Takuma Sato

Milestone victories and historic firsts born of an aggressive driving style have distinguished the career of Takuma “Taku” Sato. Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Sato is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, becoming the first Japanese-born winner of the race in 2017 and, with his win in 2020, just the 20th driver to win the iconic race more than once.

Given all his accomplishments, including winning the 2013 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach–another first for a Japanese driver–it’s incredible that Sato didn’t start his car racing career until he was age 19. It was then that he first took up kart racing. In the span of just six years, he was racing in Formula One as part of the Honda-powered Jordan, BAR and Super Aguri team, scoring a podium finish at the 2004 United States Grand Prix.

His career has been notable not only for its success but also a hard-charging style best exemplified by his motto: “No attack, no chance.” That style likely came about from Sato’s time as one of his country’s top racing cyclists, becoming a national cycling champion while still in high school. Sato, who splits his time between residences in Indiana and Japan, still uses cycling as part of his fitness regimen.