# Morio Nitta

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Japanese racing driver

Morio Nitta Nationality Japanese Born (1967-01-30) 30 January 1967 (age 59) Tokyo, Japan Super GT career Debut season 1994 Current team K-tunes racing Categorisation FIA Bronze Car number 96 Former teams Osuka Racing, Team Taisan Jr., apr, Momo Corse Racing Team with Tsuchiya, Super Autobacs Racing with A'PEX, Autobacs Racing Team Aguri, LM corsa, INGING & Arnage Racing Starts 232 Wins 22 Podiums 56 Poles 7 Fastest laps 10 Best finish 1st in 1996, 1999, 2002 Previous series 1986 1987–1996 1988–1992 Fuji Freshman Race Japanese Touring Car Championship Japanese Formula 3 Championship Championship titles 1990 1996, 1999, 2002 Japanese Touring Car Championship Super GT

**Morio Nitta** (新田 守男, *Nitta Morio*; born 30 January 1967)[1] is a Japanese racing driver currently competing in the [Super GT Series](/source/Super_GT_Series) for K-tunes Racing. He is a three-time champion of the GT300 class, winning the championship in [1996](/source/1996_All_Japan_Grand_Touring_Car_Championship), [1999](/source/1999_All_Japan_Grand_Touring_Car_Championship), and [2002](/source/2002_All_Japan_Grand_Touring_Car_Championship).

Nitta is the current record holder for most races in any class of the [All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship](/source/All_Japan_Grand_Touring_Car_Championship)/Super GT Series, as well as the record holder for the most career wins, podiums, and points in the GT300 class.

As of 2023, Nitta is a Bronze rated driver under the FIA Driver Categorisation system.[2]

## Early racing career

Nitta began his professional racing career in 1986, participating in the [Fuji Freshman Race](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fuji_Freshman_Race&action=edit&redlink=1).[3]

He would later compete in the [Japanese Formula 3 Championship](/source/Japanese_Formula_3_Championship) and the [Japanese Touring Car Championship](/source/Japanese_Touring_Car_Championship), where he and Keiichi Suzuki won the JTC-3 class Championship in [1990](/source/1990_Japanese_Touring_Car_Championship) driving a Toyota Corolla Levin for Tsuchiya Engineering.

## JGTC/Super GT career

Nitta first competed in [Super GT](/source/Super_GT) in [1994](/source/1994_All_Japan_Grand_Touring_Car_Championship), the inaugural season of what was then known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) driving a [Porsche 964](/source/Porsche_964) at [Sportsland Sugo](/source/Sportsland_Sugo).[3]

He got his first full-time drive in the GT300 class with [Team Taisan Jr.](/source/Team_Taisan) in 1996. Joined by his former JTCC teammate [Keiichi Suzuki](/source/Keiichi_Suzuki_(racing_driver)), Nitta won three races and won the GT300 championship in his first full season. Nitta and Suzuki would go on to finish second in points the following year with two wins.

Nitta joined A'PEX in 1998, achieving a best finish of second at the Japan Special GT Cup at [Fuji Speedway](/source/Fuji_Speedway) alongside co-driver [Peter Dumbreck](/source/Peter_Dumbreck) in the #44 [Toyota MR2](/source/Toyota_MR2).

For the 1999 season, A'PEX formed a joint entry with Tsuchiya Engineering, and beginning at the All-Japan Fuji GT Race, Nitta would drive the #25 MR2 alongside [Shinichi Takagi](/source/Shinichi_Takagi). Nitta and Takagi won in their first race together, and with four podiums in the final six races, Nitta would win his second GT300 Championship by a single point over [Takeshi Tsuchiya](/source/Takeshi_Tsuchiya) (the son of Tsuchiya Engineering owner Haruo Tsuchiya) and [Yuji Ide](/source/Yuji_Ide).[4]

Driving the new third-generation Toyota MR-S sponsored by Super Autobacs, Nitta won the season finale at [Suzuka Circuit](/source/Suzuka_International_Racing_Course). A'PEX began a new collaboration with [Autobacs Racing Team Aguri](/source/Autobacs_Racing_Team_Aguri) (ARTA) in 2001, where Nitta and Takagi won the opening race at [TI Circuit Aida](/source/Okayama_International_Circuit). In 2002, the duo opened the season with another win at TI Circuit, then reeled off five top-five finishes in the final five races to win the championship.[5] Nitta became the first three-time GT300 champion in JGTC/Super GT history.

