Wikipedia

TGR Driver Challenge Program

(Redirected from TGR-DC Racing School)

The Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge Program (TGR-DC) formerly known as the Toyota Drivers Academy and Toyota Young Drivers Programme (TDP), is a driver development programme by Toyota Gazoo Racing. It is meant to promote talent in different racing series by helping them with funds, with the hope of finding drivers who will race for the team in the future. Notable graduates of the scheme are Kazuki Nakajima, Kamui Kobayashi; who made their F1 debuts for Williams and Toyota, respectively.

TGR Driver Challenge Program
Founded2001; 24 years ago (2001) (as Toyota Drivers Academy in 2003)[1]
BaseCologne, Germany & Japan
Team principal(s)Kazuki Nakajima
Current driversFrance Esteban Masson
Japan Rikuto Kobayashi
Japan Kazuto Kotaka
Japan Miki Koyama
Japan Ritomo Miyata
Japan Jin Nakamura
Japan Seita Nonaka
Japan Yuki Sano
Japan Tokiya Suzuki
Japan Hibiki Taira
Japan Kiyoshi Umegaki

The program was launched in 2001 when Toyota enters Formula 1, and want to promote young drivers from Japan, and other countries that able to reach F1.

Current drivers

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TGR-DC drivers

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Driver Years Current Series Titles as TGR-DC driver
  Ritomo Miyata[2][3] 2017–2021,
2025– 		Formula 2 Championship 2017 F4 Japanese Championship
2020 Super Formula Lights
  Kazuto Kotaka[4] 2019– Super Formula 2022 Super Formula Lights
  Hibiki Taira[5] 2021– Super Formula
Super GT – GT300 		None as TGR-DC driver
  Miki Koyama[6] 2022– Super GT – GT300 2022 Formula Regional Japanese Championship
  Seita Nonaka[6] 2022– Super GT – GT300 None as TGR-DC driver
  Rikuto Kobayashi[7] 2024– Super Formula Lights
Super GT GT300 		None as TGR-DC driver
  Jin Nakamura[7] 2024– Formula Regional Middle East Championship
Formula Regional European Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
  Esteban Masson[3] 2025– Super Formula Lights
European Le Mans Series – LMP2 		None as TGR-DC driver
  Yuki Sano[3] 2025– Super Formula Lights None as TGR-DC driver
  Tokiya Suzuki[3] 2025– Formula Regional Japanese Championship
F4 Japanese Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
  Kiyoshi Umegaki[3] 2025– Formula Regional Japanese Championship
F4 Japanese Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
  • Championship titles highlighted in bold.

TGR-DC Racing School drivers

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The TGR-DC Racing School is a team for young Toyota drivers who compete in F4 Japanese Championship.

No. Driver[3]
TBA   Kiyoshi Umegaki
TBA   Tokiya Suzuki
TBA   Yuzuki Miura
TBA   Takahiro Kikuchi
TBA   Megumu Suzuki
TBA   Masana Muto

