42 Facts About Manabu Orido

Manabu "MAX" Orido is a Japanese professional racing driver.

Manabu Orido began his racing career as a street racer and then progressed to touge racing.

Manabu Orido made his professional racing debut in 1990, where, sponsored by the Bandoh Chain of Commerce, Orido entered a drift contest organized by the automobile magazine CARBOY.

Manabu Orido emerged as the grand champion and promptly moved on to circuit racing.

In 1992, Manabu Orido made his debut in the Fuji Freshman race for Yokohama Rubber.

Manabu Orido continued to occasionally compete in One-make racing series, even amid discussions of banning drivers who had won points in the Japanese Touring Car Championship races from competing in the series.

In 2000, Manabu Orido moved up to GT500, racing for Team Tsuchiya Engineering in the Toyota Supra alongside Mitsuhiro Kinoshita.

Manabu Orido returned to Team Tsuchiya in 2004, with Schwagger making the move to partner Manabu Orido once more for the season, their ADVAN Toyota Supra being the only Toyota team using Yokohama tires.

In 2008, Manabu Orido returned to the GT300 class, racing for Racing Project Bandoh, who debuted their new Lexus IS350 GT300 car mid-season.

In 2012, the team endured a rough start, with Manabu Orido's car finishing outside the points in the first race at Okayama, then retiring on the next two races at Fuji and Sepang, but bouncing back to finish 3rd in the next two races at Sugo and Suzuka, and ending the season with another 3rd-place finish at Twin Ring Motegi, placing 8th overall despite the dreadful start to the season.

The 2013 season for Manabu Orido was a disappointing one, with two retirements at Okayama and Fuji, and only three points scoring finishes at Sepang, Suzuka and Motegi.

Manabu Orido ended the season with 22 points and 14th overall.

The 20 points brought by the Sugo race win were the only points Manabu Orido scored during the 2014 season, ranking him 16th overall by the end of the season.

In 2015, Manabu Orido suffered three retirements but finished in the points for all but one of the other races in that season.

Manabu Orido ended the season in 11th place with 30 points.

Manabu Orido had a similar result for the 2017 season, with one podium finish and a season finish of 10th place with 28 points.

Manabu Orido returned to Team WedsSport Bandoh as an executive advisor for the 2018 season.

In 2019, Manabu Orido returned to race in Super GT for a full season with Team apr Racing driving the Toyota Prius PHV GR Sport GT300 alongside Hiroaki Nagai.

In 2022, apr Racing switched to the Toyota GR86 GT300, and Manabu Orido improved to winning one podium and one points finish.

Manabu Orido scored 14 points overall and finished in 19th place for the season.

In 2004, Manabu Orido joined the Choro-Q Racing Team to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Manabu Orido won the 3rd round and finished the season in 12th place.

Manabu Orido competed again in 2009 driving a Toyota Aristo JZS161, and finished in 15th place overall.

Manabu Orido had a podium finish at round 4 in 2010 and finished in 8th place overall, driving a Toyota Supra JZA80.

In 2011, Manabu Orido won the 3rd round of the championship, and finished the season in 13th place.

Manabu Orido finished in 16th place in 2012 and 2013, with a podium finish at round 4 in 2013.

Manabu Orido won the 4th round in 2015 at Ebisu, and finished the season in 23rd place after only competing in 2 rounds.

Manabu Orido has competed in the Formula Drift series for individual rounds, and regularly in Formula Drift Asia.

Manabu Orido joined frequent collaborator Team RS-R in the Formula D Asia series from 2011 onwards.

In 2010, Manabu Orido joined the Petronas Syntium team in the 24H Series, driving a BMW Z4 M Coupe in the A5 class.

Manabu Orido raced with Team JLOC in the 2012 and 2013 Dubai 24 Hour.

Since 2018, Manabu Orido has raced in the Super Taikyu Series for D'station Racing.

Manabu Orido finished with a class 2nd place again in 2021, with 2 wins and 4 podiums.

In 2022, Manabu Orido moved back to the ST-1 class, driving the Aston Martin Vantage GT8R, where he finished in 2nd place for the class, with 2 wins and 6 podiums.

In 2023, Manabu Orido participated in the GT World Challenge Asia championship series, driving a BMW M4 GT4 for the YZ Racing with Studie Team alongside Masaki Kano.

At Round 5 in Okayama, Manabu Orido made headlines after exiting his M4 GT4 and pushing it across the finish line, after running out of fuel on the final corner of the race which he had been leading until that point.

Outside his racing activities, Manabu Orido currently teaches safety driving at NATS.

Manabu Orido is famous for being one of the three main hosts of the Hot Version segments of the long running Best Motoring DVD series, his co-hosts fellow racing drivers Nobuteru Taniguchi and Keiichi Tsuchiya.

In 2013, Manabu Orido opened the 130R Yokohama professional driving simulator facility, where he acts as a coach for young drivers who want to improve their driving skills with the simulator.

Manabu Orido owns the RIDOX brand that sells custom aero parts for the fourth-generation Toyota Supra, with the parts designed in partnership with Varis and promoted using his personal time attack Toyota Supra.

In 2018, Manabu Orido launched the AKEa brand which specializes in body kits and other car exterior parts, as his own personal line of aero parts for modern cars.

Manabu Orido has released "Max Orido x AKEa" kits for the first- and second-generation Toyota 86 and fifth-generation Toyota Supra.