# Seiji Ara

Seiji Ara (荒 聖治; Ara Seiji) (born May 5, 1974 in Chiba, Japan) is a Japanese race car driver.
He 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 he had competed in Formula Nippon (2001–2002), Japanese Formula 3 (1997–2000) and the Barber Dodge Pro Series (1995).
He 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 | Pos. | Class Pos. |
| 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 | ABU QR 12 | ABU CR Ret | SIL QR 14 | SIL CR 9 | BRN QR 15 | BRN CR 14 | PRI QR 12 | PRI CR Ret | SPA QR 17 | SPA CR 16 | NÜR QR 17 | NÜR CR 21 | ALG QR 11 | ALG CR 18 | NAV QR 13 | NAV CR Ret | INT QR 13 | INT CR 16 | SAN QR Ret | SAN CR 13 | 42nd | 2 |

### Complete JGTC/Super GT results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | DC | Pts |
| 2000 | TOM'S | Toyota Supra | GT500 | MOT 9 | FUJ Ret | SUG 8 | FUJ 14 | TAI 12 | MIN 9 | SUZ 12 | | | 21st | 7 |
| 2001 | Tsuchiya Engineering | Toyota Supra | GT500 | TAI 9 | FUJ 11 | SUG 11 | FUJ DNQ | MOT 7 | SUZ 7 | MIN 10 | | | 19th | 11 |
| 2002 | Tsuchiya Engineering | Toyota Supra | GT500 | TAI 6 | FUJ | SUG 11 | SEP Ret | FUJ 3 | MOT 9 | MIN 5 | SUZ 7 | | 16th | 32 |
| 2003 | Tsuchiya Racing | Toyota Supra | GT500 | TAI 10 | FUJ | SUG 4 | FUJ 14 | FUJ 17 | MOT 3 | AUT 12 | SUZ Ret | | 13th | 26 |
| 2004 | Team Cerumo | Toyota Supra | GT500 | TAI 5 | SUG 1 | SEP 7 | TOK 14 | MOT 10 | AUT 11 | SUZ 4 | | | 5th | 45 |
| 2005 | Kraft | Toyota Supra | GT500 | OKA Ret | FUJ 7 | SEP 12 | SUG 14 | MOT 11 | FUJ 16 | AUT 12 | SUZ 16 | | 19th | 4 |
| 2006 | Kondo Racing | Nissan Z | GT500 | SUZ | OKA | FUJ | SEP | SUG 10 | SUZ 5 | MOT 6 | AUT 14 | FUJ 3 | 16th | 28 |
| 2007 | Kondo Racing | Nissan Z | GT500 | SUZ Ret | OKA 15 | FUJ Ret | SEP 1 | SUG 10 | SUZ 10 | MOT 5 | AUT Ret | FUJ 5 | 10th | 34 |
| 2008 | Kondo Racing | Nissan GT-R | GT500 | SUZ 5 | OKA 8 | FUJ 11 | SEP 1 | SUG 8 | SUZ 7 | MOT 14 | AUT 16 | FUJ 15 | 14th | 34 |
| 2009 | Kondo Racing | Nissan GT-R | GT500 | OKA 1 | SUZ 8 | FUJ 4 | SEP 5 | SUG 13 | SUZ 11 | FUJ 13 | AUT 3 | MOT 11 | 8th | 48 |
| 2011 | Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOH | Lexus SC430 | GT500 | OKA 15 | FUJ 3 | SEP 11 | SUG 8 | SUZ 11 | FUJ 13 | AUT 7 | MOT 11 | | 13th | 18 |
| 2012 | Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOH | Lexus SC430 | GT500 | OKA 12 | FUJ 13 | SEP 9 | SUG Ret | SUZ 6 | FUJ 3 | AUT 3 | MOT 5 | | 9th | 36 |
