Hitotsuyama Racing
| Founded | 1990 |
|---|---|
| Base | Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan |
| Team principal(s) | Ryoji Hitotsuyama |
| Founder(s) | Mikio Hitotsuyama Yasushi Hitotsuyama |
| Current series | |
| Former series | |
| Current drivers |
|
| Teams' Championships | SRO Japan Cup: 2025 TCR Japan Touring Car Series: 2020 Super Taikyu – ST-X: 2011 Japan Le Mans Challenge – LMP1: 2007 Japan Le Mans Challenge – LMGT1: 2006, 2007 |
Hitotsuyama Racing is a Japanese racing team currently competing in SRO Japan Cup and the ST-3 class of Super Taikyu. The team formerly competed in the GT500 and GT300 classes of Super GT.
History
[edit]Team founders Mikio Hitotsuyama and Yasushi Hitotsuyama had been racing drivers in the 1970s, but temporarily took a step back from motorsport to focus on their Yamaichi Transport & Warehouse business.[1] In 1990, Hitotsuyama Racing began its racing ventures, with Mikio making his debut in the Japanese Touring Car Championship.[2] After six seasons in the series, Hitotsuyama Racing joined the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (known as Super GT from 2005) in 1996.[1]
Debuting in the GT300 class with a BMW M3 (E36), the team achieved its first podium at the Mine finale on its debut year with Kenji Yamamoto and Mikio Hitotsuyama at the wheel.[3] Continuing in the class for the next three seasons, Hitotsuyama's maiden stint in GT300 was highlighted by a fourth-place points finish in 1998, in which it scored a podium at Fuji with Hiroki Katoh and Yasushi Hitotsuyama.[4] In 2000, Hitotsuyama Racing stepped up to the GT500 class with a McLaren F1 GTR, with Akihiko Nakaya for the full-season, while Yasushi Hitotsuyama drove for most of the season.[5] Spending six seasons in the category, which included two seasons with the Ferrari 550 GTS, Hitotsuyama Racing scored a lone podium from pole at Motegi in 2002 with Naoki Hattori and Eiichi Tajima to take 11th in points with the F1 GTR.[6]
In 2006, Hitotsuyama Racing switched to the newly-created Japan Le Mans Challenge, fielding a car in the LMP1 and LMGT1 classes.[7] In the two seasons the JLMC ran, Hitotsuyama Racing won the LMGT1 title in both years,[8] as well as the LMP1 title in 2007.[9] In 2009, the team returned to the GT500 class of Super GT, under the Team Nova banner, fielding an Aston Martin DBR9 in select rounds for Akihiro Tsuzuki and Takeshi Tsuchiya to prepare for the Asian Le Mans Series.[10] In the two-race AsLMS season at Okayama, Hitotsuyama Team Nova secured the win in race two with the Tsuzuki-Tsuchiya duo.[11][12]
Three years later, Hitotsuyama Racing made its full-time return to Super GT with an Audi R8 LMS driven by Tsuzuki alongside Cyndie Allemann and Richard Lyons, who shared the second seat.[13] In 2014, Hitotsuyama Racing began a partnership with Audi Japan and began racing as Audi Team Hitotsuyama with Lyons and Tomonobu Fujii,[14] a season in which the team scored a lone podium at Sugo.[15] After a podium at Okayama in 2015,[16] Hitotsuyama Racing had a breakthrough season in 2016, winning at Motegi with Fujii-Lyons and securing third in the teams' standings.[17]
Alongside its Super GT commitments, Hitotsuyama Racing also raced at Suzuka 10 Hours in 2018 and 2019,[18][19] established the A1 Fan Cup,[20] as well as making its debut in TCR Japan and a one-off appearance in the World Touring Car Cup in 2019.[21][22] In the team's three-year stint in TCR competition, Hitotsuyama Racing most notably secured the TCR Japan Touring Car Series team's championship in 2020 with Takuro Shinohara.[23]
In 2020, Hitotsuyama Racing was set to field Audi factory driver Christopher Mies full-time in Super GT alongside Shintaro Kawabata,[24] but was replaced by Tsubasa Kondo after Covid-19 restrictions left Mies unable to enter Japan.[25] Despite the last-minute change in line-up, the team scored its second Super GT win at Suzuka to jump up to tenth in points.[26] The following year, Kawabata was partnered up with Takuro Shinohara,[27] scoring a surprise third win for Hitotsuyama Racing at Motegi,[28] before the team left the series ahead of 2022.[29]