The racing division of A'PEX, which spun off from its parent company and rebranded as apr, ran the new [Nissan](/source/Nissan)-powered [ASL Garaiya](/source/ASL_Garaiya) for ARTA beginning in 2003. With the exception of 2006, when ARTA suspended its GT300 programme for a season, Nitta drove the Garaiya from 2003 to 2010. Alongside Takagi, Nitta won seven races in the Garaiya, and finished runner-up in the GT300 championship standings in [2004](/source/2004_All_Japan_Grand_Touring_Car_Championship) and [2008](/source/2008_Super_GT_Series).[6][7] During the 2006 season, Nitta drove a Toyota MR-S entered under the apr banner, and won the final round at Fuji after the [R&D Sport](/source/R%26D_Sport) Vemac 408R of Haruki Kurosawa and [Shinsuke Shibahara](/source/Shinsuke_Shibahara) ran out of fuel on the last lap.[8]

Nitta and Takagi went their separate ways after twelve seasons after the 2010 season. In 2011, Nitta would continue with apr, driving the mid-engine layout [Toyota Corolla Axio](/source/Toyota_Corolla_Axio) alongside Toyota Young Driver Program (TDP) prospect [Yuji Kunimoto](/source/Yuji_Kunimoto).

The Corolla Axio was replaced in 2012 by apr's new [Toyota Prius](/source/Toyota_Prius), the first hybrid GT300 vehicle to compete in Super GT. Nitta joined Koki Saga for the Prius' debut campaign where they were rewarded with a second-place finish at the summer race at Fuji. At the 2013 Fuji 500 km, Nitta and Saga gave the Prius its milestone first Super GT win for a hybrid vehicle.[9] Nitta scored two more podiums in 2014 at the wheel of the Prius.

His long association with apr ended after the 2014 season, and Nitta joined the LM corsa team in 2015 in their #51 [BMW Z4 GT3](/source/BMW_Z4_GT3) which was prepared by INGING Motorsport. LM corsa and INGING switched to a new [Ferrari 488 GT3](/source/Ferrari_488_GT3) for the 2016 season, and in 2017, INGING would enter the car in collaboration with Arnage Racing. Nitta's best result during this stretch was a second-place finish at Sugo in 2017.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Nitta joined the new K-tunes Racing LM corsa team in 2018, which received technical support from INGING. At the wheel of their new #96 [Lexus RC F GT3](/source/Lexus_RC_F_GT3), Nitta scored his first win in five years alongside [Yuichi Nakayama](/source/Yuichi_Nakayama) in the third round at Suzuka. Nitta and Nakayama also won the penultimate round in [Autopolis](/source/Autopolis), giving Nitta his 20th career win.[10]

K-tunes Racing spun off from LM corsa in 2019, and new teammate [Sena Sakaguchi](/source/Sena_Sakaguchi) joined Nitta in the #96 Lexus. The duo won a rain-shortened opening round at Okayama, the team's home race, then won the third round at Suzuka. With two wins and four podiums, Nitta and Sakaguchi finished second in the championship, and Nitta retook sole ownership of the career wins record, now at 22 career victories.

In 2022, Nitta and Takagi were reunited at K-tunes Racing for the first time since 2010.[11] They combined for six top-ten finishes that season.

