Challenge Program Team
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Challenge program Team
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Takamoto
Katsuta
Driver
DOB: 17th March 1993 / Hometown: Aichi / Height: 165cm / Weight: 63kg / Blood type: RH+A
Katsuta was born in Aichi Prefecture on March 17, 1993. He drove in his first race at the age of 12, and at age 18 he won the Formula Challenge Japan (FCJ). He placed second in the F3 series at age 20, and since 2014 he has competed in F3 in addition to notching his first JN5 class win in the eighth round of the Japanese Rally Championship. In the seventh race of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship (Italy), he took his first podium by finishing third in the WRC2 class.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 2005
- Karting Race Debut
- 2007
- Placed 2nd at the All Japan Junior Karting Championship ;Placed 1st at the Macau GP Yamaha Cup
- 2008
- Placed 4th (KF1 class) at the All Japan Kart Championship for the Toyota Yamaha Racing Team ;Placed 4th at the World Cup In Suzuka (KF2 class)
- 2009
- Placed 3rd at the All Japan Kart Championship (KF1 class) ;Placed 13th at the World Cup In Suzuka (KF1 class)
- 2010
- Obtained limited A license as a 17 year old ;Placed 8th in the Formula Challenge Japan (FJC) Series
- 2011
- Champion FCJ Series (five wins)
- 2012
- Placed 3rd in the All-Japan F3 Championship N Class Series ; Competed at the All Japan Rally Championship as a Wildcard Entrant
- 2013
- Placed 2nd in the All-Japan F3 Championship C Class Series(2 wins)
- 2014
- Placed 4th in the All-Japan F3 Championship C Class Series (2 wins) ;Made 3 appearances for Toyota 86 in the All Japan Rally Championship, winning his first JN5 class victory in Round 8
- 2015
- Selected for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Challenge Program ;Placed 4th in Round 5 of the Finland Rally Championship as a Wildcard Entrant ;Competed in the Latvian Rally Championship as a Wildcard Entrant ;Placed 2nd in Round 5 (JN5 Class) and 1st in Round 9 (JN5 Class) of the All Japan Rally Championship as a Wildcard Entrant
Hiroki
Arai
Driver
DOB: 2nd August 1993 / Hometown: Gunma / Height: 172cm / Weight: 68kg / Blood type: RH+AB
Arai was born in Gunma Prefecture on August 2, 1993. Since driving in his first rally at age 19, he has competed in the Japanese Rally Championship and Rally Hokkaido, the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. In 2016, he won JN5 class in the eighth round of the Japanese Rally Championship. In 2017, he achieved his personal first overall win in Rally Baiao Amarante (Portugal), and took his second overall win in Rally Ourense-Ribeira Sacra (Spain).
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 2013
- Rally debut ;Competed in the All Japan Rally Championship (Open Class) ;Competed in Round 5 of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (Rally Hokkaido)
- 2014
- Competed in the All Japan Rally Championship JN6 Class Race (Championship Class) ;Competed at the Austria Rally Championship as a Wildcard Entrant
- 2015
- Selected for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Challenge Program ;Placed 3rd in Round 5 of the Finland Rally Championship (SM2 Class) as a Wildcard Entrant ;Placed 3rd in Round 7 of the Latvian Rally Championship (LRC1 Class) as a Wildcard Entrant ;Competed at the All Japan Rally Championship as a Wildcard Entrant
Sayaka
Adachi
Co-driver
Adachi won in Japanese Rally Championship four-years in a row from 2010. She participated in two Finnish Rally Championship rallies in 2015. She moved from Japan to Finland in 2016 for promoting TGR WRC, the challenge program and through her own rally activities to Japan. She finished third in the Finnish Rally Championship in 2017.
Tommi
Makinen
Supervisor
Jouni
Ampuja
Chief instructor
Mikko
Hirvonen
Instructor
Marko
Salminen
Co-Driver For Katsuta
Jarmo
Lehtinen
Co-Driver For Arai
