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TGR Driver Challenge Program
Program to support young racing drivers through their careers

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, hoping to find 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.

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

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Current drivers

TGR-DC drivers

DriverYearsCurrent SeriesTitles as TGR-DC driver
Ritomo Miyata122017–2021,2025–Formula 2 ChampionshipF4 Japanese Championship (2017)Super Formula Lights (2020)
Kazuto Kotaka32019–Super FormulaGT World Challenge AsiaGT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupSuper Formula Lights (2022)
Hibiki Taira42021–Super FormulaSuper GT – GT300None as TGR-DC driver
Miki Koyama52022–Super GT – GT300Formula Regional Japanese Championship (2022)
Seita Nonaka62022–Super FormulaSuper GT – GT300SRO Japan Cup – GT4None as TGR-DC driver
Rikuto Kobayashi72024–Super Formula LightsSuper GT GT300Super FormulaNone as TGR-DC driver
Jin Nakamura82024–Formula Regional Middle East ChampionshipFormula Regional European ChampionshipNone as TGR-DC driver
Esteban Masson92025–European Le Mans Series – LMP2FIA World Endurance Championship – LMGT3Super Formula LightsNone as TGR-DC driver
Yuki Sano102025–Super Formula LightsSuper GT – GT300None as TGR-DC driver
Tokiya Suzuki112025–Formula Regional Japanese ChampionshipF4 Japanese ChampionshipNone as TGR-DC driver
Kiyoshi Umegaki122025–Formula Regional Japanese ChampionshipF4 Japanese ChampionshipNone as TGR-DC driver
  • Championship titles highlighted in bold.

TGR-DC Racing School drivers

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

No.Driver13
28 Kiyoshi Umegaki
29 Tokiya Suzuki
35 Yuzuki Miura
36 Takahiro Kikuchi
37 Megumu Suzuki
38 Masana Muto

Former drivers

TGR-DC drivers

DriverYearsSeries competed
Takashi Kogure2001Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001)
Norihiko Tasaki2001Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001)
Ryan Briscoe1415162001–2005Formula 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 Hiranaka172001–2005Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002)Formula 3 Euro Series (2003–2004)Formula Nippon (2005)Super GT – GT300 (2005)
Tatsuya Kataoka2001–2006Japanese 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 Perera1819202001–2006Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2002–2003)Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002)Formula 3 Euro Series (2004–2005)GP2 Series (2006)
Alexander Storckenfeldt212002Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002)
Hiroki Yoshimoto2002–2003Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2003)
Naoki Yokomizo2002–2004Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2004)
Taku Bamba2002–2005Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2005)
Wataru Kobayakawa2002–2004Formula Toyota (2002)Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2004)
Kohei Hirate2223242002–2011Formula 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 Streit252003–2004Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2003)Formula 3 Euro Series (2004)
Kamui Kobayashi2627282003–2011Formula 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 Nakajima2930312003–2011Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004)JGTC – GT300 (2004)F3 Euro Series (2005–2006)GP2 Series (2007)Formula One (2007–2009)Formula Nippon (2010–2011)
Ben Clucas2004Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2004)
Daisuke Ikeda2004–2005Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004–2005)
Yuhi Sekiguchi322004–2005,2007Formula Toyota (2004–2005)Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007)
Kazuya Oshima33342004–2011Formula 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 Yasuoka352005–2006Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2005-2006)
Hideki Yamauchi362005, 2008Formula Toyota (2005)Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008)
Tsubasa Abe372006Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2006)
Yoshifumi Kubota382006Formula Challenge Japan (2006)
Sadaomi Masuda39402006Formula Challenge Japan (2006)
Martin Plowman41422006–2007Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007)Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007)
Henkie Waldschmidt43442006–2008Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007)Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007)Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
Keisuke Kunimoto45462006–2009Formula Toyota (2006–2007)Formula Challenge Japan (2006–2007)Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008–2009)Super GT – GT300 (2008)Macau Grand Prix (2008)Formula Nippon (2009)
Takuto Iguchi47482006–2011Formula Toyota (2006–2007)Formula Challenge Japan (2006–2007)Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008–2009)Super GT – GT300 (2008–2010)Super GT – GT350 (2011)
Takamitsu Matsui492007Formula Toyota (2007)Formula Challenge Japan (2007)
Andrea Caldarelli505152532007–2008Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2007–2008)Formula Renault 2.0 WEC (2008)Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
Hiroaki Ishiura54552007–2011Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007–2009)Super GT – GT300 (2007)Super GT – GT500 (2008–2011)Formula Nippon (2009–2011)
Kei Cozzolino562008Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008)
Yuji Kunimoto572008–2013Formula 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 Gamou58592008,2010–2011Formula Challenge Japan (2008)Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2010–2011)
Yuichi Nakayama60612008,2011–2016Formula Challenge Japan (2008)Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2011–2013)Super GT – GT300 (2013–2016)Super Formula Championship (2014–2016)
Takamoto Katsuta622012–2014Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2012–2014)
Ryo Hirakawa632013–2017Super Formula Championship (2013–2015)Super GT GT500 (2014–2017)European Le Mans Series - LMP2 (2016–2017)
Kenta Yamashita64652014–2020Japanese 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 Tsuboi66672016–2020Japanese 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

DriverYears
Hibiki Taira2020
Seita Nonaka2020–2021
Jiei Okuzumi2020–2021
Eijiro Shimizu2020–2021
Rin Arakawa2021–2022
Rikuto Kobayashi2022–2023
Jin Nakamura2022–2023
Ryoma Henzan2022
Shunji Okumoto2023
Yuki Sano2023–2024
Kazuhisa Urabe2024
  • Championship title highlighted in bold.
  • Promoted to TGR-DC drivers highlighted in italic.

See also

References

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