Tsuchiya Engineering
| Founded | 1971 |
|---|---|
| Base | Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Team principal(s) | Takeshi Tsuchiya |
| Founder(s) | Haruo Tsuchiya |
| Current series | Super GT |
| Former series | Japanese Formula 3 Championship Japan Formula 4 Super Taikyu |
| Current drivers | |
| Teams' Championships | JGTC – GT300: 1998 1999 Super GT – GT300 2016 |
| Drivers' Championships | JGTC – GT300: 1998: Keiichi Suzuki & Shingo Tachi 1999: Morio Nitta Super GT – GT300: 2016: Takeshi Tsuchiya & Takamitsu Matsui |
| Website | http://tsuchiya25.com |
Tsuchiya Engineering is a Japanese motor racing team based in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, which competes in the GT300 class of Super GT.
A long-time Toyota-fielding team in Super GT, the team won three drivers' and teams' titles in the GT300 class, as well as two Japanese Touring Car Championship teams' titles in Division-3.
History
Origins and first stint in Super GT (1971–2008)
Haruo Tsuchiya (1945-2021), a former motocross rider, worked at TOMEI Automotive from 1968 to 1971 to create his own shop and team.[1] The team initially competed in local touring car races, before entering JTC, where it won the Division-3 title twice, in 1989 and 1990.[2] Tsuchiya entered JGTC in 1997 with a Toyota MR2 and won its first title in 1998, after winning five out of six races with Shingo Tachi and Keiichi Suzuki behind the wheel.[3] The following year, the team partnered with A'PEX and scored a lone win at Fuji and two more podiums to secure the drivers' title with Morio Nitta, as well as taking their second consecutive teams' title.[4]
Entering GT500 in 2000, the team fielded a Toyota Supra until 2006, before fielding a Lexus SC430 for the following two years.[5] In their nine-year stint in the category, the team scored five podiums, including their only win at Okayama in 2005.[6] At the end of the 2008 season, the team suspended its motorsport activities in 2009 due to the economic recession and the reduction of manufacturer support.[7][2]
Team Samurai and Return to Super GT (2010–present)
Haruo's son Takeshi, founded 25 Racing/Team Samurai in 2010, with his father as manager.[2][8] Across the next four years, the team competed in Super GT until 2011, before then competing in Porsche Carrera Cup Japan, Super Taikyu and JAF Formula 4.[9] In 2015, Tsuchiya Engineering made their return to GT300 competition, with Takeshi Tsuchiya and Takamitsu Matsui driving a Toyota 86 MC GT300.[10] In the team's first full season since 2011, the Tsuchiya-Matsui pairing won at Sportsland SUGO and qualified on pole at Buriram to end the season ninth in points.[11] Retaining both Tsuchiya and Matsui for 2016, the pair scored wins at Buriram and Motegi to secure their third drivers' and teams' titles.[12] Ten days after the season-finale, Haruo was diagnosed with oral cancer, and as a result Takeshi retired from full-time racing to take over the running of the team.[2]
For the team's title defence, Matsui remained for a third consecutive season as Kenta Yamashita replaced Tsuchiya as the team's second driver.[13] In their only season together, the Matsui-Yamashita pair won at Autopolis and finished third at Sportsland SUGO to secure sixth in the teams' standings.[14] Matsui remained with the team as the sole full-time driver for the 2017 season, finishing third at Okayama and second at Suzuka alongside Sho Tsuboi as the team ended the year eighth in points.[15][16] In 2019, Matsui remained with the team as he was joined by Kimiya Sato, as they scored a best result of fourth at Buriram and qualified on pole three times to end the year 18th in points.[17]
Ahead of 2020, the team switched to a Porsche 911,[18][19] fielding it until 2021, scoring a best result of fifth at Motegi in the latter year, before the team switched to a self-built Toyota GR Supra.[20][21] In their first year with the Supra, the team scored a single points finish at Sportsland SUGO, by finishing tenth, to end the year 34th in the teams' standings in a season in which they missed the second Fuji round following a testing crash at Suzuka.[22]
In 2023, at the fourth round of the season at Fuji, both Tsuchiya-ran cars caught fire, leading to both cars withdrawing from the following event and the rest of the season.[23] Tsuchiya then started a fundraiser known as the "Hopico Revival Project" in order to help the team return to racing.[24] The team returned to GT300 competition in the following year with Takamitsu Matsui and Togo Suganami, with a rebuilt version of "Hopico".[25]
Partnership with Max Racing (2020–2023)
Before the 2020 Super GT season it was announced that Tsuchiya Engineering would support series newcomers Max Racing, by servicing their car.[26] The partnership lasted until the 2023 Fuji GT 450km Race, where both cars caught fire and Max Racing ceased operations with immediate effect.[27] In their three-year partnership, Max Racing scored a lone win at Suzuka in 2021 and scored a best points finish of fourth the same year.[28]
Race results
Complete JGTC results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year[29] | Car | Tyres | Class | No. | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Toyota MR2 | Y | GT300 | 25 | Takeshi Tsuchiya Masaoki Nagashima |
SUZ 3 |
FUJ Ret |
SEN 1 |
FUJ 5 |
MIN | SUG 3 |
3rd | 52 | ||
| 1998 | Toyota MR2 | Y | GT300 | 25 | Keiichi Suzuki Shingo Tachi |
