With the 2026 IndyCar Collection foolish season in full swing, Kakunoshin ‘Kaku’ Ohta is making a push to remind everybody he desires within the dialog.
The 27-year-old Japanese driver is a Honda manufacturing facility standout and present championship chief in Tremendous Formulation, the identical collection that aided the event of reigning and four-time IndyCar titlist Alex Palou, together with newly-crowned Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist. He’s additionally contesting the Tremendous GT championship, alongside choose appearances in IMSA.
#93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06: Renger van der Zande, Nick Yelloly, Kaku Ohta
Picture by: Jake Galstad / Lumen by way of Getty Pictures
Ohta is already a well-known title for a lot of, together with his Honda affiliation bringing him to North America for the primary time final season the place he ran the endurance rounds with Acura Meyer Shank Racing. Finally, it led to an IndyCar take a look at with Meyer Shank Racing at Mid-Ohio final October, the place he accomplished 104 laps.
Though Acura is about to pause its Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) program within the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on the finish of the 12 months, Ohta has nonetheless been known as upon to share the #93 Acura ARX-06 with Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. It marks simply his second IMSA begin of the 12 months following a fifth-place outing within the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Kakunoshin Ohta, Dandelion Racing
Picture by: Tremendous Formulation
General, Ohta finds himself in an attention-grabbing place given the looming standing of Acura’s IMSA program.
“It is a massive disgrace for me, however it’s what it’s,” Ohta instructed Motorsport.com. “I respect their choices. I am a Honda manufacturing facility driver. Now, I am doing Tremendous Formulation and Tremendous GT in Japan and representing Honda. I am unsure whether or not the choice of Acura leaving the IMSA paddock, that is going to have an effect on my future massively or not. However one factor I can say is I’ll miss Daytona and like some massive races in IMSA, which I actually needed to win.
“Yeah, but in addition I’ve a giant dream for IndyCar as effectively. And Honda additionally is aware of that. So, yeah, like, we’re nonetheless engaged on it.”
And contemplating it was lately confirmed that Meyer Shank Racing now has a emptiness to fill as Rosenqvist will depart at season’s finish, Ohta is keen for an opportunity to fill it and believes his Tremendous Formulation success will translate effectively.
“Yeah, I consider my pace is already on the degree of the IndyCar,” Ohta stated. “I am main the championship in Tremendous Formulation. Then Alex Palou and Felix Rosenquist each got here from the Tremendous Formulation. And so they had been each P3 within the championship (Palou, 2019; Rosenqvist, 2017). So, yeah, if I turn into a Tremendous Formulation champion, that proves my efficiency for the IndyCar, truly.
“I actually wish to go to IndyCar within the close to future.”
#93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06: Kaku Ohta
Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Pictures
One space that Ohta confesses the steepest studying curve could be getting used to the completely different race tracks in North America’s premier open-wheel championship.
“Most of the tracks in IndyCar I’ve by no means pushed but, so I simply wish to study extra in regards to the tracks and study extra in regards to the automobile,” he stated. “So, combined emotions; my pace, I am already in management and main the championship in Tremendous Formulation. So, I really feel like I am okay for that collection.
“On the identical time, I’ve to be a bit calm. I’m nonetheless within the studying part for the U.S. tracks and IndyCar, the precise automobile. So, yeah, simply not go too radical. But additionally chasing the dream. It is a steadiness.”
Whereas there’s little to supply by way of a delegated timeline, Ohta was blunt in his need to make a swap to IndyCar occur in some unspecified time in the future.
“Each probability I’ve to chase, I’ve to chase,” Ohta stated. “The one factor I can say in the mean time remains to be within the getting ready part. Then, as quickly as attainable, if I really feel prepared, after which the groups and Honda really feel that I am prepared, yeah, I’ll positively take an opportunity.”
Watch: The Rolex 24 at Daytona: Precision, Perfection, and The Street To Victory (IMSA Endurance Racing)
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