Naoki Nagasaka
Naoki Nagasaka (Japanese长坂 尚 树, Naoki Nagasaka; born April 24, 1953 in Aichi ) is a former Japanese racing driver.
Career
Naoki Nagasaka began his career in the early 1970s, the Japanese Monopostosport. He denied race in the Japanese Formula 2000 Championship and in the Japanese Formula Pacific; However, to be able to achieve without significant success. Beginning of the 1980s he moved to the sports car and touring car racing where einstellten the expected results quickly. His first major victory celebrated in 1980 at the 1000 - km race at Suzuka, which he won on a March 75S together with Hironobu Tatsumi. In 1982, he secured with four individual victories in a BMW M1 Rating Fuji Long Distance Series. In 1984, he won the overall title of the Japanese Sports Car Championship. A year later, and in 1987 he took the title of a Japanese Touring Car Champion.
As a factory driver from Toyota, the Japanese came in the 1990s to Europe and had a total of three times at the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the start. The best position in the overall standings, he reached in 1993 as a partner of Roland Ratzenberger and Mauro Martini with the fifth overall place.
After several years in the Japanese GT Championship - 1996 he was fourth in the overall standings - he ended after the 1997 season his racing career.