Proton Competition and Japanese super-privateer team seven x seven Racing have announced a collaboration for this year’s 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This collaboration will see seven x seven Racing’s signature yellow and black livery on the #9 ORECA 07-Gibson LMP2, and the addition of star Japanese driver Kakunoshin Ohta to the driver lineup alongside the previously-confirmed duo of Jonas Ried and Harry King.
It will mark Ohta’s Le Mans debut, a milestone in a brief but compelling sports car racing career for the Honda factory driver and junior programme graduate.
Out west, he’s best known as an endurance driver for Acura Meyer Shank Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, but Ohta’s primary commitments in Japan are to Team HRC ARTA Mugen in the Autobacs SUPER GT Series GT500 class, and in the Japanese Super Formula Championship for Dandelion Racing.
Last year, Ohta ran a dual IMSA programme, running select races for both Meyer Shank Racing and Era Motorsport, driving an ORECA 07 LMP2 for the latter team at Sebring and Road America.
Though he has yet to win a race in either SUPER GT or IMSA, the 26-year-old currently leads the Super Formula Championship after winning the first two races of the season at Mobility Resort Motegi, and in the ENEOS Super Taikyu Series for Mercedes-AMG customer team Craft-Bamboo Racing.
In less than two years from its formation, seven x seven Racing has rapidly found success in multiple Japanese sports car racing championships.
On the domestic side, seven x seven Racing won its very first GT3 race in the 2024 SRO Japan Cup, went on to win the 2025 ENEOS Super Taikyu Series ST-X (GT3) class championship, and also broke a 13-year winless drought for Porsche in the SUPER GT GT300 class when King and co-driver Kiyoto Fujinami won at Autopolis last October.
The ambitious team owner and Bronze driver Hiroyuki “Bankcy” Ogawa has recently ventured out to compete in the 2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series and 2026 European Le Mans Series with Proton Competition, driving in the series’ respective (LM)GT3 categories in “Bankcy Racing” branded Porsche 911 GT3 Rs.
Images © seven x seven Racing, Jack Webster, GTA, Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific
