Takuma Aoki, whose promisinꦰg 500GP career waℱs cut short by a paralysing accident, has taken an emotional victory on his return to circuit racing.

Aoki c🐻laimed three podiums for Repsol Honda on his way to fifth in the 1997 500cc World ✅Championship, before disaster struck during a pre-season test in Japan.

Years of rehabilitation and a role as Assistant Director of Honda Racing did little to stem his competitive urge, Aoki telling medi✃a in 2007: "I recognised this in the ten years I was away from racing. I cannot live without racing at all."

An opportunity to compete on four-wheels in the 2009 Dakar Rally ended in an early retirement, while Aoki continued to rally in the FIA Cross Country Rally series ⛄with some level of success.

However he was unable to experience the highs of his circuit racing career until this 😼weekend's debut in the 2014 GT Asia Series in Korea.

Campaigning a 550 horsepower V10 Lamborghini Gallardo LP520, Aoki joined former Asian champion Dilantha Malagamuwa in a two-car assault on the 2014 series, Aoki driving a specially-modif෴ied GTM clꩲass car fitted with hand controls.

Despite no prior laꦺps in the car, then a lack of practice at the Korea International Circuit due to a front splitter problem, Aoki still qualified on pole.

Targeting a podium, Aoki instead swept to a close GTM class victory in the one-hour race - his firs🌌t ౠin a GT3-car - beating experienced drivers with years of GT competition under their belts.

"I'm very happy because this is my first international [circuit] race since my accident," said Aoki. "I am thankful for the good opportunity from Dilantha-san ♍and my team, my family and everyone who has supported me.

"I did not eꦕxpect to win my first race, but I just kept pushing, pushing to do my best, and when the race is over I have ﷽come through for the win. I can still find more speed in myself, I just need to do more practice, but so far, I am very happy with the result."

Aoki's victory wasn't the first in an internationally sanctioned circuit racing event for a driver using hand controls, that honour goes to former F1/Indycar driver Alex Zanardi in the World Touring Car Championship, but it is certainly a f🍨irst in the Asian reg🌊ion. Aoki then went on to win race two!

Takuma's brothers, Nobuatsu ౠand Haruchi✃ka, are also well known grand prix riders.

Haruchika was a double 125cc world champion while Nobuatsu won a 250cc grand prix,﷽ claimed podiums in the 500cc class and remains a Suzuki MotoGP development rider.