# Kenji Takahashi (racing driver)

Kenji Takahashi (高橋 健二, Takahashi Kenji, 18 May 1946 – 1 January 2005) was a Japanese racing driver.

## Racing career

Takahashi began his racing career in 1969, driving a Datsun Sports in Minor Touring, a companion championship to the Fuji Grand Champion Series; he also raced a Nissan Fairlady Z and Sunny Coupe in these championships and winning a championship in the Sunny.
Takahashi was most commonly associated with the ADVAN brand of tires; he would most often be found racing a Porsche 956 or 962 alongside compatriot Kunimitsu Takahashi (no relation), usually with ADVAN branding. Takahashi won the 1985 and 1986 All Japan Endurance Championships as well as the 1990 Japanese Touring Car Championship; he is a two-time winner of the Suzuka 1000 km. Takahashi retired from racing in 1997.
Takahashi died of liver cirrhosis on 1 January 2005; he was 58 years old. Kunimitsu Takahashi, a close friend, eulogized him at his funeral.

## Racing record
### Complete FJ1300 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Chassis | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | DC | Points |
| 1974 | March 733 | SUZ | FUJ 1 | SUZ 6 | SUZ | SUZ | SUZ | | | ? | ? |
| 1975 | March 733 | SUZ | SUZ 3 | SUZ 2 | FUJ | FUJ | | | | ? | ? |
| 1975 | Alpine A364 | | | | | | MIN 3 | SUZ Ret | SUZ | ? | ? |
| 1976 | March 733 | SUZ | FUJ | SUZ 2 | SUZ | SUZ | | | | ? | ? |

### Complete All-Japan Formula 2000/Formula Two results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | Tire | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | DC | Points |
| 1976 | Murakami & Co. Tomei Jidosha | March 742 | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | D | FUJ Ret | SUZ 3 | FUJ Ret | SUZ Ret | SUZ 4 | | | | 5th | 28 |
| 1977 | Murakami & Co. Tomei Jidosha | March 742 | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | D | SUZ 12 | SUZ 8 | MIN Ret | SUZ 15 | FUJ 6 | FUJ 6 | SUZ 2 | SUZ 5 | 7th | 36 |
| 1978 | Murakami Shokai RS Watanabe Tomei | March 742 Kai | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | D | SUZ 8 | FUJ Ret | SUZ 2 | SUZ 2 | SUZ | MIN 3 | SUZ 3 | | 4th | 55 |
| 1979 | Murakami Shokai RS Watanabe Tomei | March 782 | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | | SUZ 5 | MIN 3 | SUZ 1 | FUJ Ret | SUZ 8 | SUZ 2 | SUZ 5 | | 3rd | 63 (66) |
| 1980 | Murakami & Co. Tomei Jidosha | March 782 | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | | SUZ 5 | MIN DNS | SUZ | SUZ | C | | | | 12th | 7 |
| 1980 | Team ADVAN | March 802 | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | Y | | | | | C | SUZ 10 | SUZ Ret | | 12th | 7 |
| 1981 | ADVAN Tomei Jidosha | March 802 March 812 | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | Y | SUZ 8 | SUZ 9 | SUZ 8 | SUZ 2 | SUZ 6 | | | | 6th | 29 |
| 1982 | ADVAN Tomei Jidosha | March 822 | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | Y | SUZ 4 | FUJ 1 | SUZ 3 | SUZ 5 | SUZ 6 | SUZ 9 | | | 4th | 50 (58) |
| 1983 | ADVAN PIAA Tomei | March 822 March 832 | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | Y | SUZ 8 | FUJ 1 | MIN 6 | SUZ 5 | SUZ 3 | FUJ 2 | SUZ 3 | SUZ 14 | 3rd | 71 (74) |
| 1984 | ADVAN PIAA Nova Tomei | March 842 | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | Y | SUZ Ret | FUJ 9 | MIN 10 | SUZ 6 | SUZ 12 | FUJ 7 | SUZ 12 | SUZ 9 | 11th | 15 |
| 1985 | Team ADVAN | March 85J | BMW M12/7 2.0 I4 | Y | SUZ 6 | FUJ 5 | MIN | SUZ Ret | SUZ 8 | FUJ 3 | SUZ 9 | SUZ 6 | 9th | 37 |
| 1986 | Team ADVAN | March 86J | Yamaha OX66 2.0 V6 | Y | SUZ Ret | FUJ 6 | MIN 7 | SUZ 10 | SUZ 10 | FUJ 8 | SUZ Ret | SUZ 10 | 12th | 16 |

