17 Facts About Hiro Matsushita

1.

Hiroyuki Matsushita, known by Hiro Matsushita, is a Japanese businessman and former racing driver.

2.

Hiro Matsushita is the grandson of Konosuke Matsushita, founder of Panasonic, and son of Masaharu Matsushita, who served as the second president of Panasonic for sixteen years beginning in 1961.

3.

Hiro Matsushita was born in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, and graduated from Konan University.

4.

Hiro Matsushita began racing Formula Fords, the Class A of auto racing, in 1987.

5.

Hiro Matsushita started his career racing motorcycles in his home country between 1977 and 1979, before making the switch to four wheels.

6.

Hiro Matsushita began to make his name known by winning 1989 Toyota Atlantic championship with the largest point margin of all time.

7.

Hiro Matsushita then tried Formula Pacific in New Zealand and became the first Japanese driver to win the prestigious Lady Wigram Trophy Race.

8.

Hiro Matsushita graduated to Champ Car in 1990, scoring one point in his debut season.

9.

Hiro Matsushita became the first Japanese driver to race in the Indianapolis 500.

10.

Hiro Matsushita missed the 1992 Indy 500 after suffering a broken leg during a practice crash.

11.

Hiro Matsushita was sidelined for several weeks and missed the next six events as well.

12.

At the Phoenix race in 1994, Hiro Matsushita endured a horrific crash in which his car was cut in half by Jacques Villeneuve's car traveling at nearly full speed.

13.

Hiro Matsushita emerged from his destroyed car with only minor injuries.

14.

Hiro Matsushita was 11 laps behind the leader at the drop of the checkered flag.

15.

Hiro Matsushita holds the record for most starts in American Championship Car Racing history without scoring a Top 5.

16.

In 2001, Hiro Matsushita competed in the Baja 1000 off-road race, in a Mitsubishi Montero.

17.

In 1998, Nov 2, Hiro Matsushita was awarded Champion Culbs during the CART Year End Banquet at the Century Plaza in Los Angeles, California.