Toyota announced today that its 2008 motorsports
activities would focus on competing in the FIA Formula One World
Championship (F1), NASCAR, Super GT and Formula Nippon, and on training
drivers that can perform on the world stage.
Toyota,
competing in its seventh year of F1, will employ its new
aerodynamically stable TF108 racecar. Timo Glock has been signed as a
new driver, and together with veteran driver Jarno Trulli, the team
will aim for Toyota's first victory.
The Toyota Camry will once again participate in the Sprint Cup Series,
the pinnacle of NASCAR racing, as well as in the Nationwide Series.
Toyota is looking for its first overall win in the Sprint Cup Series
with the promising Joe Gibbs Racing team. Toyota will also continue to
compete in the Craftsman Truck Series with the Toyota Tundra, after
having won the manufacturers' title last year.
In Japan, the Lexus SC430 will once again participate in the GT500
class of the Super GT, and with a strengthened team, Toyota will be
looking for the title. At the same time, Toyota will continue to
supply engines to Formula Nippon, a premier formula racing series in
Japan.
Toyota is also committed to continuing its support for a wide range of
events and race categories—from top-class events all the way down to
the grassroots level—in order to promote motorsports in general.
Toyota will continue to promote its Toyota Young Drivers Program
(TDP). The program cultivates young race drivers so that they can
perform on the world stage and aims to provide a wide range of
opportunities for drivers to hone their skills through participation in
such events as F1 racing, the GP2 series and F3 Euro series, as well as
test driving. This year Toyota has selected 14 drivers worldwide to
participate in TDP.
Meanwhile, Toyota is continuing initiatives in the arena of hybrid
motorsports as part of its efforts to improve the efficiency of hybrid
systems (including production vehicles) and in consideration of the
impact of motorsports on the environment.
The Motor Sports Division of the Higashifuji Technical Center is
currently in charge of Toyota's overall motorsports activities, while
Toyota Technocraft Co., Ltd. (TRD) in Japan, Toyota Motorsport GmbH
(TMG) in Europe and TRD, U.S.A. Inc. (TRD-USA) in the United States
serve as local hubs for regional activities.
Outline of Toyota's 2008 Motorsports Activities
1. FIA Formula One World Championship (F1)
- The
Panasonic Toyota Racing team, which is competing in 2008 for its
seventh consecutive year, will strive to accumulate points in each race
and aim for its first victory.
- The team will compete using
a new racecar, the TF108, which features a new chassis with a longer
wheelbase than its predecessor and is designed to deliver aerodynamic
stability regardless of the racetrack or conditions. The car's
suspension and gearbox have also been modified in an effort to achieve
greater driving performance and reliability.
- This year's
drivers will be Jarno Trulli (Italy, Car No. 11) and newly signed Timo
Glock (Germany, Car No. 12), who won the 2007 GP2 championship. The
third driver will be Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) of the Toyota Young
Drivers Program.
- Toyota will also supply the RVX-08 engine to the Williams F1 team.
2. NASCAR
Toyota will once again compete in all races of the NASCAR National
Series with the support of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) and
TRD-USA.
Sprint Cup Series
The
Sprint Cup Series is the pinnacle of the NASCAR series. Toyota first
entered the Sprint Cup Series in 2007 (then known as the Nextel Cup
Series). The new racing team for Toyota this year will be the
three-time series champion, Joe Gibbs Racing.
Supported Teams
| Team |
Car No. |
Drivers |
| Joe Gibbs Racing |
20 |
Tony Stewart
(Also scheduled to drive in some Nationwide Series races)
|
| 11 |
Denny Hamlin
(Also scheduled to drive in some Nationwide Series races)
|
| 18 |
Kyle Busch
(Also scheduled to drive in some Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series races)
|
| Hall of Fame Racing |
99 |
J.J. Yeley |
| Bill Davis Racing |
22 |
Dave Blaney |
| 27 |
(To be announced) |
| Michael Waltrip Racing |
55 |
Michael Waltrip |
| 44 |
Dale Jarrett (Up to and including the 5th race)
David Reutimann (From the 6th race onwards; also scheduled to drive in all Nationwide Series races)
|
| 00 |
David Reutimann (Up to and including the 5th race)
Michael McDowel (From the 6th race onwards)
|
| Red Bull Racing |
83 |
Brian Vickers
(Also scheduled to drive in some Nationwide Series races)
|
| 84 |
AJ Allmendinger |
NOTE: All drivers are American.
