Seiji Ara

Seiji Ara (荒 聖治; Ara Seiji) (born May 5, 1974 in Chiba, Japan) is a Japanese race car driver.

Ara was the winner of the 24-hour Le Mans race in 2004, driving an Audi R8. In the same year, he also raced in the Le Mans Endurance Series and Japanese GT Championship.

In earlier years, Ara had competed in Formula Nippon (2001–2002), Japanese Formula 3 (1997–2000) and the Barber Dodge Pro Series (1995).

Ara made his World Touring Car Championship debut with Wiechers-Sport at the 2009 FIA WTCC Race of Japan.

Racing record

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2001 Viper Team Oreca Masahiko Kondo Ni Amorim Chrysler LMP LMP900 243 DNF DNF 2002 Audi Sport Japan Team Goh Hiroki Katoh Yannick Dalmas Audi R8 LMP900 358 7th 6th 2003 Audi Sport Japan Team Goh Jan Magnussen Marco Werner Audi R8 LMP900 370 4th 2nd 2004 Audi Sport Japan Team Goh Rinaldo Capello Tom Kristensen Audi R8 LMP900 379 1st 1st 2005 Jim Gainer International Ryo Michigami Katsutomo Kaneishi Dome S101Hb-Mugen LMP1 193 DNF DNF 2009 Navi Team Goh Keisuke Kunimoto Sascha Maassen Porsche RS Spyder Evo LMP2 339 DNF DNF 2012 Pescarolo Team Nicolas Minassian Sébastien Bourdais Dome S102.5-Judd LMP1 203 NC NC

Complete GT1 World Championship results Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Pos Points 2010 Swiss Racing Team Nissan ABUQR12 ABUCRRet SILQR14 SILCR9 BRNQR15 BRNCR14 PRIQR12 PRICRRet SPAQR17 SPACR16 NÜRQR17 NÜRCR21 ALGQR11 ALGCR18 NAVQR13 NAVCRRet INTQR13 INTCR16 SANQRRet SANCR13 42nd 2

Complete JGTC/Super GT results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Season still in progress.

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 2001 Cosmo Oil Racing Team Cerumo SUZ MOT MIN FUJ SUZ SUG FUJ MIN MOT SUZ 12th 4 2002 Olympic Kondo Racing Team SUZ FUJ MIN SUZ MOT SUG FUJ MIN MOT SUZ 11th 3 2006 Kondo Racing Team FUJ SUZ MOT SUZ AUT FUJ SUG MOT SUZ NC 0 2007 TOM'S FUJ SUZ MOT OKA SUZ FUJ SUG MOT SUZ 11th 11 2008 TOM'S FUJ SUZ MOT OKA SUZ1 SUZ2 MOT1 MOT2 FUJ1 FUJ2 SUG 15th 9

Complete Japanese Formula 3 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Pts 1998 Team G.R.P Toyota SUZ TSU MIN FUJ MOT SUZ SUG TAI SEN SUG NC 0 1999 TOM'S Toyota SUZ TSU FUJ MIN FUJ SUZ SUG TAI MOT SUZ 6th 20 2000 Toda Racing Mugen SUZ TSU FUJMIN TAI SUZ SUGMOT SEN SUZ 3rd 30