During its final season in Super GT and TCR Japan in 2021, Hitotsuyama Racing returned to Super Taikyu, making a one-off appearance at the Fuji 24 Hours in the ST-X class with its R8 LMS.[30] While Hitotsuyama Racing continued in Super Taikyu for 2022, albeit switching to ST-Z with an R8 LMS GT4,[31] the team competed in its only season in the F4 Japanese Championship with Daiki Fujiwara,[32] as well as a one-off appearance in GT World Challenge Asia with Tsuzuki and Motohiro Ogura at Fuji.[33]
As the team continued its ST-Z programme, Hitotsuyama Racing switched to a Mercedes-AMG GT4 in 2024,[34] the same year it joined the SRO Japan Cup in 2024, helping run GAMA 83 Racing in the GTC class.[35] For 2025, Hitotsuyama Racing brought back its Audi R8 LMS Evo II to compete in the ST-X class alongside its existing programme in ST-Z,[36] as well as a brief return to single-seaters with Anna Inotsume in the Formula Regional Japanese Championship.[37] Between the three campaigns, Hitotsuyama Racing most notably scored two overall podiums with its ST-X entry, as it finished fifth in the teams' standings with a best result of second at Autopolis.[38] In parallel, Hitotsuyama Racing partnered with Cornes Racing to field a Ferrari 296 GT3 in the SRO Japan Cup for Kawabata and Tsuzuki,[39] taking a lone win at Fuji,[40] as well as securing the overall and Pro-Am GT3 titles.[41]
In 2026, Hitotsuyama Racing remained in the SRO Japan Cup to defend its title with its Ferrari, as well as running newcomers AWD Racing with their Audi R8 LMS Evo II,[42] whereas in Super Taikyu, the team fielded a lone BMW M2 Racing in the ST-3 class.[43]
Former series results
[edit]JGTC
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Super GT
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed. * Season still in progress.
Timeline
[edit]| Current series | |
|---|---|
| A1 Fun Cup | 2019–present |
| Super Taikyu Series | 2011, 2021–present |
| SRO Japan Cup | 2024–present |
| Former series | |
| Japanese Touring Car Championship | 1990–1997 |
| Super GT | 1996–2005, 2009, 2012–2021 |
| Japan Le Mans Challenge | 2006–2007 |
| Asian Le Mans Series | 2009 |
| Intercontinental GT Challenge | 2018–2019 |
| TCR Japan Touring Car Series | 2019–2021 |
| World Touring Car Cup | 2019 |
| F4 Japanese Championship | 2022 |
| GT World Challenge Asia | 2022 |
| Formula Regional Japanese Championship | 2025 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 Hirano, Ryuji (1 April 2020). "開幕までに知識を増やそう。カーナンバーとチーム名の由来を知る:Audi Team Hitotsuyama". as-web.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "ABOUT US". hitotsuyamaracing.net. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "MINE GT RACE GT (300) リザルト". motorsports.jaf.or.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ "GTインサイドレポート Rd.4/3". fmotor.jp (in Japanese). 9 August 1998. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "GTインサイドレポート 00Rd.1/1". fmotor.jp (in Japanese). 28 March 2000. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "JGTCもてぎ、NSXが1-2フィニッシュ". webcg.net (in Japanese). 17 September 2002. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "Ferrari will be represented in the inaugural Japan Le Mans Challenge as Hitotsuyama Racing plan enter [sic] the new series with the Ferrari 550 Maranello that they have campaigned the JGTC [sic] for the last two seasons". italiaspeed.com. 6 February 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ Suehiro, Kazuhisa (29 October 2006). "JLMC:第3戦岡山決勝 無限クラージュが念願の初勝利!". fmotor.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ Suehiro, Kazuhisa (22 July 2007). "JLMC:第3戦もてぎ決勝 189周でチェッカー。ザイテックが開幕3連勝でシリーズタイトルを獲得!". fmotor.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "『ASTON MARTIN 赤坂 DBR9』GT500へ挑んだ最後の外国車【忘れがたき銘車たち】". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 20 May 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ Wojdyla, Ben (2 November 2009). "Aston Martin LMP1 Wins In Asian Le Mans". jalopnik.com. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "Asian Le Mans, Okayama – Race Two Report". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "アウディ、2012年のモータースポーツ活動を発表、R8でGT300クラスに参戦". car.watch.impress.co.jp (in Japanese). 22 March 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "Audi Sport Team Hitotsuyama Confirms Driver Lineup". sportscar365.com. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ "【SUPER GT Rd.4 SUGO】Audi Team Hitotsuyamaが表彰台獲得!". 8speed.net (in Japanese). 21 July 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ Tickell, Sam (6 April 2015). "Super GT: Round 1 review from Okayama". racerviews.com. