( Matsumiya posing for the camera from his 2nd position on the grid for the 1st club race for the 2004 season at Sepang - he won this race that day!)

Matsumiya is also a member of the Kamikaze Racing Team - a local karting group in Malaysia! ( Click for larger image!! )

Age : 34       Date of Birth : 28 Oct 1969

Class Racing in : Formula 125

Kart No : 0

Favorite Driver :  Katayama Ukyo

I started karting in Japan when I was 25 years old. Before starting karting, I loved car-driving on the Tokyo Metropolitan Highway every weekend in order to release my stress during the weekday. But it was too much dangerous so that I  started karting using Yamaha's standard go-kart for freshman. However I have never taken part in the competition in Japan, just I was driving for fun.

In early 2002, I re-started karting in Malaysia. Initially, I preferred to use a direct-drive engine instead of 125cc engine with clutch. However recently there were no participants for Formula 100, though my karting target in Malaysia was "to win in the competition".  

I had a hesitation to change the engine from direct -drive to clutch one, because there is no major race in Japan for clutch engine. Finally I decided to change the engine to 125cc with clutch in early 2003.

I took part in all the Club Championship's race last year. Finally in 1st round of the Club Championship in 2004 I won the race of Formula 125 class. 

So my next target will be "to become a Series Champion in 2004".

Together with several Japanese karting friends in Malaysia, we formed "Kamikaze Racing Team" and sometimes organized fun-karting events in the Shah Alam Circuit.