24h Le Mans
Though he started out on two wheels, the name Yoshimi Katayama, who passed away on March 26th, is inseparable from that of Mazda with whom he won three class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1983, 1984 and 1990.
It was at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, in 1979, that Yoshimi Katayama, moto world vice champion in 1967, scored his first international win claiming the first step on the podium in the GTU class with a Mazda RX-7. The Japanese driver repeated his performance three years later beforing debuting at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1983.
A very convincing debut with a win in the Group C Junior class along with another Japanese motorsports legend, Yojiro Terada, followed by another trophy the following year in a Lola powered by Mazda in the C2 class entered by the official BF Goodrich team.
In the wake of these great results, Yoshimi Katayama joined the official Mazda program vying for an overall win. After two retirements at Le Mans in 1986 and 1987 with the 757, he finished second in the GTP class in 1988 before winning two years later with the same No. 767 Mazda.
The Japanese driver retired from competition at the end of 1990. A few months later on June 23, 1991, Mazda became the first Japanese manufacturer to win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest extends its sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of Yoshimi Katayama.
Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY JUNE 11 1988. The No. 201 Mazda finished second in the GTP class thanks to Yoshimi Katayama, David Leslie and Marc Duez.