## Outside Super GT

Before achieving success in JGTC/Super GT, Nitta entered the [24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps](/source/Spa_24_Hours) seven times from 1989 to 1998. His best result was 12th overall in 1989, driving a Toyota Corolla GT alongside Kaori Okamoto and [Hideshi Matsuda](/source/Hideshi_Matsuda).[12]

Nitta made his GT World Challenge Asia debut in the [2022](/source/2022_GT_World_Challenge_Asia) season finale at Okayama, driving a new K-tunes Racing Lexus RC F GT3. Nitta and Kazunori Suenaga would return to contest the full GT World Challenge Asia Japan Cup in [2023](/source/2023_GT_World_Challenge_Asia).[13]

## Racing record

### Complete Japanese Formula 3 results

([key](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Motorsport_driver_results_legend)) (Races in **bold** indicate pole position) (Races in *italics* indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Points 1988 UCLA Reynard 873 Toyota 3S-G 2.0 I4 SUZ TSU FUJ SUZ Ret SUG Ret TSU 18 SEN 13 SUZ DNS NIS 18 SUZ 10 NC 0 1989 Innoma House Gold Ralt RT32 SUZ FUJ SUZ TSU SUG TSU SUZ MIN SUZ DNQ SUZ NC 0 1992 Kanagawa Clinic Racing Team Ralt RT36 Ralt RT35 Reynard 923 SUZ DNQ TSU FUJ 19 SUZ DNQ SEN 20 TAI 27 MIN DNQ SUG SUZ NC 0

### Complete Japanese Touring Car Championship results

([key](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Motorsport_driver_results_legend)) (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 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 DC Points 1987 TOM'S Aramis 900 Toyota Corolla Levin Div. 1 MIN SEN TSU SUG FUJ Ret SUZ NC 0 1988 Unknown Toyota Corolla FX JTC-3 SUZ 11 MIN 8 SEN Ret NC 0 Toyota Corolla Levin TSU DNS SUG Ret FUJ Ret 1989 FET TOM'S JTC-3 MIN Ret SEN 7 TSU Ret SUG 7 SUZ 7 FUJ 7 NC 0 1990 Team ADVAN JTC-3 MIN 4 SUG 1 SUZ 4 TSU 1 SEN 3 FUJ 1 1st 104 1991 JTC-3 SUG 1 SUZ Ret TSU 1 SEN 7 AUT 5 FUJ Ret 3rd 56 1992 JTC-3 TIA AUT 1 SUG Ret SUZ Ret MIN 2 TSU 9 SEN 4 FUJ 5 11th 55 1993 JTC-3 MIN 3 AUT 4 SUG 4 SUZ 2 TIA 8 TSU 4 TOK Ret SEN 2 FUJ 2 6th 90 1994 Tsuchiya Engineering Toyota Corolla Ceres JTCC AUT1 AUT2 SUG1 Ret SUG2 Ret TOK1 TOK2 SUZ1 Ret SUZ2 23 MIN1 MIN2 TAI1 DNS TAI2 Ret TSU1 TSU2 SEN1 13 SEN2 12 FUJ1 FUJ2 NC 0 1996 Toyota Team FET Toyota Corolla AE110 FUJ1 FUJ2 SUG1 SUG2 SUZ1 SUZ2 MIN1 MIN2 SEN1 13 SEN2 12 TOK1 15 TOK2 13 FUJ1 DNS FUJ2 13 NC 0

