Mitsuo Itoh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mitsuo Itoh
Nationality	Japanese
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1961 - 1967 First race 1961 125cc French motorcycle Grand Prix Last race 1967 50cc Japanese Grand Prix First win 1963 Isle of Man 50cc Ultra-Lightweight TT Last win 1967 50cc Japanese Grand Prix Team(s) Suzuki Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 29 2 13 0 1 93

Mitsuo Itoh (伊藤光夫, Itō Mitsuo, 1 January 1937 – 3 July 2019) was a Japanese motorcycle racer who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.

Itoh worked for Suzuki his whole life, mostly in racing and competitions. He started his Grand Prix career in 1961 at the French motorcycle Grand Prix. In that race, he didn't start the 125cc Grand Prix and had to stop early in the 250cc Grand Prix. He was very consistent, finishing in fifth place in the 50cc world championships for four years in a row, from 1962 to 1965.

In 1963, Itoh made history at the famous Isle of Man TT race. He became the first Japanese rider to win a race there on a Japanese motorcycle (a Suzuki). He won the 50cc Ultra-Lightweight TT race. Mitsuo Itoh is still the only Japanese rider to have won an Isle of Man TT race. Overall, he won two Grand Prix races during his career. He stayed with Suzuki for most of his racing days, even when he briefly tried car racing.

Mitsuo Itoh's Car Racing Adventures

Mitsuo Itoh also tried his hand at car racing. In 1970, he raced a special Suzuki car called the Fronte RF in a car race known as the "Junior Seven Challenge Cup." This race was held at the Fuji Speedway in Japan. He won the race with an average speed of about 131 kilometers per hour. Even though he was supposed to race again two weeks later, this was his only race in the JAF series.

Itoh also teamed up with the famous British racer Stirling Moss in December 1968. They did a special high-speed drive for publicity on a long highway in Italy called the Autostrada del Sole. This highway goes from Milan to Naples and is about 750 kilometers long. They averaged about 122 kilometers per hour, which was really good for a car with such a small engine (only 356cc)!