Tsuchiya Engineering

Japanese racecar team

Tsuchiya EngineeringFounded| 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|

* Takamitsu Matsui
* Kimiya Sato

Teams'
Championships| JGTC:
1998
1999
Super GT
2016
Drivers'
Championships| JGTC:
1998: Keiichi Suzuki & Shingo Tachi
1999: Morio Nitta
Super GT:
2016: Takeshi Tsuchiya & Takamitsu Matsui
Website| http://tsuchiya25.com

Tsuchiya Engineering is a team located in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, founded by Haruo Tsuchiya, and now ran by his son, Takeshi.[1]

## Origins

[edit]

Haruo Tsuchiya used to work at TOMEI Automotive, before leaving in 1971 to create his own shop and team.

The team initially competed in local touring car races, before entering JTC, where it won the Division-3 title twice, in 1989 and 1990.

Tsuchiya later entered JGTC, and not long after, in 1998, they set a record-breaking season. A partnership with Team Taisan and with drivers Shingo Tachi and Keiichi Suzuki earned them 5 wins out of 6 races.

In 1999, they partnered with A'PEX and had 3 drivers throughout the season, one of which, Morio Nitta (who had entered in all the races) won the title, giving Tsuchiya back to back titles in GT300.

They entered in GT500 in 2000, but they couldn't build on their massive success in GT300, only achieving a win, in the season opener of 2005.

The team folded in 2008 due to the economic recession.

## Return to Super GT

[edit]

Haruo's son Takeshi, founded team SAMURAI in 2010, with his father as manager.

Takeshi Tsuchiya and Takamitsu Matsui's title winning car at Suzuka in 2016.

In 2015, Tsuchiya Engineering made their official return to GT300, where they won the championship in 2016 with Takeshi Tsuchiya and Takamitsu Matsui at the wheel.

Hoppy Porsche at 2020 Fujimaki Group Suzuka 300km

The team continued their strong form of results after 2016, but in 2020 the team switched to the Porsche 911[2][3] and began to struggle with results, leading them to ditch the Porsche after 2 disappointing seasons, switching to a self-built Toyota GR Supra.[4][5]

Hoppy schatz GR Supra GT at 2022 Takanoko no Hotel Suzuka GT 300km

Despite the car change, the struggles didn't stop as the team failed to score points in the first 3 races of the season and pulled out of the 4th round at Fuji following a testing crash at Suzuka.[6]

In 2023, at the 4th 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.[7]

As of November 2023, Takeshi was still hoping to return to GT300, having started a fundraiser known as the "Hopico Revival Project" in order to help the small team return to racing.[8]

The team is set to return to GT300 competition for the 2024 season with 2016 champion Takamitsu Matsui and Togo Suganami, with a rebuilt version of "Hopico".[9]

### Partnership with Max Racing

[edit]

Before the 2020 Super GT season it was announced that Tsuchiya Engineering would support newcomers Max Racing, by servicing their car.[10] The partnership lasted until the Fuji GT 450km Race in 2023, where both cars caught fire and Max Racing ceased operations.[11]

## Race Results

[edit]

### Complete JGTC results[12]

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year  | Car  | Tyres  | Class  | No.  | Drivers  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | Pos  | Pts

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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[12] [13]

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year  | Car  | Tyres  | Class  | No.  | Drivers  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | Pos  | Points

