Rookie Racing

Last updated
Flag of Japan.svg Rookie Racing
ROOKIERacing logo.png
Founded2017
Base Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture
Team principal(s) Akio Toyoda
Current series
Current drivers
Teams'
Championships		 2023 Super Taikyu Series
Website www.rookie-racing.co.jp

Rookie Racing Co., Ltd. (stylized as ROOKIE Racing) is a Japanese racing team that competes in Super Formula, Super GT & Super Taikyu. Rookie Racing is a sister team of Toyota Gazoo Racing and based close to Fuji Speedway.

Contents


History

ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra at 2022 Takanoko no Hotel Suzuka GT 300km No.14 ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra at 2022 Takanoko no Hotel Suzuka GT 300km (28).jpg
ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra at 2022 Takanoko no Hotel Suzuka GT 300km

In 2017, Tatsuya Kataoka launched a private team "T's Concept" for the purpose of training young and gentleman drivers. T's Concept participated in the Super Taikyu ST-4 class with two Toyota 86's sponsored by Ogura Clutch. Drivers such as Ogura Clutch's President Yasuhiro Ogura and Miki Koyama competed with T's Concept on the team's inaugural season on Super Taikyu. T's Concept continued to field two cars for the 2018 season and signed Masahiro Sasaki to compete alongside Ogura in the #29 team while Tohjiro Azuma and Daisuke Matsunaga competed in the #28 team. [1] One of the T's Concept cars was later rebranded into "ROOKIE Racing" in 2019 with Daisuke Toyota, son of Toyota president Akio, and former GT500 champion Akira Iida joining the team as Rookie's lead drivers in the 2019 Super Taikyu season. [2]

In 2020, Akio Toyoda purchased the team in its entirety and entered both Super Formula and Super GT after Team LeMans left from both series at the end of the 2019 season. [3] [4] While the team had previously entered rookie drivers that was part of the Toyota Young Driver Programme, Rookie's name was taken from Akio's pet dog "Rookie". In the team's first year on Super GT, Rookie's entry was run as part of Team Cerumo. Kazuya Oshima drove in both the Super Formula and Super GT championship with Sho Tsuboi acting as Oshima's teammate in Super GT. In 2021, Rookie took full charge of the team from Cerumo. Oshima stayed with the team, competing in both series and was paired up with Kenta Yamashita for 2021 Super GT season. [5] For 2022, the team set up a new factory base close to Fuji Speedway. [6]

Race results

Complete Super GT results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearCarTyresClassNo.Drivers12345678PosPoints
2020 Toyota GR Supra GT500 B GT50014 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima
Flag of Japan.svg Sho Tsuboi 		FUJ
3		 FUJ
3		 SUZ
9		 MOT
4		 FUJ
2		 SUZ
12		 MOT
12		 FUJ
Ret		7th47
2021 Toyota GR Supra GT500 B GT50014 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima
Flag of Japan.svg Kenta Yamashita 		OKA
1		 FUJ
2		 MOT
13		 SUZ
12		 SUG
12†		 AUT
11		 MOT
6		 FUJ
3		5th52
2022 Toyota GR Supra GT500 B GT50014 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima
Flag of Japan.svg Kenta Yamashita 		OKA
1		 FUJ
7‡		 SUZ
8		 FUJ
7		 SUZ
14		 SUG
11		 AUT
4		 MOT
3		5th49
2023 Toyota GR Supra GT500 B GT50014 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima
Flag of Japan.svg Kenta Yamashita 		OKA
4		 FUJ
4		 SUZ
6		 FUJ
11		 SUZ
3		 SUG
6		 AUT
8		 MOT
6		7th45
2024 Toyota GR Supra GT500 B GT50014 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima
Flag of Japan.svg Nirei Fukuzumi 		OKA
NC		 FUJ
8		 SUZ
2		 FUJ
SUZ
SUG
AUT
MOT
6th*19*

‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.
* Season still in progress.


Complete Super Formula results

YearDriver12345678910DCPts
2020 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima MOT
10		 OKA
16		 SUG
9		 AUT
17		 SUZ
12		 SUZ
9		 FUJ
14		19th5
2021 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima FUJ
10		 SUZ1
15		 AUT
8		 SUG
18		 MOT1
Ret		 MOT2
11		 SUZ2
17		19th2.5
2022 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima FUJ
15		 FUJ
18		 SUZ
19		 AUT
15		 SUG
14		 FUJ
13		 MOT
17		 MOT
18		 SUZ
19		 SUZ
15		21st0
2023 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima FUJ
9		 FUJ
11		 SUZ
13		 AUT
12		 SUG
4		 FUJ
12		 MOT
8		 SUZ
19		 SUZ
14		14th13
2024 Flag of Japan.svg Kazuya Oshima SUZ
13		 AUT
11		 SUG
Ret		 FUJ
16		 MOT
14		 FUJ
15		 FUJ
Ret		 SUZ
Ret		 SUZ
15		19th0

* Season still in progress.

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References

  1. ↑ R.J. O'Connell (31 March 2018). "Super Taikyu Season Preview". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  2. ↑ R.J. O'Connell (21 March 2019). "2019 Super Taikyu Series Suzuka Preview". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "Toyota Team Cerumo Adds Second GT500 Car For 2020 Super GT Series". dailysportscar.com. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  4. ↑ "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Announces 2020 Driver Line-Up". superformula.net. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "Toyota's 'new' Super GT team facing same old problems". motorsport.com. Mar 21, 2021. Retrieved Mar 21, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Is Rookie Racing mega-factory an ominous sign for its rivals?". motorsport.com. Mar 31, 2022. Retrieved Mar 31, 2022.
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