In a career spanning five decades, Takahashi was a pioneer for Japanese riders in grand prix motorcycle racing before embarking on a successful career on four wheels that took him to victories in single-seaters, sports prototypes and touring cars.
Since his retirement from professional racing at the age of 59, Takahashi has remained a fixture on Japan’s motorsport scene via team ownership, with his eponymous Team Kunimitsu outfit having scored two SUPER GT titles in 2018 and 2020.
Having emerged as a leading talent on Japan’s domestic bike racing scene in the late 1950s as a teenager, Takahashi was selected as a Honda works rider for the brand’s assault on the FIM Road Racing World Championship in 1960.
The following year, he became the first Japanese rider to win a race in any class when he took victory in the West German GP in the 250cc class at Hockenheim at the age of 21. He would pick up a further three GP wins in the 125cc class, all with Honda machinery.
A…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Autosport.com – All – Stories…