Terada began his racing career in 1969, initially competing in a Honda S600. His talent attracted the attention of Mazda, and he was signed as a factory driver, a position he would hold through the 1990s. In this role he participated in international sportscar competition including the World Sportscar Championship and the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, serving as one of the key figures in Mazda's push to establish itself on the global endurance racing stage with its distinctive rotary-engined machinery.
Among Terada's early international highlights were class victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona. In 1979 he was part of the team that scored a GTU class win during the Mazda RX-7's debut race at the circuit, finishing fifth overall, a result that announced the RX-7 as a competitive sportscar proposition. In 1982 he returned to Daytona and secured a GTO class victory, finishing fourth overall, further cementing both his own reputation and Mazda's endurance racing credentials.
Terada's most remarkable statistical achievement belongs to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He competed at La Sarthe on 29 occasions from 1974 onward, with 28 of those appearances consecutive, a feat of sustained commitment seldom matched in endurance racing. His participation total placed him third among all drivers for the most Le Mans starts, behind only Henri Pescarolo and Bob Wollek, and second only to Wollek among drivers who never won the race outright.
Within that extraordinary run, Terada accumulated genuine competitive achievements. He took class victories at Le Mans in 1983, 1988, 1990, and 1996, demonstrating consistent pace across different machinery and different eras of the sport. His best overall finishing position was seventh place in 1995, a result that reflected the competitive limits of the machinery available to the Mazda program relative to the dominant factory prototypes of that period, rather than any deficit in driving ability.
After retiring from professional racing at the conclusion of the 1990s, Terada channelled his Mazda expertise into a business venture. He operates AutoExe, a Tokyo-based company specialising in tuning parts and accessories for Mazda road cars, a natural extension of his decades working intimately with the brand's engineering. He has also worked as a driving instructor at NATS, the Nihon Automobile High Technical School, passing on his experience to the next generation of Japanese drivers.
Terada's career stands as a testament to the value of consistency and longevity in endurance racing. His near-three decade commitment to Le Mans, undertaken entirely as part of Mazda's factory program, made him one of the most recognisable figures in Japanese motorsport's international ventures. The four class victories at La Sarthe and the consecutive-appearances record represent the tangible results of that commitment, and his continued involvement in the Mazda community through AutoExe keeps him connected to the sport long after his racing years concluded.