Kosuke Matsuura

Kosuke Matsuura (松浦 孝亮, Matsūra Kōsuke, born September 4, 1979) is a Japanese race car driver currently competing in the Super GT series. He previously competed in the Formula Nippon and IRL IndyCar Series.

Kosuke Matsuura
松浦孝亮
Matsuura in 2010
NationalityJapanese
Born (1979-09-04) September 4, 1979
Aichi, Japan
IndyCar Series
Years active2004-2007, 2009
TeamsConquest
Aguri Panther
Aguri Fernandez
Starts65
Wins0
Poles0
Best finish13th in 2006
Previous series
2003
2001-2002
2000		Formula Renault V6 Eurocup
German Formula 3
Formula Dream
Championship titles
2000Formula Dream
Awards
2004
2004		IndyCar Rookie of the Year
Indy 500 Rookie of the Year

Early career

After winning the Japanese Formula Dream Championship in 2001, Kosuke attracted the attention of former Formula One driver Aguri Suzuki as a teenager and was placed into Suzuki's driver development program, the ARTA Project. He went on to finish 2nd in the 2002 German Formula Three Championship winning 2 races and finished 3rd in the 2003 European Formula Renault V6 Eurocup, winning 3 races before replacing Roger Yasukawa at Super Aguri Fernandez Racing in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series in 2004.

IRL IndyCar Series

In 2004, he was the Bombardier Rookie of the Year, finishing 14th in points. He was also the 2004 Bank One Rookie of the Year for the 2004 Indianapolis 500.

Matsuura driving in the 2005 Indianapolis 500

In 2005, he again drove for Super Aguri Fernandez Racing, and again finished 14th in the Championship with a best place finish of 6th in the two road course races. He continued with the team in 2006 and finished a career best 13th in points with a best finish of 6th.

For 2007, Autobacs Racing Team Aguri switched allegiance to Panther Racing, teaming Matsuura with Vítor Meira.

During the 2007 IndyCar Series season, Matsuura retired from 6 of the first 11 races and finished no better than 8th in the others. His struggles prompted speculation from media and fans that he might be dropped by Panther Racing, culminating on July 20, 2007, when Speed TV posted an article on its website stating that Matsuura would be immediately replaced by Autobacs Racing Team Aguri Indy Pro Series driver Hideki Mutoh. While the report was incorrect[1] and the article has since been removed,[2] it did little to stop speculation that Matsuura would be replaced following the 2007 season.

On August 5, 2007, Matsuura matched a career best with a 4th-place finish at the Firestone Indy 400 at Michigan. This prompted Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network play-by-play Mike King to suggest that the finish may help him stay in IndyCar Series for the 2008 season. The finish, however, only came in the aftermath of his avoiding a major back straightaway incident involving most of the front half of the field.

For 2008 after longtime sponsors Panasonic switched their sponsorship to Hideki Mutoh of the Andretti Green Racing team in the IndyCar Series, Kosuke returned to Japan to compete in the Formula Nippon Series.

In August 2009, Conquest Racing announced that Matsuura would drive for them at the 2009 Indy Japan 300 in a car sponsored by CLICK Securities Inc.[3] Matsuura finished 17th for the part-time team.

Motorsports career results

American Open-Wheel racing results

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

IndyCar Series
Year Team Chassis No. Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points Ref
2004 Super Aguri Fernandez Racing G-Force GF09B 55 Honda HI4R V8 HMS
11		 PHX
11		 MOT
8		 INDY
11		 TXS
16		 RIR
14		 KAN
18		 NSH
9		 MIL
10		 MIS
17		 KTY
4		 PPI
13		 NZR
21		 CHI
21		 FON
13		 TX2
19		 14th 280 [4]
2005 Panoz GF09C Honda HI5R V8 HMS
12		 PHX
10		 STP
13		 MOT
9		 INDY
17		 TXS
7		 RIR
9		 KAN
20		 NSH
14		 MIL
11		 MIS
16		 KTY
8		 PPI
13		 SNM
6		 CHI
23		 WGL
6		 FON
19		 14th 320 [5]
2006 Dallara IR-05 Honda HI6R V8 HMS
6		 STP
7		 MOT
7		 INDY
15		 WGL
18		 TXS
8		 RIR
12		 KAN
8		 NSH
13		 MIL
17		 MIS
9		 KTY
19		 SNM
13		 CHI
11		 13th 273 [6]
2007 Panther Racing Honda HI7R V8 HMS
16		 STP
17		 MOT
18		 KAN
18		 INDY
16		 MIL
11		 TXS
9		 IOW
15		 RIR
17		 WGL
8		 NSH
16		 MDO
12		 MIS
4		 KTY
11		 SNM
10		 DET
5		 CHI
17		 16th 303 [7]
2009 Conquest Racing 34 STP LBH KAN INDY MIL TXS IOW RIR WGL TOR EDM KTY MDO SNM CHI MOT
17		 HMS 36th 13 [8]
Years Teams Races Poles Wins Podiums
(non-win)		 Top 10s
(non-podium)		 Indianapolis 500
wins		 Championships
5 3 65 0 0 0 22 0 0

