Keiji Matsumoto
NationalityJapanese
Born(1949-12-26)26 December 1949
Kyoto, Japan
Died17 May 2015(2015-05-17) (aged 65)
Previous series
1976–1977
1978–1986
1983–1989
1987–1992		All-Japan Formula 2000 Championship
Japanese Formula Two Championship
All Japan Endurance Championship
Japanese Formula 3000 Championship
Championship titles
1979
1983		Japanese Formula Two Championship
Fuji Grand Champion Series
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1986–1987
TeamsNISMO
Best finishDNF (1986, 1987)
Class wins0

Keiji Matsumoto (松本 恵二, Matsumoto Keiji, 26 December 1949 – 17 May 2015)[1][2] was a Japanese racing driver who competed at the top level of Japanese Formula racing, currently known as Super Formula, between 1976 and 1992. Under the Japanese Formula 2 moniker, he won the championship in 1979[2] and was runner-up to future Formula 1 driver Satoru Nakajima in 1982 and 1985.

Motorsport career

Matsumoto scored 11 wins and 29 podium finishes, seventh all-time in both accounts, over a 129-race career, which put him third in all-time Super Formula career starts behind generational peers Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Kunimitsu Takahashi. In a rare overseas foray in 1981, he also took part in the Donington "50.000", a race of the European Formula Two championship, crossing the finish line in 15th place.

Until 1989, he also dabbled in Japanese sports car racing, winning the Fuji Grand Champion Series in 1983,[2] and the Fuji 1000 km in 1985 and 1989.[3] In the 1985 win, Matsumoto, Hoshino, and Akira Hagiwara became the first Japanese drivers to ever win a race in the World Sportscar Championship;[4] Hoshino was actually the only one who got to drive the car before the race was stopped early due to heavy rain. Matsumoto also competed in the 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Hoshino and Kenji Takahashi as an official Nissan driver.[5]

Matsumoto was the first public face of Cabin Racing, begun by Japan Tobacco in 1986, and his appearance in TV commercials brought him wide public attention.[2] After retiring, he remained active in the Japanese motorsports scene and was a driver coach for Shintaro Kawabata, Ryo Michigami, Shinji Nakano, and Juichi Wakisaka among others.[6]

Personal life and death

Matsumoto was born in Kyoto Prefecture.[2] He died in Kyoto on May 17, 2015 after several years with cirrhosis.[1]

Racing record

Japanese Top Formula 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 DC Points
1976 Matsumoto Racing Union FUJ SUZ
Ret		 FUJ SUZ
8		 SUZ
Ret		 17th 3
1977 Matsumoto Racing Union SUZ
7		 SUZ
5		 MIN
3		 SUZ
6		 FUJ
9		 FUJ
10		 SUZ
7		 SUZ
Ret		 9th 32 (34)
1978 Matsumoto Racing Union SUZ
7		 FUJ
4		 SUZ
6		 SUZ
4		 SUZ
9		 MIN
2		 SUZ
11		 5th 50 (60)
1979 Diatone Racing SUZ
9		 MIN
1		 SUZ
3		 FUJ
1		 SUZ
5		 SUZ
1		 SUZ
5		 1st 79 (90)
1980 Diatone Racing SUZ
6		 MIN
3		 SUZ
Ret		 SUZ
Ret		 SUZ
1		 SUZ
4		 4th 42
1981 DHL Team Le Mans SUZ
1		 SUZ
11		 SUZ
2		 SUZ
9		 SUZ
Ret		 4th 37
1982 Team Le Mans SUZ
2		 FUJ
4		 SUZ
2		 SUZ
2		 SUZ
7		 SUZ
Ret		 2nd 55 (59)
1983 Team Le Mans SUZ
5		 FUJ
DSQ		 MIN
Ret		 SUZ
1		 SUZ
Ret		 FUJ
10		 SUZ
7		 SUZ
8		 8th 36
1984 Team Le Mans SUZ
3		 FUJ
Ret		 MIN
9		 SUZ
3		 SUZ
15		 FUJ
8		 SUZ
Ret		 SUZ
4		 5th 39
1985 Team Le Mans SUZ
1		 FUJ
6		 MIN
Ret		 SUZ
3		 SUZ
9		 FUJ
6		 SUZ
5		 SUZ
2		 2nd 67 (69)
1986 Team Le Mans SUZ
1		 FUJ
5		 MIN
1		 SUZ
5		 SUZ
5		 FUJ
5		 SUZ
Ret		 SUZ
Ret		 4th 72
1987 Cabin Racing SUZ
13		 FUJ
3		 MIN
3		 SUZ
4		 SUZ
4		 SUG
3		 FUJ
Ret		 SUZ
4		 SUZ
3		 4th 78
1988 Meiju Racing SUZ
13		 FUJ
6		 MIN
Ret		 SUZ
Ret		 SUG FUJ
Ret		 SUZ
16		 SUZ
Ret		 12th 1
1989 Wacoal Dome Racing Team SUZ
14		 FUJ
6		 MIN
6		 SUZ
Ret		 SUG
Ret		 FUJ
6		 SUZ
6		 SUZ
Ret		 14th 4
1990 Dome SUZ
3		 FUJ
Ret		 MIN
1		 SUZ
1		 SUG
Ret		 FUJ
14		 FUJ
Ret		 SUZ
7		 FUJ
13		 SUZ
Ret		 4th 22
1991 Dome SUZ
Ret		 AUT
Ret		 FUJ
2		 MIN
Ret		 SUZ
Ret		 SUG
Ret		 FUJ
24		 SUZ
12		 FUJ
C		 SUZ
18		 FUJ
Ret		 12th 6
1992 Dome SUZ
13		 FUJ
Ret		 MIN
Ret		 SUZ
Ret		 AUT
Ret		 SUG
Ret		 FUJ
9		 FUJ
Ret		 SUZ
9		 FUJ
14		 SUZ
NC		 25th 0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1986 Japan Nissan Motorsport Japan Kazuyoshi Hoshino
Japan Aguri Suzuki		 Nissan R86V C1 64 DNF DNF
1987 Japan Nissan Motorsport Japan Kenji Takahashi
Japan Kazuyoshi Hoshino		 Nissan R87E C1 181 DNF DNF

References

  1. 1 2 Brown, Allen (2021-03-19). "Driver: Keiji Matsumoto". Old Racing Cars. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "全日本F2などで活躍。松本恵二さん亡くなる" [Active in all-Japan F2. Keiji Matsumoto dies] (in Japanese). 2015-05-18. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  3. ↑ O'Connell, R. J. (2020-11-25). "10 outstanding Japanese drivers who never reached F1". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  4. ↑ O'Connell, R. J. (2020-03-18). "Rhapsody in Blue: The History of Calsonic & Nissan Racing". Daily Sportscar. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
  5. ↑ Cooper, Adam (2015-05-18). "Keiji Matsumoto 1949-2015". Adam Cooper's F1 Blog. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  6. ↑ O'Connell, R. J. (2020-10-25). "Last-To-First Victory & A Season Sweep For NISMO At Suzuka Circuit". Daily Sportscar. Retrieved 2021-05-23.



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