ROOKIE Racing, Inc., TOM'S SPIRIT Co., Ltd., and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing have announced their team setups for the ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2022 Powered by Hankook Round 2 NAPAC Fuji SUPER TEC 24 Hours Race (Fuji 24 Hours Race) to be held from June 3 to 5.
For the Fuji 24 Hours Race, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT team principal Jari-Matti Latvala, Japan Rally Championship racer Norihiko Katsuta, and SUPER GT and Japanese Super Formula Championship racer Yuhi Sekiguchi have been designated as one-time drivers for ORC ROOKIE Racing.
Also, by actively disseminating information aimed at Asia, TGR and its partners intend to provide maximum support for the Super Taikyu Organization’s desire to make the Super Taikyu Series recognized throughout Asia.
Team setups
| Team | Class | Car | No. | Drivers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORC ROOKIE Racing | ST-Q | ORC ROOKIE GR86 CNF Concept | 28 | Naoya Gamo Daisuke Toyoda Kazuya Oshima Ryuta Ukai* Yuhi Sekiguchi |
| ORC ROOKIE GR Corolla H2 Concept | 32 | Masahiro Sasaki Morizo Hiroaki Ishiura Yasuhiro Ogura Jari-Matti Latvala Norihiko Katsuta |
||
| TOM'S SPIRIT | ST-4 | TOM'S SPIRIT GR86 | 86 | Takamitsu Matsui Kenta Yamashita Shunsuke Kohno |
*Toyota Motor Corporation employee
Jari-Matti Latvala:
“When I saw the live video of a Super Taikyu 24-hour race in Fuji during last year’s Rally Portugal, I thought that Toyota’s new approach to carbon neutrality was simply amazing. I agree that sound is one of the best parts of motorsports. And I heard from (TGR FIA World Endurance Championship Team Principal and driver) Kamui Kobayashi and (TGR Europe Vice Chairman) Kazuki Nakajima that the feeling of driving the car is the same as a gasoline engine car. I was really interested in their feedback so I wanted to check it for myself, and I will have the chance to drive this car. Having experienced firsthand the activities toward carbon neutrality, I would like to share them with the world, especially in Europe. And I want to check the potential of this technology for rally cars. I’m happy that I can come to Japan before this year’s Rally Japan. See you at Fuji Speedway!”