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ Kilbey, Stephen (12 November 2016). "Forum Engineering Storms To Race 1 Win At Motegi". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "10H Suzuka : Alessio Picariello chez Audi Team Hitotsuyama". endurance-info.com (in French). 1 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "10H Suzuka : trois équipes Audi Sport confirmées". endurance-info.com (in French). 15 April 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "Hitotsuyama GmbH 2019富士チャンピオンレースシリーズ Audi A1 Fun Cup第1戦レポート". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 15 May 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "15-car entry list announced for inaugural TCR Japan season". touringcartimes.com. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "Japanese pair secure Suzuka wild card drives with Team Hitotsuyama". touringcartimes.com. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ Hirano, Ryuji (23 May 2025). "TCRジャパンシリーズ:篠原拓朗がサタデー/サンデーとも戴冠。「もっと強くなりたい」". as-web.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "Audi factory driver Mies to race in Super GT". motorsport.com. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ O'Connell, RJ (7 July 2020). "44 Cars On Entry List For Season-Opening Super GT Fuji 300km". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ O'Connell, RJ (25 October 2020). "Last-To-First Victory & A Season Sweep For NISMO At Suzuka Circuit". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ Hirano, Ryuji (23 May 2025). "Audi Team Hitotsuyama、2021年のマシンカラーを発表。レッド&アイボリーのデザインに". as-web.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ Mercier, Laurent (7 November 2021). "Motegi : Nojiri/Fukuzumi (Honda) doublent la mise en GT500". endurance-info.com (in French). Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "Hitotsuyama Racing fera l'impasse en 2022". endurance-info.com (in French). 30 December 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ O'Connell, RJ (19 May 2021). "2021 Fuji 24 Hours Preview: Future On Track". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ O'Connell, RJ (20 May 2022). "56 Cars Entered For 2022 Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Hirano, Ryuji (25 March 2022). "Hitotsuyama Racing、藤原大暉を擁しFIA-F4に挑戦へ。30年の歴史で初のフォーミュラ". as-web.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Hirano, Ryuji (16 August 2022). "GTワールドチャレンジ・アジア第4ラウンドSUGOのエントリー発表。台数微減もGT3に注目エントリー". as-web.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Hirano, Ryuji (28 March 2024). "Hitotsuyama Racingがスーパー耐久参戦体制を発表。メルセデスAMG GT4にスイッチ". as-web.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ O'Connell, RJ (22 June 2024). "K-tunes Ferrari Gets First Japan Cup Win". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ O'Connell, RJ (18 March 2025). "Super Taikyu Launches 2025 Season At Motegi". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ "Hitotsuyama Racing、猪爪杏奈とともにフォーミュラ・リージョナルにフル参戦へ。勝負の年に挑む". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 23 May 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ O'Connell, RJ (31 July 2025). "apr Lexus Wins Autopolis After TKRI Penalty". dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Hirano, Ryuji (27 May 2024). "Hitotsuyama with CORNES RACING結成。フェラーリ296 GT3でSROジャパンカップに参戦へ". as-web.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ "Seven X Seven Porsche, Hitotsuyama Ferrari Win In Fuji". dailysportscar.com. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ Hirano, Ryuji (19 September 2025). "2年目のSROジャパンカップでタイトルを獲得した都筑晶裕/川端伸太朗組「プレッシャーのなかでのチャンピオンは嬉しい」と喜び". as-web.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Klein, Jamie (29 January 2026). "AWD Racing Steps Up to GT3 With Audi, Hitotsuyama Support". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ "Hitotsuyama Racingが2026年スーパー耐久参戦体制を発表。BMW M2 Racingを投入しST-3クラスにスイッチ". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 12 March 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
External links
[edit]- Japanese auto racing teams
- Auto racing teams established in 1990
- 1990 establishments in Japan
- Super GT teams
- Audi in motorsport
- Super Taikyu teams
- Asian Le Mans Series teams
- Intercontinental GT Challenge teams
- World Touring Car Cup teams
- GT World Challenge Asia teams
- Formula Regional Japanese Championship teams