Team LeMans
Le Mans Ltd., headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo is an automobile parts manufacturer founded in 1967. The original company name was Le Mans Chamber of Commerce. The company is mainly engaged in the development and sales of motorsport parts and the import and sale of race cars overseas. They also have a racing division called Team LeMans, currently compete under the Velorex name. The origin of the team name comes from 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team currently competes in Super GT, fielding the #6 Audi R8 LMS Evo II in the GT300 class for Yoshiaki Katayama, Roberto Merhi and Seiya Jin.
Season Results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | SUNOCO Team LeMans | Dallara SF14 | Narain Karth | 14th |
| 2015 | Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | Dallara SF14 | Ryō Hirakawa | 8th |
| 2014 | Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | Dallara SF14 | Ryō Hirakawa | 8th |
| 2013 | Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | Swift 017.n | Ryō Hirakawa | 11th |
| 2012 | Team LeMans | Swift 017.n | Kazuya Oshim | 7th |
| 2011 | Team LeMans | Swift 017.n | Kazuya Oshim | 5th |
| 2010 | Team LeMans | Swift 017.n | Kei Cozzolin | 10th |
| 2009 | Team LeMans | Swift 017.n | Keisuke Kuni | 13th |
| 2008 | Team LeMans | Lola FN06 | Satoshi Moto | 11th |
| 2007 | Forum Engineering Team LeMans | Lola FN06 | Tatsuya Kata | 14th |
| 2006 | Team LeMans | Lola FN06 | Tatsuya Kata | 7th |
| 2005 | Forum Engineering Team LeMans | Lola B03/51 | Tatsuya Kata | 11th |
| 2004 | Team LeMans | Lola B03/51 | Juichi Wakis | 5th |
| 2003 | — | Lola B03/51 | Toshihiro Ka | 4th |
| 2002 | Team LeMans | Reynard 99L Reynard 01L | Masami Kagey | 13th |
| 2001 | Team LeMans | Reynard 99L | Alex Yoong / | 14th |
| 2000 | Team LeMans | Reynard 99L | Hideki Noda | 5th |
| 1999 | Unlimited Racing Team LeMans | Reynard 99L | Satoshi Moto | 2nd |
| 1998 | LEMONed Racing Team LeMans | Reynard 97D | Norberto Fon | 1st |
| 1997 | Team LeMans | Reynard 96D Reynard 97D | Norberto Fon | 3rd |
| 1996 | X Japan Racing Team LeMans | Reynard 96D | Naoki Hattor | 1st |
| 1995 | Team LeMans | — | Naoki Hattor | 8th |
| 1994 | Team LeMans | — | Ross Cheever | 3rd |
| 1992 | Team LeMans | — | Ross Cheever | 3rd |
| 1991 | Team LeMans | — | Ross Cheever | 2nd |
| 1990 | Team LeMans | — | Johnny Herbe | 16th |
| 1989 | Team LeMans | — | Emanuele Pir | 6th |
| 1988 | Team LeMans | — | Emanuele Pir | 3rd |
| 1979 | Team LeMans | March 792 |  Keiji | 1st |
Team History
History
Their participation in the All Japan F2000 Championship started with Keiji Matsumoto in 1976. In 1979 he won the championship title. In 1988-89 Geoff Lees and Emanuele Pirro raced for the team, both winning one race.
In 1996, the team had its most successful year in Japan's top level open wheel series, when Ralf Schumacher and Naoki Hattori took the first two spots in the drivers' championship, also winning the first team title. The team repeated wins in the drivers and team championship with Satoshi Motoyama in 1998.
The team achieved titles in The Fuji Grand Champion Series (Fuji GC) with in Keiji Matsumoto in 1983 and Geoff Lees in 1988 and 1989.
Team LeMans first entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1987 under the name Italya Sports. They competed in the race through 1990 without a single finish.
ESSO Ultraflo Supra (2002)
Team LeMans first entered the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship on its inaugural season in 1994, fielding a production based Nissan 300ZX-LM in the GT1 class with FedEx as their primary sponsor. The team took three top-10 finishes with Masami Kageyama and finished 17th in the drivers standings. Kageyama and the 300ZX returned to compete in the following year, but the team failed to score any points and was not classified in the standings.
For the 1996 season, Team LeMans bought an ex-IMSA Nissan 300ZX-GTS to compete in the rebranded GT500 class. Kageyama and series debutant Yuji Tachikawa took one top-10 finish in the final round of the championship at Mine Circuit and finished 25th in the drivers standings. Tachikawa stayed with the team for the 1997 season and was partnered by Tsuyoshi Takahashi, who replaced Kageyama after he was signed by SARD. The team took a 10th place finish in the season opening round at Suzuka, but a practice crash in the next round at Fuji totaled their 300ZX-GTS and the team was forced to withdraw their entry for the rest of the season.
Team LeMans didn't take part in the 1998 season, but they returned in 1999 after they took over the entry of the #6 Esso Tiger Toyota Supra from Inging Motorsport. LeMans signed former Formula One driver Hideki Noda and reigning GT300 champion Shingo Tachi to compete with the team, but Tachi was killed in a pre-season testing accident at TI Aida with less than two weeks before the start of the 1999 season. Former MotoGP champion Wayne Gardner was then signed by the team to replace Tachi. The team took a pole position in the third round at Sportsland Sugo and a victory in the fifth round at Fuji Speedway on their first season with Toyota, finishing 12th in the drivers standings.
In 2002, the team won drivers' championship in the GT500 class of the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship with Akira Iida and Juichi Wakisaka, who competed in a Toyota Supra race car. Wakisaka, as team principal, would later led Team LeMans to a second GT500 class title in 2019 with the driving pairing of Kazuya Oshima and Kenta Yamashita, but the team left the series at the conclusion of the season.