Nationwide Series
The
Nationwide Series is the next most-popular series after the Sprint Cup
Series. Toyota first participated in the series in 2007 (known then as
the Busch Series).
| Team |
Car No. |
Drivers |
| Joe Gibbs Racing |
20 |
Tony Stewart and others |
| 18 |
Denny Hamlin and others |
| Michael Waltrip Racing |
96 |
David Reutimann |
| Braun Racing |
38 |
Jason Leffler |
| 10 |
Brian Vickers and others |
| Germain Racing |
7 |
Mike Wallace |
NOTE: All drivers are American.
Craftsman Truck Series
Toyota first participated in the series in 2004.
| Team |
Car No. |
Drivers |
| Bill Davis Racing |
5 |
Mike Skinner |
| 22 |
Philip McGilton |
| 23 |
Johnny Benson |
| Germain Racing |
30 |
Todd Bodine |
| 9 |
Justin Marks |
| Wyler Racing |
60 |
Terry Cook |
| Red Horse Racing |
11 |
David Starr |
| Harris Trucking |
59 |
Ted Musgrave |
| Billy Ballew |
51 |
Kyle Busch and others |
NOTE: All drivers are American.
3. Super GT
As a premier racing series, Toyota will continue to support teams
taking part through Toyota Technocraft Co., Ltd. (TRD). Scheduled to
participate are the GT500-class Lexus SC430 powered by a 4.5-liter V8
(3UZ-FE) engine, the GT300-class Lexus IS350 powered by a 3.0-liter V8
(RV8J) engine, the Toyota MR-S powered by a 3.5-liter V6 (2GR) engine,
and the Toyota Celica powered by a 2-liter in-line four-cylinder turbo
engine (3S-GT).
Supported Teams
| Class |
Team |
Car No. |
Vehicle |
Drivers |
Remarks |
| GT500 |
ENEOS TOYOTA Team
LeMans |
6 |
Lexus SC430 |
Daisuke Ito (Japan) |
New driver
for Toyota |
| Bjorn Wirdheim (Sweden) |
|
TOYOTA TEAM
TSUCHIYA
|
25 |
Lexus SC430 |
Takeshi Tsuchiya (Japan) |
|
| Hiroaki Ishiura (Japan) |
TDP driver |
TOYOTA TEAM
KRAFT
|
35 |
Lexus SC430 |
Tatsuya Kataoka (Japan) |
|
| Peter Dumbreck (Scotland) |
|
PETRONAS TOYOTA
TEAM TOM'S |
36 |
Lexus SC430 |
Juichi Wakisaka (Japan) |
|
| Andre Lotterer (Germany) |
|
TOYOTA TEAM
CERUMO |
38 |
Lexus SC430 |
Yuji Tachikawa (Japan) |
New driver
for Toyota |
| Richard Lyons (Northern Ireland) |
| TOYOTA TEAM SARD |
39 |
Lexus SC430 |
Toranosuke Takagi (Japan) |
|
| Andre Couto (Portugal) |
|
| GT300 |
RACING PROJECT
BANDOH
|
19 |
Lexus IS350 |
Manabu Orido (Japan) |
Toyota
Celica up to
and including
Race 2 |
| (To be announced) |
TEAM TAKEUCHI with
SHIF |
52 |
Lexus IS350 |
Takuya Kurosawa (Japan) |
Scheduled to
drive from
Race 2
onwards;
Iguchi is a
TDP driver |
| Takuto Iguchi (Japan) |
| apr |
31 |
Toyota MR-S |
Kyosuke Mineo (Japan) |
|
| Yuya Sakamoto (Japan) |
|
| apr |
95 |
Toyota MR-S |
Kohei Hirate (Japan) |
TDP driver |
| Keisuke Kunimoto (Japan) |
TDP driver |
4. Japanese Championship Formula Nippon
This is the top category of formula car races in Japan. This year,
3-liter V8 engines (Toyota RV8-J) will be provided to seven teams (12
vehicles).