| 2013 | Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOH | Lexus SC430 | GT500 | OKA 14 | FUJ 11 | SEP 15 | SUG 9 | SUZ 6 | FUJ Ret | AUT 13 | MOT 10 | | 14th | 9 |
| 2014 | BMW Sports Trophy Team Studie | BMW Z4 GT3 | GT300 | OKA 2 | FUJ 4 | AUT 15 | SUG 8 | SUZ 7 | FUJ 3 | BUR 2 | MOT 7 | | 3rd | 62 |
| 2015 | BMW Sports Trophy Team Studie | BMW Z4 GT3 | GT300 | OKA Ret | FUJ 6 | CHA 3 | FUJ Ret | SUZ 2 | SUG 19 | AUT 3 | MOT 9 | | 7th | 47 |
| 2016 | BMW Team Studie | BMW M6 GT3 | GT300 | OKA 3 | FUJ 24 | SUG 10 | FUJ 20 | SUZ DNS | CHA 6 | MOT 15 | MOT 12 | | 15th | 17 |
| 2017 | BMW Team Studie | BMW M6 GT3 | GT300 | OKA 13 | FUJ 7 | AUT 4 | SUG 16 | SUZ 6 | FUJ 11 | BUR 10 | MOT 13 | | 15th | 18 |
| 2019 | McLaren Customer Racing Japan | McLaren 720S GT3 | GT300 | OKA 19 | FUJ 14 | SUZ 13 | CHA | FUJ Ret | AUT 2 | SUG 12 | MOT 7 | | 15th | 20 |
| 2020 | BMW Team Studie × CSL | BMW M6 GT3 | GT300 | OKA 15 | FUJ 22 | SUZ 21 | CHA Ret | SEP 9 | SUG 8 | AUT 18 | MOT 19 | | 26th | 5 |
| 2021 | BMW Team Studie × CSL | BMW M6 GT3 | GT300 | OKA 17 | FUJ 20 | SUZ 25 | MOT 25 | SUG 11 | AUT 13 | MOT 15 | FUJ Ret | | NC | 0 |
| 2022 | BMW Team Studie × CSL | BMW M4 GT3 | GT300 | OKA 24 | FSW Ret | SUZ 1 | FSW 21 | SUZ 12 | SUG 5 | AUT 12 | TRM 9 | | 11th | 29 |
| 2023 | BMW M Team Studie x CRS | BMW M4 GT3 | GT300 | OKA 6 | FUJ 13 | SUZ 1 | FUJ 2 | SUZ 16 | SUG 13 | AUT 8 | MOT 12 | | 6th | 43 |
| 2024 | BMW M Team Studie x CRS | BMW M4 GT3 | GT300 | OKA 3 | FUJ 11 | SUZ 7 | FUJ 7 | SUG 4 | AUT 4 | MOT 5$^2$ | SUZ 13 | | 5th | 43 |
* 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 3 | MOT Ret | MIN Ret | FUJ Ret | SUZ 9 | SUG 10 | FUJ 8 | MIN Ret | MOT 12 | SUZ Ret | | 12th | 4 |
| 2002 | Olympic Kondo Racing Team | SUZ 8 | FUJ 4 | MIN 9 | SUZ 10 | MOT Ret | SUG Ret | FUJ Ret | MIN 9 | MOT 11 | SUZ 10 | | 11th | 3 |
| 2006 | Kondo Racing Team | FUJ | SUZ | MOT | SUZ 10 | AUT 10 | FUJ 18 | SUG 13 | MOT Ret | SUZ Ret | | | NC | 0 |
| 2007 | TOM'S | FUJ 11 | SUZ Ret | MOT 15 | OKA 7 | SUZ 10 | FUJ 4 | SUG Ret | MOT 13 | SUZ 5 | | | 11th | 11 |
| 2008 | TOM'S | FUJ Ret | SUZ 11 | MOT 10 | OKA 10 | SUZ1 13 | SUZ2 11 | MOT1 7 | MOT2 1 | FUJ1 10 | FUJ2 10 | SUG 16 | 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 7 | TAI 9 | SEN 10 | SUG Ret | NC | 0 |
| 1999 | TOM'S | Toyota | SUZ 1 | TSU Ret | FUJ 3 | MIN Ret | FUJ 3 | SUZ 8 | SUG Ret | TAI 10 | MOT 4 | SUZ | 6th | 20 |
| 2000 | Toda Racing | Mugen | SUZ Ret | TSU 2 | FUJ 4 | MIN 5 | TAI 2 | SUZ 4 | SUG 3 | MOT 9 | SEN 3 | SUZ 3 | 3rd | 30 |