### Complete Macau Grand Prix results

| Year | Team | Car | Qualifying | Quali Race | Main race |
| 1979 | Tomei Motor | Nova 53P | DNS | NC | NC |

### Complete JSPC results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Co-driver(s) | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | DC | Points |
| 1984 | ADVAN Sport Nova | Kunimitsu Takahashi Geoff Lees | Porsche 956 | C1 | SUZ | TSU | SUZ 1 | FUJ | | | | 9th | 20 |
| 1985 | ADVAN Sport Nova | Kunimitsu Takahashi | Porsche 962C | C1 | SUZ 3 | FUJ Ret | FUJ 1 | SUZ 1 | FUJ Ret | FUJ 1 | | 1st | 72 |
| 1986 | ADVAN Sport Nova | Kunimitsu Takahashi | Porsche 962C | C1 | SUZ 1 | FUJ 1 | FUJ 2 | SUZ Ret | FUJ 8 | FUJ 2 | | 1st | 70 |
| 1987 | Hoshino Racing | Kazuyoshi Hoshino Dave Scott | Nissan R87E | C1 | SUZ Ret | | FUJ Ret | SUZ 6 | FUJ 16 | SEN C | FUJ Ret | 30th | 9 |
| 1987 | Hoshino Racing | Kazuyoshi Hoshino | Nissan R86V | C1 | | FUJ 8 | | | | | | 30th | 9 |
| 1988 | Calsonic NISMO | Kazuyoshi Hoshino Toshio Suzuki | Nissan R88C | C1 | FUJ Ret | SUZ 6 | FUJ 7 | FUJ 5 | SUZ Ret | FUJ 9 | | 18th | 20 |
| 1989 | Ba-Tsu ADVAN Alpha Tomei | Kazuo Mogi Giovanni Lavaggi | Porsche 962C | C1 | FUJ 9 | FUJ 10 | FUJ Ret | SUZ Ret | FUJ 10 | | | ? | ? |
| 1990 | Taisan SG Alpha Racing | Will Hoy Stanley Dickens | Porsche 962C | C1 | FUJ | FUJ C | FUJ | SUZ | SUG 2 | FUJ | | ? | ? |

### 24 Hours of Le Mans results

| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
| 1987 | NISMO | Kazuyoshi Hoshino Keiji Matsumoto | Nissan R87E | C1 | 181 | DNF | DNF |

### Complete Japanese Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Co-driver | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | DC | Points |
| 1986 | STP/Ralliart | Kunimitsu Takahashi | Mitsubishi Starion | DIV.3 | MIN | SUG | TSU | SEN | FUJ Ret | SUZ | NC | 0 |
| 1987 | ADVAN Sports Tomei | Takao Wada | Nissan Skyline RS Turbo | DIV.3 | MIN Ret | SEN 3 | TSU 3 | SUG 4 | FUJ 7 | SUZ 7 | ? | ? |
| 1988 | Reebok Hasemi MS | Masahiro Hasemi | Nissan Skyline GTS-R | JTC-1 | SUZ 5 | MIN Ret | SEN Ret | TSU 8 | SUG 5 | FUJ Ret | ? | ? |
| 1989 | Taisan ADVAN Alpha | Stanley Dickens | BMW M3 (E30) | JTC-2 | MIN 1 | SEN 1 | TSU 1 | SUG 1 | SUZ Ret | FUJ 1 | 1st | 126 |
| 1990 | Team Taisan | Will Hoy | BMW M3 (E30) | JTC-2 | MIN 7 | SUG Ret | SUZ 2 | TSU 2 | SEN 1 | FUJ Ret | 5th | 62 |
| 1991 | Team Taisan | Keiichi Tsuchiya | Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) | JTC-1 | SUG Ret | SUZ 2 | TSU 2 | SEN 3 | AUT 4 | FUJ 3 | 6th | 128 |

### Complete JGTC results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | DC | Points |
| 1996 | AI Auto Racing | Porsche 911 RS | GT300 | SUZ 6 | FUJ Ret | SEN | FUJ 4 | SUG 11 | MIN 9 | 12th | 18 |
| 1997 | AI Auto Racing | Porsche 911 RS | GT300 | SUZ Ret | FUJ Ret | SEN 11 | FUJ 9 | MIN 5 | SUG 11 | 19th | 10 |