SUZ 1 |
FUJ C |
SEN 1 |
FUJ 1 |
MOT 6 |
MIN 1 |
SUG 1 |
1st | 106 | |
| 1999 | Toyota MR2 | Y | GT300 | 25 | Morio Nitta Yasushi Kikuchi Shinichi Takagi |
SUZ 8 |
FUJ 1 |
SUG 2 |
MIN 2 |
FUJ 5 |
OKA 8 |
MOT Ret |
1st | 73 | |
| 2000 | Toyota Supra | Y | GT500 | 25 | Manabu Orido Mitsuhiro Kinoshita |
MOT 13 |
FUJ 10 |
SUG 14 |
FUJ 8 |
OKA 8 |
MIN 7 |
SUZ 13 |
13th | 11 | |
| 2001 | Toyota Supra | Y | GT500 | 25 | Manabu Orido Seiji Ara |
OKA 9 |
FUJ 11 |
SUG 11 |
FUJ DNS |
MOT 7 |
SUZ 7 |
MIN 10 |
12th | 11 | |
| 2002 | Toyota Supra | Y | GT500 | 25 | Shinichi Yamaji Seiji Ara Geoff Lees |
OKA 6 |
FUJ 13 |
SUG 11 |
SEP Ret |
FUJ 4 |
MOT 9 |
MIN 5 |
SUZ 7 |
10th | 32 |
| 2003 | Toyota Supra | Y | GT500 | 25 | Jérémie Dufour Seiji Ara Hideki Noda |
OKA 10 |
FUJ Ret |
SUG 3 |
FUJ 13 |
FUJ 17 |
MOT 3 |
AUT 12 |
SUZ Ret |
10th | 26 |
| 2004 | Toyota Supra | Y | GT500 | 25 | Manabu Orido Dominik Schwager |
OKA 14 |
SUG 2 |
SEP Ret |
TOK 13 |
MOT 12 |
AUT 3 |
SUZ 10 |
10th | 31 |
Complete Super GT Results
(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
| Current series | |
|---|---|
| Super GT | 1997–2008, 2010–2011, 2015–present |
| Former series | |
| Japanese Touring Car Championship | 1985–1998 |
| Super Taikyu Series | 2012 |
| Japan Formula 4 | 2014 |
| Japanese Formula 3 Championship | 2016 |
References
- ^ "訃報：希代の"レース屋"にして"職人"。つちやエンジニアリング初代代表・土屋春雄さん亡くなる". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 13 April 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Haruo Tsuchiya: 1945-2021". dailysportscar.com. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ^ "名門土屋エンジニアリングが作り上げてきたマシンとは？不屈の町工場魂でワークスと戦った歴代GTマシンをご紹介します。". motorz.jp (in Japanese). 10 October 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "シルビア対MR2、1999年JGTCの土屋親子GT300対決に投入された秘密兵器". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 2 April 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "いまや絶滅危惧種の職人魂。つちやエンジニアリング流"GT500独自チューン"の妙技【スーパーGT驚愕メカ大全】". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 25 June 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "織戸学 ドライバーズコラム 第2回 プロドライバーとしての半生（後編）". gazoo.com (in Japanese). 8 December 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "つちやエンジニアリング、2008年以来のSGT復活へ". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 2 December 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "土屋武士の『25 Racing』が藤沢市にオープン". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 31 March 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "SAMURAI、15年のSGT復帰目指す。3年で王座狙う". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 25 February 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "つちやエンジニアリングのドライバーは土屋＆松井に". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 26 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "【SGT】2015第6戦SUGO：マザーシャシーが悲願の初優勝！土屋／松井組が波乱のSUGOを制する". kansenzyuku.com (in Japanese). 20 September 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "「若手に任せるときがきた」土屋武士、17年はGTレギュラー参戦しない意向". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 2 October 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ ""事件"から始まった第二章。最高のアップデートで連覇に挑むつちやエンジニアリング". as-web.jp (in Japanese). 31 March 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "Victory For Lexus Team Au TOM's In Autopolis". dailysportscar.com. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "Keihin Real Racing Ends Seven-Year Winless Drought With Okayama Victory". dailysportscar.com. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "Autobacs Racing Team Aguri Triumphs In Thrilling Suzuka 300km". dailysportscar.com. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "Real Racing Soars To Pole Position In Autopolis". dailysportscar.com. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "Tsuchiya Super GT squad switches to Porsche". dailysportscar.com. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Porsche Switch For Tsuchiya Engineering". dailysportscar.com. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Tsuchiya considering ditching Porsche after just two seasons". motorsport.com. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Tsuchiya to switch to Toyota Supra GT300 for 2022". motorsport.com. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Tsuchiya, Drago Corse teams to miss Fuji SUPER GT round". motorsport.com. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Hoppy Team Tsuchiya, Max Racing Out Of Suzuka 450km". 14 August 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ^ "Tsuchiya Engineering, Racing To Race Again". dailysportscar.com. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ^ "Toyota Gazoo Racing Announces 2024 GT300 & Super Taikyu Programmes". dailysportscar.com. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "Tsuchiya to support new Lexus Super GT team". dailysportscar.com. 8 February 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Max Racing Withdraws From SUPER GT, Ceases Operations". dailysportscar.com. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "The Weekend That Was, Super GT Suzuka GT 300km Race". dailysportscar.com. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ a b "World Sports Racing Prototypes - All Japan Grand Touring Championship". www.wsrp.cz. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
- ^ Magazine, Speedsport. "Super GT & All Japan GT: Overview of seasons". www.speedsport-magazine.com. Retrieved 2023-05-24.