On the eve of the 92nd annual 24 Hours of Le Mans, D’station Racing owner/driver Satoshi Hoshino announced that this will be his last start in the Grand Prix d’Endurance.
Hoshino (no relation to Kazuyoshi or Kazuki) made his first start at Le Mans in 2019 with Proton-Dempsey Racing, but Hoshino struggled for confidence and ultimately abandoned the race after a collision with the Corvette of Marcel Fässler.
But since returning to the race in 2021, Hoshino has demonstrated form closer to his track record as one of the best “Bronzes” in Japanese domestic competition.
The 1983 All-Japan Fencing Champion and CEO of holding company NEXUS (which owns the D’station chain of pachinko halls) won two Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Gentleman Class titles in 2012 and 2016, the Super Taikyu Series ST-X (GT3) Class title in 2021, and finished runner-up in the inaugural SRO Japan Cup in 2022.
With his driving coach and team’s managing director Tomonobu Fujii often driving at his side, Hoshino has also been a regular presence in the Asian Le Mans Series since 2019, and the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2021 to 2023.
In that time, D’station Racing has grown into one of the strongest privateer teams in Japan – giving the two latest iterations of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3s their first victories in worldwide competition, and also running at the highest levels of international sports car racing – growth that seems to be continuing year after year.
Hoshino has only taken the chequered flag at Le Mans once in four attempts – in 2021, he finished sixth in GTE Am, with Fujii and Andrew Watson. He has another chance to go out with at least a podium today, starting sixth in LMGT3 with co-drivers Marco Sørensen and Erwan Bastard.
DSC would like to wish Hoshino-san the best in his future plans.
Feature image © D’station Racing