### Complete Super GT results

([key](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Motorsport_driver_results_legend)) (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 Points 1994 Osuka Racing Porsche 964 RSR GT2 FUJ SEN FUJ SUG 5 MIN 18th 8 1996 Team Taisan Jr. GT300 SUZ 1 FUJ 2 SEN Ret FUJ 2 SUG 1 MIN 1 1st 90 1997 Porsche 993 RSR GT300 SUZ 4 FUJ 1 SEN 3 FUJ 1 MIN 3 SUG 2 2nd 89 1998 A'PEX Toyota MR2 GT300 SUZ 7 FUJ C SEN 6 FUJ 2 MOT 4 MIN 4 SUG Ret 3rd 45 1999 Momo Corse Racing Team with Tsuchiya GT300 SUZ 8 FUJ 1 SUG 2 MIN 2 FUJ 5 TAI Ret MOT 3 1st 73 2000 Super Autobacs Racing with A'PEX Toyota MR-S GT300 MOT 6 FUJ 10 SUG 6 FUJ 6 TAI Ret MIN 14 SUZ 1 7th 39 2001 ARTA with A'PEX GT300 TAI 1 FUJ 3 SUG Ret FUJ 5 MOT Ret SUZ Ret MIN Ret 7th 40 2002 GT300 TAI 1 FUJ Ret SUG 17 SEP 2 FUJ 4 MOT 5 MIN 5 SUZ 4 1st 75 2003 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri ASL ARTA Garaiya GT300 TAI 19 FUJ 3 SUG 4 FUJ 10 FUJ 6 MOT 2 AUT 5 SUZ NC 7th 55 2004 GT300 TAI 2 SUG 5 SEP 21 TOK 1 MOT 1 AUT 2 SUZ 2 2nd 92 2005 GT300 OKA 10 FUJ 2 SEP 1 SUG 18 MOT 3 FUJ Ret AUT 2 SUZ 8 3rd 74 2006 apr Toyota MR-S GT300 SUZ Ret OKA 9 FUJ 2 SEP Ret SUG 5 SUZ 3 MOT 10 AUT Ret FUJ 1 5th 60 2007 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri ASL ARTA Garaiya GT300 SUZ 18 OKA 17 FUJ 1 SEP Ret SUG Ret SUZ 2 MOT 3 AUT 5 FUJ 7 4th 66 2008 GT300 SUZ 5 OKA 1 FUJ 7 SEP 12 SUG 1 SUZ Ret MOT 9 AUT 2 FUJ 9 2nd 77 2009 GT300 OKA 2 SUZ 5 FUJ 1 SEP 10 SUG 9 SUZ 2 FUJ 7 AUT 4 MOT 14 5th 71 2010 GT300 SUZ Ret OKA 6 FUJ 2 SEP 2 SUG 6 SUZ 2 FUJ C MOT 12 2nd 55 2011 apr Toyota Corolla Axio apr GT GT300 OKA 6 FUJ 7 SEP 6 SUG 2 SUZ 7 FUJ 14 AUT 8 MOT 9 7th 38 2012 Toyota Prius apr GT GT300 OKA Ret FUJ 6 SEP Ret SUG 8 SUZ Ret FUJ 2 AUT 8 MOT Ret 10th 26 2013 GT300 OKA Ret FUJ 1 SEP Ret SUG 22 SUZ 15 FUJ 2 FSW AUT 15 MOT 20 8th 35 2014 GT300 OKA Ret FUJ 6 AUT Ret SUG Ret FUJ 6 SUZ 2 CHA 17 MOT 2 8th 43 2015 LM Corsa BMW Z4 GT3 GT300 OKA 9 FUJ 9 CHA FUJ 4 SUZ Ret SUG 9 AUT 17 MOT 15 17th 14 2016 Ferrari 488 GT3 GT300 OKA 5 FUJ 6 SUG 9 FUJ 11 SUZ 11 CHA 12 MOT 11 MOT Ret 16th 13 2017 INGING & Arnage Racing GT300 OKA Ret FUJ AUT 27 SUG 2 FUJ 14 SUZ 16 CHA 17 MOT 21 17th 15 2018 K-tunes Racing LM Corsa Lexus RC F GT3 GT300 OKA 14 FUJ 14 SUZ 1 CHA 10 FUJ 10 SUG 14 AUT 1 MOT 10 6th 45 2019 K-tunes Racing GT300 OKA 1 FUJ 16 SUZ 1 CHA 14 FUJ 15 AUT 5 SUG 3 MOT 3 2nd 58 2020 GT300 FUJ 11 FUJ 23 SUZ 28 MOT 4 FUJ 26 SUZ 5 MOT 17 FUJ 22 16th 15 2021 GT300 OKA 6 FUJ 14 SUZ 17 MOT 13 SUG 8 AUT 2 MOT 14 FUJ 19 12th 23 2022 GT300 OKA 27 FUJ 6 SUZ 7 FUJ 5 SUZ 25 SUG 9 AUT 8 MOT 6 16th 22.5 2023 GT300 OKA 14 FUJ 9 SUZ 22 FUJ 23 SUZ 8 SUG 8 AUT Ret MOT 5 18th 15 2024 GT300 OKA 6 FUJ 17 SUZ 9 FUJ Ret SUG Ret AUT 3 MOT 14 SUZ 9 13th 20 2025 GT300 OKA 6 FUJ 13 SEP 16 FUJ Ret FUJ 15 SUZ SUG AUT MOT 19th* 15.5*

