is a factory supported racing team and tuner of
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
and
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...
vehicles. The name stands for Tachi Oiwa Motor Sport. Their head office is located in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. They are currently heavily involved with
Super GT
Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a grand touring car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as either the JGTC or the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, the series was renamed to Super GT in 2005. It is ...
,
Super Formula
The Japanese Super Formula Championship is a formula racing series. It is considered as being the top level of single-seater racing in Japan and regional motorsports in Asia. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) an ...
and
Super Formula Lights
is a national formula racing championship that takes place in Japan. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses the same single seater chassis as the pan-European Euroformula Open Championship. The series will be the first with the new b ...
. TOM'S creates aftermarket parts for current
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
vehicles, and have also created their own special edition of certain current
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...
models.
History
TOM'S stands for Tachi Oiwa Motor Sports. As cited in the TOM'S English website, TOM'S was established in 1974 by
Nobuhide Tachi
is a former Japanese racing driver, and the co-founder of TOM'S, a Japanese racing team and tuner for Toyota and Lexus.
His son, Shingo was also a racing driver.
Career Racing career
Tachi was born in Suzuka, Japan. Kenji Mimura, the founder ...
and Kiyoshi Oiwa. Despite an oil crisis at the time, the two were able to show productive results and a healthy development of motorsports for Toyota.
With the support of Toyota, TOM'S went into business in 1974.
[
In 1975 the Toyota Motor Corporation officially recognized TOM'S as an authorized tuning shop.][ In 1978, the firm opened a garage in the Tama area of ]Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
.[ The tuning firm expanded to ]Norfolk, England
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North ...
with branch openings in 1987.[ TOM'S entered the Japanese Formula 3 as an engine tuner in 1981. In 1987 the company opened a British factory to produce Formula 3 engines for Europe. They also were F3 chassis manufacturers from 1991 to 1997.
In 1993, TOM'S produced vehicles for the ]Japanese Formula 3000
The Japanese Super Formula Championship is a formula racing series. It is considered as being the top level of single-seater racing in Japan and regional motorsports in Asia. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) an ...
.[ In 1994, the firm marked its 20th anniversary with "TOM'S Angel T01", a commemorative model.][ 1995 saw the lightweight sports car series T101, T082, and T020.][ In 2003, TOM'S modified vehicles entered the All Japan F3 Championship group of the ]All Japan GT Championship
Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a grand touring car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as either the JGTC or the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, the series was renamed to Super GT in 2005. It is ...
.[
]
List of TOM'S complete cars
*F070M Celsior ( Lexus LS 400/430)
*F070 Celsior (Lexus LS 400/430)
*Z382 Soarer ( Lexus SC)
*S741 Majesta
*S630 Aristo
Aristo (from el, ) may refer to:
People Given name
* Aristo of Ceos (3rd century BC), Peripatetic philosopher
* Aristo of Chios (3rd century BC), Stoic philosopher and colleague of Zeno of Citium
* Aristo of Alexandria (1st century BC), Perip ...
*S740 Athlete
*S970 Athlete
*S972 Estate
*X540 Chaser
*E910 Altezza (Lexus IS
The is a compact executive car sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota since 1999. The IS was originally sold under the nameplate in Japan from 1998 (the word ''Altezza'' is Italian for 'height' or 'highness'). The IS was introduced as an e ...
300)
*Toyota Altezza RS200
* Land Cruiser
* RX330/Harrier
*Prius
The is a car built by Toyota which has a hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door sedan, it has been produced only as a five-door liftback since 2003.
In 2007, th ...
*H125 Alphard
Alphard , designated Alpha Hydrae (α Hydrae, abbreviated Alpha Hya, α Hya), is the brightest star in the constellation of Hydra. It is a single giant star, cooler than the Sun but larger and more luminous. It is about 177 light-year ...
*Isis
*W123 (MR-S)
*T020 ( MR-2)
*T111 ( Corolla AE111 Trueno)
*T101
*T091
*T082
*P050 Vitz
*EP82 Starlet GT Turbo
*Lexus LC
The is a grand tourer manufactured by Lexus, Toyota's luxury division. Based on the 2012 LF-LC Concept, it was revealed at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It replaced the SC, which was produced from 1991 to 2010. ...
(URZ100/GWZ100)
Also the aero work done to the number 36 Castrol TOM'S SUPRA (1997 GTC 500 Champion with Michael Krumm
Michael Krumm (born 19 March 1970) is a German professional racing driver who won the 2011 FIA GT1 World Championship driving for JR Motorsports.