Supported Teams (Engine Support)
| Team |
Car No. |
Drivers |
Remarks |
| LAWSON TEAM IMPUL |
1 |
Tsugio Matsuda (Japan) |
|
| 2 |
Benoit Treluyer (France) |
|
| KONDO RACING |
3 |
Naoki Yokomizo (Japan) |
|
| 4 |
Joao Paulo de Oliveira (Brazil) |
|
| Team LeMans |
7 |
Satoshi Motoyama (Japan) |
|
| 8 |
Hiroaki Ishiura (Japan) |
TDP driver |
| (To be announced) |
20 |
Kohei Hirate (Japan) |
TDP driver |
| PETRONAS TEAM TOM'S |
36 |
Andre Lotterer (Germany) |
|
| 37 |
Seiji Ara (Japan) |
|
| CERUMO/INGING |
47 |
Ronnie Quintarelli (Italy) |
|
| 48 |
Yuji Tachikawa (Japan) |
|
STONEMARKET·BLAAK
CERUMO/INGING
|
67 |
Roberto Streit (Brazil) |
|
5. Other Support Activities
All-Japan F3 Championship Series
Formula Three is the first step toward F1. Toyota will provide 1AZ-FE engines to participating teams.
Supported Teams
| Team |
Car No. |
Drivers (tentative) |
Remarks |
| PETRONAS TEAM TOM'S |
1 |
Carlo van Dam (Netherlands) |
|
| 36 |
Keisuke Kunimoto (Japan) |
TDP driver |
| 37 |
Takuto Iguchi (Japan) |
TDP driver |
| NOW MOTOR SPORTS |
33 |
Kei Cozzolino (Italy) |
TDP driver |
| Le Beausset |
62 |
Kohki Saga (Japan) |
|
Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ)
This entry-class category is in its third year. All of the cars are
specially and independently designed FCJ vehicles (FC106). This year,
the FCJ has scheduled a total of 16 different races at eight race
events that will be held at four different circuits.
Netz Cup Vitz Street-legal Series
This series features street-legal racecars. The car used is the
specially designed Toyota Vitz RS TRD Racing, which is based on the
1.5-liter Vitz RS.
The series consists of 21 races held in five regions in Japan
(Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Kansai and Western Japan). In addition,
continuing from last year, two special races will be held at Fuji
Speedway—one special support race for the Japanese F1 Grand Prix and
the other as part of the Toyota Motorsports Festival.
Additional Support
Japan
Support will be provided to the Toyota Motor Sports Club (TMSC).
United States
- Toyota
will provide 5.0-liter V8 (redesigned 3UZ) engines to the Grand
American Road Racing (Grand Am) Series. In January 2008, a racecar
equipped with that engine, employed by the Chip Ganassi Racing team,
won first place in the curtain raiser 24-hour race at Daytona for the
third consecutive year, which is a new record.
- Toyota will provide engines to the Midget Series, Sprint Series and Silver Crown Series of the United States Auto Club (USAC).
| |
Other |
| |
- Support
will go to Toyota vehicles participating in Championship Off Road
Racing (CORR) and National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag races.
- Toyota
will sponsor the Long Beach Grand Prix, the first race in the Champ Car
World Series, marking the 34th time since 1975 for Toyota to sponsor
the race.
- Toyota will sponsor Race 11 (Milwaukee) and Race
15 (Nashville) of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Race 16
(Infineon Raceway) of the Sprint Cup Series.
|
Europe, etc.
Support will be provided to TOYOTA AUTO BODY, which is participating in the Dakar Rally in Toyota Land Cruisers.
6. Toyota Young Drivers Program (TDP)
Basic Concept
This
program is aimed at cultivating drivers who hope to compete in top
racing categories, both in Japan and the rest of the world. It is
dedicated to identifying new talent and allows each participant to
improve in line with his or her own abilities. The program is being
offered in Europe and Japan, as listed below.
