Manabu ORIDO

Manabu "MAX" Orido, born on December 3, 1968, is a highly accomplished and versatile Japanese racing driver. Orido's career began in the world of street racing before transitioning to professional motorsports. He gained initial recognition by winning a drift competition organized by CARBOY magazine in 1991. This success propelled him into circuit racing, debuting in the Fuji Freshman race in 1992.

Orido's career highlights include two JGTC/Super GT GT300 class championships (1997, 2009), two Super Taikyu ST-1 class championships (2018, 2019), and a GT World Challenge Asia GT4 class championship (2023). He has competed in various racing series, including Super GT, Super Taikyu, D1 Grand Prix, and GT World Challenge Asia. In Super GT, he has driven for teams such as apr Racing, JLOC, and Tsuchiya Engineering. He also participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2004, finishing 12th overall and second in the GT class.

Beyond circuit racing, Orido is a respected figure in the drifting community. He was one of the original judges for the D1 Grand Prix and later competed as a driver, achieving multiple podium finishes and wins. He is also known for his involvement in the Best Motoring and Hot Version video magazines and his personal tuning shop. Currently, Orido continues to race in the Super GT series with Team apr Racing, the Super Taikyu series, and the GT World Challenge Asia series.