Toshi Arai | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | 25 December 1966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Related to | Hiroki Arai (son) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Toshihiro 'Toshi' Arai (新井敏弘, Arai Toshihiro, born December 25, 1966) is a Japanese rally driver and team owner. He is the first Japanese FIA world champion.[1]
Arai was born in Isesaki, Gunma. He made his debut in 1987 and drove for the Subaru World Rally Team in the Group N World Rally Championship from 1997 to 2000 and 2002–2003, and in the Group A Championship in 2000–2001.
In 2004 he established his own team, Subaru Team Arai, and won the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship for Drivers in 2005 and 2007 driving a Subaru Impreza WRX STI, which made him the first Japanese FIA world champion.[2] He scored class victories in Turkey, Japan and Australia on his way to the title.
He was also the winner of the short-lived FIA Teams' Cup in 2000.