Former drivers

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TGR-DC drivers

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Driver Years Series competed
  Takashi Kogure 2001 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001)
  Norihiko Tasaki 2001 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001)
  Ryan Briscoe[8][9][1] 2001–2005 Formula Renault 2000 Italy (2001)
Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2001)
German Formula 3 Championship (2002)
International Formula 3000 (2002)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2003)
IndyCar Series (2005)
  Katsuyuki Hiranaka[9] 2001–2005 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2003–2004)
Formula Nippon (2005)
Super GT – GT300 (2005)
  Tatsuya Kataoka 2001–2006 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2003)
Formula Nippon (2004–2006)
All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship – GT300 (2003, 2009–2010)
Super GT – GT500 (2005–2006, 2011)
  Franck Perera[8][9][1] 2001–2006 Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2002–2003)
Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2004–2005)
GP2 Series (2006)
  Alexander Storckenfeldt[8] 2002 Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002)
  Hiroki Yoshimoto 2002–2003 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2003)
  Naoki Yokomizo 2002–2004 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2004)
  Taku Bamba 2002–2005 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2005)
  Wataru Kobayakawa 2002–2004 Formula Toyota (2002)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2004)
  Kohei Hirate[9][1][10] 2002–2011 Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2003)
Formula Renault 2000 Masters (2003)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2004–2006)
GP2 Series (2007)
Formula Nippon (2008–2011)
Super GT – GT300 (2008)
Super GT – GT500 (2009–2011)
  Roberto Streit[9] 2003–2004 Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2003)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2004)
  Kamui Kobayashi[9][11][10] 2003–2011 Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2004)
Formula Renault Eurocup (2005)
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2005)
F3 Euro Series (2006–2007)
GP2 Asia Series (2008, 2008–09)
GP2 Series (2008–2009)
Formula One (2009–2011)
  Kazuki Nakajima[12][11][10] 2003–2011 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004)
JGTC – GT300 (2004)
F3 Euro Series (2005–2006)
GP2 Series (2007)
Formula One (2007–2009)
Formula Nippon (2010–2011)
  Ben Clucas 2004 Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2004)
  Daisuke Ikeda 2004–2005 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004–2005)
  Yuhi Sekiguchi[13] 2004–2005,
2007 		Formula Toyota (2004–2005)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007)
  Kazuya Oshima[11][10] 2004–2011 Formula Toyota (2005)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2006–2007)
Super GT – GT300 (2007)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
Formula Nippon (2009–2011)
Super GT – GT500 (2009–2011)
  Hideto Yasuoka[11] 2005–2006 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2005-2006)
  Hideki Yamauchi[10] 2005, 2008 Formula Toyota (2005)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008)
  Tsubasa Abe[11] 2006 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2006)
  Yoshifumi Kubota[11] 2006 Formula Challenge Japan (2006)
  Sadaomi Masuda[11][10] 2006 Formula Challenge Japan (2006)
  Martin Plowman[11][10] 2006–2007 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007)
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007)
  Henkie Waldschmidt[11][10] 2006–2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007)
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
  Keisuke Kunimoto[11][10] 2006–2009 Formula Toyota (2006–2007)
Formula Challenge Japan (2006–2007)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008–2009)
Super GT – GT300 (2008)
Formula Nippon (2009)
  Takuto Iguchi[11][10] 2006–2011 Formula Toyota (2006–2007)
Formula Challenge Japan (2006–2007)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008–2009)
Super GT – GT300 (2008–2010)
Super GT – GT350 (2011)
  Takamitsu Matsui[13] 2007 Formula Toyota (2007)
Formula Challenge Japan (2007)
  Andrea Caldarelli[13][10][14][15] 2007–2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2007–2008)
Formula Renault 2.0 WEC (2008)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
  Hiroaki Ishiura[13][10] 2007–2011 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007–2009)
Super GT – GT300 (2007)
Super GT – GT500 (2008–2011)
Formula Nippon (2009–2011)
  Kei Cozzolino[10] 2008 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008)
  Yuji Kunimoto[10] 2008–2013 Formula Challenge Japan (2008)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2009–2010)
Super GT – GT300 (2009–2011)
Formula Nippon (2011–2012)
Super GT – GT500 (2012–2013)
Super Formula Championship (2013
  Naoya Gamou[10][16] 2008,
2010–2011 		Formula Challenge Japan (2008)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2010–2011)
  Yuichi Nakayama[10][17] 2008,
2011–2016 		Formula Challenge Japan (2008)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2011–2013)
Super GT – GT300 (2013–2016)
Super Formula Championship (2014–2016)
  Takamoto Katsuta[18] 2012–2014 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2012–2014)
  Ryo Hirakawa[2] 2013–2017 Super Formula Championship (2013–2015)
Super GT GT500 (2014–2017)
European Le Mans Series - LMP2 (2016–2017)
  Kenta Yamashita[2][4] 2014–2020 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2014–2016)
Super GT GT300 (2015–2017)
Super GT GT500 (2018–2019)
Super Formula Championship (2017–2019)
FIA World Endurance Championship (2019–20)
  Sho Tsuboi[2][19] 2016–2020 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2016–2018)
Super GT GT300 (2017–2018)
Super GT GT500 (2019–2020)
Super Formula Championship (2019–2020)
  • Championship titles highlighted in bold.

TGR-DC Racing School drivers

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Driver Years
  Hibiki Taira 2020
  Seita Nonaka 2020–2021
  Jiei Okuzumi 2020–2021
  Eijiro Shimizu 2020–2021
  Rin Arakawa 2021–2022
  Rikuto Kobayashi 2022–2023
  Jin Nakamura 2022–2023
  Ryoma Henzan 2022
  Shunji Okumoto 2023
  Yuki Sano 2023–2024
  Kazuhisa Urabe 2024
  • Championship title highlighted in bold.
  • Promoted to TGR-DC drivers highlighted in italic.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Toyota Young Drivers Programme Ready for 2005". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 25 February 2005. Retrieved 25 February 2005.
  2. ^ a b c d "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Outlines 2017 Motorsports Activities". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Presents its 2025 motorsport team setups in Japan". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 25 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Outlines 2019 Motorsports Activities". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  5. ^ "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Outlines 2021 Motorsports Activities". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  6. ^ a b "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing announced its 2022 motorsport team setups". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing、2024年SUPER GT GT300クラス、スーパー耐久シリーズ参戦体制、国内レースのドライバー育成計画を発表". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "Toyota Finalise Young Drivers' Programme". atlasf1.com. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Toyota launches 'Drivers Academy'". Crash.net. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Toyota Outlines Motorsports Activities for 2008". Toyota. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Toyota Outlines Motorsports Activities for 2006". Toyota. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2006.
  12. ^ "3 Japanese drivers from TOYOTA Young Drivers Program will participate in F1 tests in 2007". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 10 November 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2007.
  13. ^ a b c d "Toyota Outlines Motorsports Activities for 2007". Toyota. 12 March 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2007.
  14. ^ "Teen tests Toyota". eurosport. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  15. ^ "Toyota give Caldarelli maiden test". autosport. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  16. ^ "TMC Outlines Motorsports Activities for 2010". Toyota. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  17. ^ "Toyota GAZOO Racing Outlines 2016 Motorsports Activities" (PDF). Toyota Gazoo Racing. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  18. ^ "Toyota Outlines Its Motorsports Activities for CY2014". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  19. ^ "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Outlines 2020 Motorsports Activities". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
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