Ohta Lands Seven x Seven-Backed Proton LMP2 Seat

Factory Honda driver Kaku Ohta has landed a last-minute 24 Hours of Le Mans drive with the Proton Competition LMP2 team as part of a tie-up with Seven x Seven Racing.

The SUPER GT and Super Formula star will share Proton’s No. 9 Oreca 07 Gibson with Jonas Ried and Harry King for his debut in the French classic on June 13-14.

It comes as Proton unveiled a largely florescent yellow livery for Le Mans featuring prominent Seven x Seven Racing branding (below), extending a partnership that already existed between the two teams in the European and Asian Le Mans Series.

Ohta is no stranger to LMP2 competition, having contested two races in last year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the Era Motorsport team in between his commitments for Acura Meyer Shank Racing in the GTP class.

Explaining how the move came about, the Japanese driver revealed to Sportscar365 that he was approached by Seven x Seven Racing owner/driver ‘Bankcy’ (real name Hiroyuki Ogawa), one of his competitors last season in Super Taikyu.

“I was contacted by ‘Bankcy’, the boss of Seven x Seven Racing,” Ohta said. “We knew each other from racing together in Super Taikyu, although we were not super close.

“We started discussing Le Mans after the Fuji SUPER GT round [in early May], but I still had to ask all my partners, particularly Honda, for their blessing. In the end, I am really happy that they said, ‘yes, you should try it’.

“I have done LMP2 races last year, so the team trusts my performance, and they are also aware of my performance in Super Taikyu as well.

“I hope I can show a good performance at Le Mans, but first I’m just very grateful to have this relationship and I can’t wait to work with them.”

Although best known for his exploits in his native Japan, Ohta has also become a fixture of international sports car racing with his outings in the WeatherTech Championship for Acura, his most recent outing coming in this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.

He has one final run in the No. 93 Acura ARX-06 to come in June’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen before the program is suspended at the end of the year.

“I hope that taking on this challenge will help my future within the Honda program,” added Ohta. “It’s a shame they decided to end the IMSA GTP program at the end of this year, but I hope they will be back in the near future.

“When they come back, then potentially I will be one of the main candidates for the driver lineup. That’s another reason I really wanted to do it.” 

Ohta also revealed that his presence at Le Mans will mean he has to sacrifice his seat for the Fuji 24 Hours, which he was due to contest in Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, as the race clashes with the Le Mans test day.

“I will miss the Fuji 24 Hours, as I will stay in France from the very beginning of June, so I have to thank Craft-Bamboo Racing for their their understanding,” he said.