Takuma Sato Stats: 2 Indy 500 Wins, 6 IndyCar Victories and 223 Starts
Welcome to the Happy Hour Racing IndyCar Driver Spotlight - where we pull one driver into the garage, look under the hood at their career, and tell you what makes them tick. This week: the man who went for it.
The Short Version
The Takuma Sato stats do not look like a typical Indy 500 legend's. He has 223 IndyCar starts, 6 wins and 10 poles, and he has never won a series title. But 2 of those 6 wins came at the Indianapolis 500, and he is the first Japanese driver to win IndyCar's biggest race. Sato is also the driver who tried to steal the 2012 Indy 500 on the last lap, crashed, then came back and won it twice. His motto is "No Attack, No Chance," and his career is the proof.
A Cycling Champ Who Started Racing Late
Sato was born in Tokyo on January 28, 1977. He fell for racing at age 10 when he watched a Formula One race at Suzuka, but his first sport was the bicycle. He became a national high school cycling champion and still rides as part of his training.
He did not buy his first go-kart until 1996, when he was 19. Most future pros have been racing for a decade by then. He made up the time fast. He earned a scholarship at Honda's Suzuka Racing School, which came with a paid ride in All-Japan Formula 3. He turned it down and went to Europe instead. In 2001 he won the British Formula 3 title with 12 race wins, and F1 came next.
Sato raced in F1 for Jordan, BAR and Super Aguri between 2002 and 2008. His one F1 podium was third place at the 2004 United States Grand Prix. That race was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the place that would later change his life.
The 2012 Indy 500: The Last-Lap Dive
Sato came to IndyCar in 2010 with KV Racing. In 2012 he joined Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and that May he led 31 laps at Indianapolis and ran second to Dario Franchitti when the white flag flew.
Going into Turn 1 on the last lap, Sato dove inside for the lead. The two cars touched and Sato spun into the wall. Franchitti won. Sato was scored 17th. He could have played it safe and taken second. He did not, and fans still talk about it.
Long Beach 2013: The First Win
A year later, Sato finally got his win. It came at Long Beach in his 52nd IndyCar start, driving for A.J. Foyt. He became the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race, and it was Foyt's team's first victory since Airton Dare won at Kansas in July 2002. That drought lasted almost 11 years, a long time for a team with A.J. Foyt's name on it.
Indy 2017: Holding Off Helio
Sato joined Andretti Autosport for 2017. He started fourth at Indianapolis in the number 26 Honda and passed Helio Castroneves for the lead with five laps to go. Castroneves was chasing a record-tying fourth win, and he threw everything at Sato. It was not enough. Sato won by 0.2011 of a second and became the first Japanese winner of the Indy 500. Then came the winner's tour, including New York City.
Empire State of mind @TakumaSatoRacer #Taku500 #Andretti101 #Indy500 #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/pWsBCr3NrQ
- NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 30, 2017
Takuma Sato Stats, By the Numbers
Here is the career laid out in the parts that matter. The IndyCar totals come from INDYCAR's official driver page, and the Indy 500 figures come from Indianapolis Motor Speedway's records.
Portland, Barber and a Close One at Gateway
Back at Rahal Letterman Lanigan in 2018, Sato won at Portland after starting 20th. In 2019 he won at Barber from pole. Then came Gateway. He showed up under fire after an opening-lap crash at Pocono the week before, and he dropped to last early in the race. He still won it, beating Ed Carpenter to the line by 0.0399 of a second.
Indy 2020: Win Number Two
The 2020 Indy 500 ran in August, with the track closed to fans because of the pandemic. Sato started third, led 27 laps and spent the closing stretch holding off Scott Dixon. When Spencer Pigot crashed hard in the final laps, officials chose not to throw a red flag, and the race ended under yellow. Dixon was second and Sato's teammate Graham Rahal was third. Sato called the win "mission completed" for the team owners he felt he let down in 2012. It took eight years.
Still Showing Up at 49
Sato's last full IndyCar season was 2022. He ran the ovals for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023, and since 2024 he has run only the Indy 500 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan. He is still fast. In 2025 he qualified second and led a race-high 51 laps before overshooting his pit box on Lap 86, which cost him his shot. He finished ninth. In 2026 he started 12th and finished 10th in the number 75 Honda. As of this writing, no 2027 Indy 500 entry has been announced.
The Bottom Line
Takuma Sato never won an IndyCar title, and his best points finish is seventh. It does not matter much. He took his biggest risk at the biggest race, lost it, and went back to win that race twice. That is why fans still cheer for him every May.
Sato's whole story runs through the Brickyard, so if you are shopping it, start there. We carry a run of in-stock IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 gear:
- Checkered Flag Sports 109th Indianapolis 500 Back Home Again Tee
- Checkered Flag Sports 109th Indianapolis 500 Car Logo Tee
- Checkered Flag Sports Indianapolis 500 Snake Pit Tee
- IndyCar 2025 Checkered Flag Sublimated T-Shirt
We do not carry Sato-specific gear right now. If you want something with his name on it, keep an eye on the newest arrivals.
