ryūichiro Tomita and third driver Yūsuke Shiotsu.[3] Okusa made an immediate impact, qualifying in third on debut in Okayama and taking his first win at the next round at Fuji Speedway. He would ultimately take his maiden pole position and two more podiums throughout the season to finish third in the standings, three points behind the championship-winning car of Kondō Racing. In 2023, Okusa paired up with his longtime mentor and 2008 GT300 class champion Hironobu Yasuda.[1]

Okusa will move to GT500, as he moves to Nakajima Racing alongside Takuya Izawa.[4]

Super Formula

Okusa makes his Super Formula debut with TGM Grand Prix, replacing the outgoing Toshiki Oyu at Suzuka Circuit.[5] He performed admirably on debut, finishing ahead of full-time teammate Cem Bölükbaşı in both races.

Racing record

Career summary

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles FLaps Podiums Points Position
2018 Japanese Formula 3 Championship Hanashima Racing 2 0 0 0 0 2 10th
Super Taikyu - ST3 Techno First Racing Team 6 0 0 0 1 71.5‡ 6th‡
2019 Super Taikyu - ST3 Techno First 6 2 0 0 2 122‡ 1st‡
2020 Formula Regional Japanese Championship Zap Speed 2 0 0 0 1 25 14th
Super Taikyu - ST-TCR Waimarama Kizuna Racing 5 2 0 2 4 102.5‡ 2nd‡
2021 Formula Regional Japanese Championship PONOS Racing 7 2 4 2 7 140 3rd
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Porsche Japan 11 0 0 0 2 144 4th
Super Taikyu - ST-Z Porsche Team EBI Waimarama 6 1 0 0 1 52.5‡ 7th‡
2022 Super GT - GT300 GAINER 8 1 1 0 3 49 3rd
Formula Regional Japanese Championship Sutekina Racing 6 1 2 1 3 63 10th
Super Taikyu - ST-Z Porsche Team EBI Waimarama 6 1 1 3 2 80‡ 5th‡
2023 Super GT - GT300 GAINER 8 0 0 0 0 16 17th
Super Formula TGM Grand Prix 2 0 0 0 0 0 23rd
Super Taikyu - ST-Z Techno First 7 1 1 0 2 99‡ 3rd‡
2024 Super GT Modulo Nakajima Racing
Super Taikyu - ST-Z Techno First

‡ Team standings

Complete Formula Regional Japanese Championship results

(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 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pos Points
2020 Zap Speed FUJ1
1
 FUJ1
2
 FUJ1
3
 SUG
1
 SUG
2
 SUG
3
 FUJ2
1
5 		FUJ2
2
3 		MOT
1
 MOT
2
 OKA
1
 OKA
2
 AUT
1
 AUT
2
 14th 25
2021 PONOS Racing OKA
1
 OKA
2
 OKA
3
 MOT
1
1 		MOT
2
2 		MOT
3
1 		FUJ
1
 FUJ
2
 FUJ
3
 SUG
1
2 		SUG
2
2 		SUZ
1
2 		SUZ
2
2 		3rd 140
2022 Team Sutekina FUJ1
1
 FUJ1
2
 FUJ1
3
 OKA
1
 OKA
2
 OKA
3
 MOT
1
 MOT
2
 MOT
3
 SUG
1
6 		SUG
2
Ret 		SUG
3
3 		FUJ2
1
1 		FUJ2
2
3 		FUJ2
3
Ret 		SUZ
1 		SUZ
2 		10th 63

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 8 9 DC Points
2023 TGM Grand Prix FUJ FUJ SUZ AUT SUG FUJ
 MOT
 SUZ
18 		SUZ
13 		23rd 0

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 DC Pts
2022 GAINER Nissan GT-R GT300 OKA
6 		FUJ
1 		SUZ
15 		FUJ
22 		SUZ
2 		SUG
3 		AUT
7 		MOT
8 		3rd 49
2023 OKA
11 		FUJ
5 		SUZ
8 		FUJ
7 		SUZ
13 		SUG
9 		AUT
10 		MOT
16 		17th 16
2024 Modulo Nakajima Racing Honda Civic Type R-GT GT500 GT500 OKA
10 		FUJ
12 		SUZ
13 		FUJ
6 		SUG
14 		AUT
Ret 		MOT
10 		SUZ
13 		13th 11

References

  1. ^ a b "Nissan/NISMO announces teams for 2023 Super GT and GT4 programs". NISMO. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Japanese Formula 3 Championship - Round 18/19 Fuji - Entry List". j-formula3.com. Japanese Formula 3 Championship. 12 October 2018. Archived from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Gainer Announces 2022 Super GT Drivers". dailysportscar.com. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  4. ^ O’Connell, RJ (12 December 2023). "Honda Announces 2024 GT500 Drivers". dailysportscar.com. Dailysportscar. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  5. ^ "TGM signs rookie Okusa for Suzuka Super Formula round". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 2023-10-25.