Toshihiro Arai

Toshihiro "Toshi" Arai (, Arai Toshihiro) is a Japanese rally driver.

Early Life and Career

Arai was born on December 25, 1966, in Isesaki. He gained his first experience in rallying in the Japanese rally championship, winning the class B in 1992. In 1994, he took sixth place in the overall standings. After two third championship places in the following two years, he became Japanese rally champion in 1997.

Dakar Rally and WRC Debut

In 1997, Arai participated in the Dakar Rally and made his debut at the World Rally Championship (WRC) at the Rally Australia with co-driver Toshio Omizo. He continued to compete in the WRC, taking part in a total of 99 rallies from 1997 to 2010.

Career Highlights

Arai's most notable achievements include:

* Winning the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship titles in 2005 and 2007
* Scoring two fourth-place finishes in the WRC class: Acropolis rally in 2000 and Cyprus rally in 2001
* Achieving 14 wins and two titles in the Production category

Team Affiliations

Arai has been associated with the Subaru team throughout his career, driving Subaru Imprezas at various stages of development. He made his debut with the team in 1997 on board a Subaru Impreza Group N and remained with them for several years.

Notable Co-drivers

Arai's co-driver Dale Moscatt has been his partner since the Intercontinental Rally Challenge 2011, marking their seventh year together.

References

Note: The birthdate discrepancy between Source 1 (December 25, 1966) and Source 2 (July 1, 1970) is not addressed in this synthesis.