Indianapolis 500
Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
2004 G-Force Honda 9 11 Super Aguri Fernandez Racing
2005 Panoz Honda 8 17 Super Aguri Fernandez Racing
2006 Dallara Honda 7 15 Super Aguri Fernandez Racing
2007 Dallara Honda 17 16 Super Aguri/Panther

Complete Formula Nippon 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 DC Points
2008 Dandelion Racing FUJ
12		 SUZ
16		 MOT
12		 OKA
13		 SUZ1
9		 SUZ2
Ret		 MOT1
10		 MOT2
6		 FUJ1
8		 FUJ2
1		 SUG
13		 18th 3.5

Complete Super GT results
Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Pts
2008 Team Kunimitsu Honda NSX GT500 SUZ OKA FUJ SEP SUG SUZ
2		 MOT AUT FUJ 19th 19
2009 Team Kunimitsu Honda NSX GT500 OKA SUZ FUJ
11		 SEP SUG SUZ FUJ AUT
6		 MOT 17th 5
2010 apr Toyota Corolla Axio GT300 SUZ
Ret		 OKA
5		 FUJ
9		 SEP
8		 SUG
3		 SUZ
Ret		 FUJ
C		 MOT
19		 10th 22
2011 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri ASL Garaiya GT300 OKA
20		 FUJ
6		 SEP
5		 SUG
3		 SUZ
20		 FUJ
12		 AUT
13		 MOT
7		 12th 26
2012 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri ASL Garaiya GT300 OKA
6		 FUJ
4		 SEP
9		 SUG
9		 SUZ
4		 FUJ
5		 AUT
17		 MOT
21		 9th 33
2013 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri Honda HSV-010 GT GT500 OKA
9		 FUJ
8		 SEP
8		 SUG
1		 SUZ
12		 FUJ
8		 AUT
14		 MOT
15		 11th 31
2014 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri Honda NSX-GT GT500 OKA
8		 FUJ
Ret		 AUT
Ret		 SUG
15		 FUJ
10		 SUZ
4		 BUR
Ret		 MOT
12		 16th 14
2015 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri Honda NSX-GT GT500 OKA
4		 FUJ
13		 CHA
Ret		 FUJ
Ret		 SUZ
10		 SUG
12		 AUT
14		 MOT
11		 14th 10
2016 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri Honda NSX-GT GT500 OKA
Ret		 FUJ
6		 SUG
14		 FUJ
6		 SUZ
9		 CHA
8		 MOT
11		 MOT
13		 16th 16
2017 Nakajima Racing Honda NSX-GT GT500 OKA
12		 FUJ
13		 AUT
12		 SUG
8		 FUJ
12		 SUZ
1		 BUR
8		 MOT
10		 11th 32
2018 Nakajima Racing Honda NSX-GT GT500 OKA
15		 FUJ
Ret		 SUZ
10		 BUR
9		 FUJ
13		 SUG
13		 AUT
10		 MOT
12		 19th 4
2019 Team UpGarage Honda NSX GT3 Evo GT300 OKA
11		 FUJ
12		 SUZ
15		 CHA
24		 FUJ
4		 SUG
9		 AUT
10		 MOT
19		 22nd 13
2020 Team UpGarage Honda NSX GT3 Evo GT300 FUJ 1
22		 FUJ 2
18		 SUZ 1
2		 MOT 1
14		 FUJ 3
18		 SUZ 2
Ret		 MOT 2
16		 FUJ 4
25		 15th 15
2021 JLOC Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo GT300 OKA
21		 FSW
15		 TRM
Ret		 SUZ
16		 SUG
4		 AUT
25		 TRM
Ret		 FSW
15		 20th 8
2022 JLOC Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo GT300 OKA
 FSW
 SUZ
 FSW
 SUZ
 SUG
 AUT
 TRM

References
  1. Mutoh gets an IndyCar (in September), Retrieved August 5, 2007
  2. So Long Kosuke Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved August 5, 2007
  3. Matsuura to race in Japan Archived 2009-08-07 at the Wayback Machine, Indianapolis Star, August 4, 2009
  4. "Kosuke Matsuura – 2004 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  5. "Kosuke Matsuura – 2005 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  6. "Kosuke Matsuura – 2006 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  7. "Kosuke Matsuura – 2007 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  8. "Kosuke Matsuura – 2009 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
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