Team LeMans provided support to Hitotsuyama Racing in 2020 before they reentered the series in 2021 under a collaboration with Motoyama Racing. LeMans entered the #6 Audi R8 LMS Evo for ex-GT500 champion Satoshi Motoyama and Yoshiaki Katayama, son of the team's owner Yoshinori Katayama, in the GT300 class. The team finished all races that year, but was not classified as they failed to score a points finish. Motoyama and Katayama returned the following year with an Evo II model of the Audi R8 LMS, but Motoyama was released after one round. Financial issues on Motoyama's sponsors was reported to be the primary reason of Motoyama's dismissal. Roberto Merhi was then signed by the team to replace Motoyama for the rest of the season.
^ "Nissan's History In GT500, In Pictures". dailysportscar.com. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
^ "Remembering Shingo Tachi, 20 Years Later". dailysportscar.com. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "All-Japa
All-Japan F2000/F2/F3000 Championship
Their participation in the All Japan F2000 Championship started with Keiji Matsumoto in 1976. In 1979 he won the championship title. In 1988-89 Geoff Lees and Emanuele Pirro raced for the team, both winning one race.
Formula Nippon
In 1996, the team had its most successful year in Japan's top level open wheel series, when Ralf Schumacher and Naoki Hattori took the first two spots in the drivers' championship, also winning the first team title. The team repeated wins in the drivers and team championship with Satoshi Motoyama in 1998.
Fuji GC
The team achieved titles in The Fuji Grand Champion Series (Fuji GC) with in Keiji Matsumoto in 1983 and Geoff Lees in 1988 and 1989.
24 Hours of Le Mans
Team LeMans first entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1987 under the name Italya Sports. They competed in the race through 1990 without a single finish.
All-Japan GT Championship/Super GT
ESSO Ultraflo Supra (2002)
Team LeMans first entered the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship on its inaugural season in 1994, fielding a production based Nissan 300ZX-LM in the GT1 class with FedEx as their primary sponsor. The team took three top-10 finishes with Masami Kageyama and finished 17th in the drivers standings. Kageyama and the 300ZX returned to compete in the following year, but the team failed to score any points and was not classified in the standings.
For the 1996 season, Team LeMans bought an ex-IMSA Nissan 300ZX-GTS to compete in the rebranded GT500 class. Kageyama and series debutant Yuji Tachikawa took one top-10 finish in the final round of the championship at Mine Circuit and finished 25th in the drivers standings. Tachikawa stayed with the team for the 1997 season and was partnered by Tsuyoshi Takahashi, who replaced Kageyama after he was signed by SARD. The team took a 10th place finish in the season opening round at Suzuka, but a practice crash in the next round at Fuji totaled their 300ZX-GTS and the team was forced to withdraw their entry for the rest of the season.
Team LeMans didn't take part in the 1998 season, but they returned in 1999 after they took over the entry of the #6 Esso Tiger Toyota Supra from Inging Motorsport. LeMans signed former Formula One driver Hideki Noda and reigning GT300 champion Shingo Tachi to compete with the team, but Tachi was killed in a pre-season testing accident at TI Aida with less than two weeks before the start of the 1999 season. Former MotoGP champion Wayne Gardner was then signed by the team to replace Tachi. The team took a pole position in the third round at Sportsland Sugo and a victory in the fifth round at Fuji Speedway on their first season with Toyota, finishing 12th in the drivers standings.
In 2002, the team won drivers' championship in the GT500 class of the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship with Akira Iida and Juichi Wakisaka, who competed in a Toyota Supra race car. Wakisaka, as team principal, would later led Team LeMans to a second GT500 class title in 2019 with the driving pairing of Kazuya Oshima and Kenta Yamashita, but the team left the series at the conclusion of the season.
Team LeMans provided support to Hitotsuyama Racing in 2020 before they reentered the series in 2021 under a collaboration with Motoyama Racing. LeMans entered the #6 Audi R8 LMS Evo for ex-GT500 champion Satoshi Motoyama and Yoshiaki Katayama, son of the team's owner Yoshinori Katayama, in the GT300 class. The team finished all races that year, but was not classified as they failed to score a points finish. Motoyama and Katayama returned the following year with an Evo II model of the Audi R8 LMS, but Motoyama was released after one round. Financial issues on Motoyama's sponsors was reported to be the primary reason of Motoyama's dismissal. Roberto Merhi was then signed by the team to replace Motoyama for the rest of the season.
^ "Nissan's History In GT500, In Pictures". dailysportscar.com. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
^ "Remembering Shingo Tachi, 20 Years Later". dailysportscar.com. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "All-Japan GT Championship — Class GT500 2002 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
^ "Lexus Team LeMans Wako's Kazuya Oshima & Kenta Yamashita Take GT500 Title". dailysportscar.com. 3 November 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "Team LeMans, Toyota To Part Ways After Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival". dailysportscar.com. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "Satoshi Motoyama Returning To Super GT With Team LeMans". dailysportscar.com. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "Motoyama SUPER GT Audi gets Evo II upgrade for 2022". Motorsport.com. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "Motoyama confirms split from Team LeMans SUPER GT squad". Motorsport.com. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
^ "Satoshi Motoyama Confirms Dismissal From Team LeMans". dailyspo
History adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
About Team LeMans
Team LeMans is a Japan professional-level racing team based in Tokyo. Founded in 1967, the team competes in Fia Karting, Stock Car Brasil, Super Formula.Team LeMans is listed on Race Team Wiki, the world's first comprehensive racing team index.
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