* Season still in progress.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nitta_1-0)** ["2006 Driver Information"](http://supergt.net/archive/classic/supergt.net/supergt/2005/05team/05driver_data/05tm043d1.htm). *[Super GT](/source/Super_GT)* (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 June 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["2023 FIA Driver Rankings Published | dailysportscar.com"](https://www.dailysportscar.com/2022/10/07/2023-fia-driver-rankings-published.html). *www.dailysportscar.com*. Retrieved 11 July 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ktunes_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ktunes_3-1) ["新田守男 プロフィール"](https://www.inging.co.jp/GT300-50/nitta.html). *[INGING](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=INGING&action=edit&redlink=1)* (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 June 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["1999 AUTOBACS CUP GT Championship Round 7 - Race"](https://supergt.net/archive/classic/supergt.net/jgtc/ex/gtc_cham/1999e/99R7e/997race.htm). *supergt.net*. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["JGTC 2002 Round8"](https://supergt.net/archive/classic/supergt.net/jgtc/race/2002e/02r8e/028race.htm). *supergt.net*. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["JGTC.net | 2004 Round7 | Race Review"](https://supergt.net/archive/classic/supergt.net/jgtc/race/2004/04rd7/047race_en.shtm). *supergt.net*. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["SUPERGT.net | 2008 Round9 : Race Review"](https://supergt.net/archive/classic/supergt.net/supergt/2008/0809/0809racv_e.htm). *supergt.net*. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["SUPERGT.net | 2006 Round9 Race Review"](https://supergt.net/archive/classic/supergt.net/supergt/2006/06r09/0609race_en.shtm). *supergt.net*. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Rd.2 決勝GT500：一貴&ロシターがGT500初勝利！PETRONAS TOM'S SC430が優勝 | SUPER GT OFFICIAL WEBSITE"](https://supergt.net/news/single/14094?ln=en). *supergt.net*. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Rd.7 決勝GT300：巧みなレース戦略が決まってK-tunes RC F GT3が今季2勝目を挙げる！ | SUPER GT OFFICIAL WEBSITE"](https://supergt.net/news/single/18640). *supergt.net*. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Morio Nitta & Shinichi Takagi Reunited At K-Tunes Racing | dailysportscar.com"](https://www.dailysportscar.com/2022/01/24/morio-nitta-and-shinichi-takagi-reunited-at-k-tunes-racing.html). *www.dailysportscar.com*. Retrieved 11 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Spa 24 Hours 1989 - Race Results - Racing Sports Cars"](https://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc/results/Spa-1989-07-23.html). *www.racingsportscars.com*. Retrieved 11 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["K-Tunes, Comet, Spirit of FFF and AMAC join strong Am Cup class"](https://www.gt-world-challenge-asia.com/news/548/k-tunes-comet-spirit-of-fff-and-amac-join-strong-am-cup-class). *Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS*. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.

## External links

- [Morio Nitta](https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/morio-nitta) career summary at DriverDB.com

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Morio Nitta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morio_Nitta) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morio_Nitta?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.