Manabu Orido

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Manabu "MAX" Orido (Shinjitai: 織戸学, Orido Manabua^?, alternative nickname Monkichi) is a Japanese racing driver who currently competes in the Super GT series for Toyota Team Tsuchiya in a Lexus SC430 sponsored by Eclipse and Advan

Orido began his racing career as a street racer and then progressed to touge racing.^[1] After years of one make series, he first appeared in the JGTC series in 1996 and won the GT300 title for the following year, up until the 2000 season when he moved up to GT500 he took three wins altogether and has since taken two GT500 wins to date. Orido competed in two Grand National Division, West Series races in 1999. He finished eigthteenth at Irwindale Speedway, and thirtieth at Twin Ring Motegi. He was also the D1 Grand Prix judge from the start of the series to the end of the 2004, when he became driver for that following season until his drifting driver career ended when his Toyota Supra was destroyed in a transportation accident en route to Advan Drift Meeting when it was hit from behind driven by a sleeping truck driver. Orido currently teaches safety driving at NATS (Nihon Automobile High Technical School).^[2] Because of his appearance in video series such as Video Option and Hot Version, Orido has become a fan favorite in the Super GT series.

Until 2006, Orido always drove the Supra in Super GT as he personally owns one as well as using it for drifting events, despite being disadvantaged in the latter.^[1]