Biography
Born in Reutlingen, Krumm married Japanese tennis player Kimiko Date on 1 December 2001 ...
and Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro Martínez de la Rosa (; born 24 February 1971) is a Spanish former Formula One driver who has participated in 107 Grands Prix for the Arrows, Jaguar, McLaren, Sauber and HRT teams. He made his Formula One debut on 7 March 1999, becoming ...
).
Motorsport
Outside of aftermarket tuning and parts, TOM'S Racing has a long history within the world of motorsport. Since its founding in 1974, TOM'S has continuously stayed involved in automotive racing, as a tuning partner, engine supplier, or racing team, especially with Toyota factory-backed racing teams.
History
Japanese Formula 3 Championship
TOM'S Racing had a large involvement and repeated success in the now-defunct Japanese Formula 3 Championship
was a national motor racing championship that takes place in Japan. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis.
As a result of Formula 3 naming regulations by the FIA, on 13 August 2019, series pro ...
. They have won the championship a record 21 times: in 1987, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2018.
Super GT
TOM'S Racing has been consistently involved in the Super GT
Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a grand touring car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as either the JGTC or the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, the series was renamed to Super GT in 2005. It is ...
racing series, the top level of Japanese sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing which utilises sports cars that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built prototypes or grand tourers based on road-going models. Broadly speaking, sports car racing is ...
, since 1995 when it was called the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC). They have raced both Toyota and Lexus silhouette
A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
cars. TOM'S has won the GT500 Class Championship six times: in 1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, 1999, 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, and 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
.
24 Hours of LeMans
From 1985 until 1993, TOM'S competed in the 24 Hours of LeMans, with a best result of 2nd place in 1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
with a Toyota TS010
The Toyota TS010 was a Group C racing car built by Toyota for the Sportscar World Championship, All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
History
Due to rule changes in the World Sportscar Championship for 1992, Toyo ...
.
All Japan Sports Prototype Championship
TOM'S raced in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship
The , abbreviated as JSPC, formed by the Japan Automobile Federation, was a domestic championship which took place in Japan for Group C and IMSA GTP prototype cars and also featured cars that were eligible for touring car racing in its earlier yea ...
in Group C
Group C was a category of sports car racing introduced by the FIA in 1982 and continuing until 1993, with ''Group A'' for touring cars and ''Group B'' for GTs.
It was designed to replace both Group 5 special production cars (closed top touri ...
, winning a championship in 1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
.
Macau Grand Prix
With the second-most team wins in history, TOM'S has won the Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of onl ...
five times: in 1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
, 1998, 1999, 2007, and 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
.
Japanese Touring Car Championship
TOM'S won the Japanese Touring Car Championship
The Japanese Touring Car Championship (abbr: 1985–1993: JTC, 1994–1998: JTCC, officially known as All Japan Touring Car Championship, ja, 全日本ツーリングカー選手権, link=no), was a former touring car racing series held in Japan. ...
in 1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
with a Toyota Corona E, and in 1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
with a Toyota Chaser
The Toyota Chaser is a mid-size car produced by Toyota in Japan. Most Chasers are four-door sedans and hardtop sedans; a two-door hardtop coupé was available on the first generation only. It was introduced on the 1976 Toyota Corona Mark II pla ...
.
Super Formula Championship
In the top level of Japanese single-seater racing, the Super Formula Championship
The Japanese Super Formula Championship is a formula racing series. It is considered as being the top level of single-seater racing in Japan and regional motorsports in Asia. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and ...
, TOM'S has won the championship four times: in 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, and 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
. Additionally, in its developmental series, Super Formula Lights
is a national formula racing championship that takes place in Japan. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses the same single seater chassis as the pan-European Euroformula Open Championship. The series will be the first with the new b ...
, TOM'S has won the championship every year since its inception, in 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, and 2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
.
References
External links
TOM'S website
TOM'S racing website
TOM'S USA website
TOM'S Australia website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toms
Automotive companies based in Tokyo
Engineering companies based in Tokyo
Manufacturing companies based in Tokyo
Automotive motorsports and performance companies
Japanese racecar constructors
Japanese auto racing teams
24 Hours of Le Mans teams
World Sportscar Championship teams
Formula Nippon teams
Super Formula teams
Super GT teams
Japanese Formula 3 Championship teams
British Touring Car Championship teams
British Formula Three teams
1974 establishments in Japan
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters teams
International Formula 3000 teams
Toyota in motorsport