|
|
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2005 | Toyota Supra | Y | GT500  | 25  |  Manabu Orido
Dominik Schwager
Hideki Noda | OKA
1 | FUJ
14 | SEP
15 | SUG
9 | MOT
15 | FUJ
NC | AUT
Ret | SUZ
14 |  | 10th  | 26
2006 | Toyota Supra | Y | GT500  | 25  |  Takeshi Tsuchiya
Manabu Orido
Hideki Noda | SUZ
8 | OKA
9 | FUJ
6 | SEP
10 | SUG
12 | SUZ
Ret | MOT
12 | AUT
15 | FUJ
9 | 14th  | 13
2007 | Lexus SC430 | Y | GT500  | 25  |  Takeshi Tsuchiya
Manabu Orido | SUZ
9 | OKA
6 | FUJ
Ret | SEP
5 | SUG
8 | SUZ
Ret | MOT
8 | AUT
10 | FUJ
12 | 14th  | 38
2008 | Lexus SC430 | Y | GT500  | 25  |  Takeshi Tsuchiya
Hiroaki Ishiura | SUZ
11 | OKA
11 | FUJ
8 | SEP
4 | SUG
4 | SUZ
14 | MOT
10 | AUT
12 | FUJ
8 | 14th  | 44
2010 | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takeshi Tsuchiya
Akihiro Tsuzuki
Yoshio Tsuzuki | SUZ | OKA | FUJ
17 | SEP | SUG
16 | SUZ
Ret | FUJ
C | MOT
18 |  | NC  | 0
2011 | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takeshi Tsuchiya
Akihiro Tsuzuki | OKA
3 | FUJ
Ret | SEP
Ret | SUG
4 | SUZ
9 | FUJ
5 | AUT
5 | MOT
19 |  | 9th  | 49
2015 | Toyota 86 MC GT300 | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takeshi Tsuchiya
Takamitsu Matsui
Tatsuya Tanigawa | OKA
6 | FUJ
Ret | CHA
7 | FUJ
5 | SUZ
23 | SUG
1 | AUT
Ret | MOT
12 |  | 9th  | 51
2016 | Toyota 86 MC GT300 | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takeshi Tsuchiya
Takamitsu Matsui
Kenta Yamashita | OKA
6 | FUJ
3 | SUG
2 | FUJ
13 | SUZ
22 | CHA
1 | MOT
7 | MOT
1 |  | 1st  | 97
2017 | Toyota 86 MC GT300 | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takamitsu Matsui
Kenta Yamashita
Tsubasa Kondō | OKA
4 | FUJ
15 | AUT
1 | SUG
3 | FUJ
29 | SUZ
18 | CHA
15 | MOT
5 |  | 6th  | 65
2018 | Toyota 86 MC GT300 | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takamitsu Matsui
Sho Tsuboi
Tsubasa Kondō
Takeshi Tsuchiya | OKA
3 | FUJ
Ret | SUZ
2 | CHA
19 | FUJ
5 | SUG
24 | AUT
24 | MOT
8 |  | 8th  | 52
2019 | Toyota 86 MC GT300 | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takamitsu Matsui
Kimiya Sato | OKA
Ret | FUJ
18 | SUZ
5 | BUR
4 | FUJ
26 | AUT
16 | SUG
27 | MOT
18 |  | 18th  | 29
2020 | Porsche 911 GT3 R | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takamitsu Matsui
Kimiya Sato | FUJ
19 | FUJ
20 | SUZ
14 | MOT
8 | FUJ
11 | SUZ
9 | MOT
6 | FUJ
14 |  | 15th  | 33
Lexus RC F GT3 | Y | GT300  | 244  |  Atsushi Miyake
Rintaro Kubo | FUJ
16 | FUJ
13 | SUZ
20 | MOT
26 | FUJ
19 | SUZ
WD | MOT
15 | FUJ
24 |  | 26th  | 19
2021 | Porsche 911 GT3 R | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takamitsu Matsui
Kimiya Sato | OKA
7 | FUJ
13 | MOT
6 | SUZ
23 | SUG
19 | AUT
10 | MOT
5 | FUJ
6 |  | 12th  | 45
Toyota GR Supra GT300 | Y | GT300  | 244  |  Atsushi Miyake
Yuui Tsutsumi | OKA
5 | FUJ
11 | MOT
4 | SUZ
1 | SUG
9 | AUT
17 | MOT
7 | FUJ
7 |  | 4th  | 68
2022 | Toyota GR Supra GT300 | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takamitsu Matsui
Seita Nonaka | OKA
22 | FUJ
11 | SUZ
Ret | FUJ | SUZ
15 | SUG
10 | AUT
16 | MOT
Ret |  | 34th  | 1
Y | GT300  | 244  |  Atsushi Miyake
Kimiya Sato | OKA | FUJ
19 | SUZ
22 | FUJ
Ret | SUZ
Ret | SUG
14 | AUT
10 | MOT
17 |  | 35th  | 1
2023 | Toyota GR Supra GT300 | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Seita Nonaka
Togo Suganami | OKA
17 | FUJ
10 | SUZ
11 | FUJ
Ret | SUZ | SUG | AUT | MOT |  | 27th  | 10
Y | GT300  | 244  |  Atsushi Miyake
Kimiya Sato | OKA
3 | FUJ
16 | SUZ
16 | FUJ
Ret | SUZ | SUG | AUT | MOT |  | 20th  | 19
2024 | Toyota GR Supra GT300 | Y | GT300  | 25  |  Takamitsu Matsui
Togo Suganami
Kimiya Sato | OKA
14 | FUJ
23 | SUZ
18 | FUJ
Ret | SUG
Ret | AUT
11 | MOT
Ret | SUZ
15 |  | 22nd  | 12

‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed. * Season still in progress.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Haruo Tsuchiya: 1945-2021". 13 April 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
2. ^ "Tsuchiya Super GT squad switches to Porsche". 5 December 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
3. ^ "Porsche Switch For Tsuchiya Engineering". 6 December 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
4. ^ "Tsuchiya considering ditching Porsche after just two seasons". 23 September 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
5. ^ "Tsuchiya to switch to Toyota Supra GT300 for 2022". 25 November 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
6. ^ "Tsuchiya, Drago Corse teams to miss Fuji SUPER GT round". 1 August 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
7. ^ "Hoppy Team Tsuchiya, Max Racing Out Of Suzuka 450km". 14 August 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
8. ^ "Tsuchiya Engineering, Racing To Race Again". 3 November 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
9. ^ "Toyota Gazoo Racing Announces 2024 GT300 & Super Taikyu Programmes". 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
10. ^ "Tsuchiya to support new Lexus Super GT team". 8 February 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
11. ^ "Max Racing Withdraws From SUPER GT, Ceases Operations". 23 August 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
12. ^ a b "World Sports Racing Prototypes - All Japan Grand Touring Championship". www.wsrp.cz. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
13. ^ Magazine, Speedsport. "Super GT & All Japan GT: Overview of seasons". www.speedsport-magazine.com. Retrieved 2023-05-24.