List of Trainee TDP Drivers for 2008
| |
Drivers |
Category |
Team |
Remarks / Last Year's
Results |
| Europe |
Kazuki Nakajima (Japan) |
F1 World
Championship |
AT&T Williams
(United Kingdom) |
AT&T Williams
Test driver, race driver
(10th, Brazil F1 GP)
GP2 (5th overall in series;
highest placing for rookie)
|
| Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) |
GP2 series
GP2 Asia series
|
DAMS (France) |
F3 Euro series
(1 win, 4th overall in series)
|
F1 World
Championship |
Panasonic Toyota Racing
(Third driver) |
| Kazuya Oshima (Japan) |
F3 Euro series |
Manor Motorsport
(United Kingdom) |
All Japan F3 Championship
(6 wins, series champion)
Super GT300 class
(2 wins, driver champion)
|
Henkie Waldschmidt
(Netherlands)
|
F3 Euro series |
SG Formula
(France) |
Formula Renault
Euro Cup (7th)
Italian Series (7th)
|
| Andrea Caldarelli (Italy) |
Formula Renault
Eurocup
Western European
Series
|
SG Formula
(France) |
Formula Renault
Euro Cup (24th)
Italian Series (12th)
|
| Japan |
Kohei Hirate (Japan) |
Super GT (GT300) |
apr |
GP2 (19th overall in series) |
| Formula Nippon |
(To be announced) |
| Hiroaki Ishiura (Japan) |
Super GT (GT500) |
TOYOTA TEAM
TSUCHIYA |
All Japan F3 Championship
(2 wins, 4th overall in series)
Super GT300 class
(2 wins, driver champion) |
| Formula Nippon |
Team Le Mans |
| Keisuke Kunimoto (Japan) |
Super GT (GT300) |
apr |
FCJ
(3 wins, series champion)
Formula Toyota
(2 wins, 2nd overall in series) |
All Japan F3
Championship |
PETRONAS
TEAM TOM'S |
| Takuto Iguchi (Japan) |
Super GT (GT300) |
TEAM TAKAUCHI
with SHIFT |
FCJ
(1 win, 6th overall in series)
Formula Toyota
(1 win, 3rd overall in series) |
All Japan F3
Championship |
PETRONAS
TEAM TOM'S |
| Kei Cozzolino (Italy) |
All Japan F3
Championship |
NOW MOTOR
SPORTS |
FCJ
(1 win, 9th overall in series)
Formula Toyota
(3 wins, series champion)
|
| Hideki Yamauchi (Japan) |
F3 National Class |
TOM'S SPIRIT |
FCJ
(1 win, 7th overall in series)
|
| Yuji Kunimoto (Japan) |
FCJ |
|
FCJ
(3 wins, 4th overall in series)
Formula Toyota
(10th overall in series)
|
| Naoya Gamou (Japan) |
FCJ |
|
Kart M4 Series
(4th overall in series)
|
| Yuichi Nakayama (Japan) |
FCJ |
|
All Japan Kart Championship
Series FA Class
(3rd overall in series)
CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific KF2
Championship
(7th overall in series)
|
Formula Toyota Racing School (FTRS)
The Formula Toyota Racing School (FTRS) is held at Fuji Speedway, employing Formula Toyota vehicles.
FTRS is a two-night, three-day course that covers everything from the
basics to participation in non-sanctioned races. Try-outs will be held
for outstanding participants who have a promising future, and the final
drivers selected will be given a scholarship for the following year.
First course: July 30 – August 1; Second course: August 12 – 14; Third course: August 18 – 20.
7. Hybrid Car Motorsports
- Toyota
has been racing hybrid cars since 2006, with the aim of improving
hybrid technology for production vehicles and in consideration of the
impact of motorsports on the environment.
- Last year, Toyota
raced the Toyota Supra HV-R, fitted with a racing-specific hybrid
system, in the Tokachi 24-hour Race, and achieved an overall victory.
(This was the first time anywhere in the world for a hybrid car to win
a quasi-international race.)
- Toyota will not enter the race this year and will instead focus on further developing its hybrid system.
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