Motorsports

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Reverting to “GAZOO Racing” to Pass on and Evolve the Making of Ever-better Cars and the Fostering of Talent | PRESS RELEASE

Published

2 days ago

January 7, 2026

Your Sports Nation

■The journey of GAZOO Racing

A challenge born of humiliation

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has promoted the making of ever-better cars and the fostering of talent by taking on the challenge of competing in various motorsports categories both in Japan and abroad.

GAZOO Racing traces its origins back to 2007, when Akio Toyoda (then executive vice president) competed in the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race alongside driving mentor and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Master Driver Hiromu Naruse and several other colleagues.

At the time, because competing in the race was not recognized by TMC as an official company activity, the team was not permitted to use “TOYOTA” in its name, and thus entered under the name “Team GAZOO”. Furthermore, as Toyoda’s intention to drive in the race was unable to gain much understanding, his only choice was to compete under the driver name “Morizo”. Although the team managed to finish the race, the achievement immediately came with a sense of humiliation. That was because, while many other, mainly European, competitors were putting under-development cars through their paces in the race, Toyota did not have such a car, let alone any sports cars in its sales lineup, and was on the verge of losing its ability to pass on its car-making skills and expertise. When overtaken on the track by other manufacturers’ development vehicles, Toyoda felt as if he could hear rivals say: “No way that you guys at Toyota could build a car like this!”, igniting a sense of humiliation that he still vividly recalls to this day.

The Shikinen Sengu of car-making sustained by conviction

Sports car development demands an approach to manufacturing that not only improves a car’s characteristics and fundamental performance by also strives to make a car failure-proof even in harsh environments. All such efforts also contribute to the development of mass-production cars. At the same time, the front lines of motorsports provide numerous opportunities to hone car-making skills and foster talent.

At Ise Shrine in Japan’s Mie Prefecture, traditions and skills are passed down through a ritual known as “Shikinen Sengu”, which entails all of the shrine’s structures being rebuilt every 20 years. Similarly, sports car manufacturing has traditions and skills that cannot be passed down once they are lost. Armed with a sense of crisis that TMC would become a company incapable of building sports cars, Toyoda initiated the development of the Lexus LFA, choosing the Nürburgring course as the car’s main development site.

Launched in 2010, the LFA was TMC’s first authentic sports car developed in-house in approximately 20 years. It was the result of a project that faced enormous difficulties, including a lack of wholehearted support within the company for car-making that was deemed by some to be unprofitable, as evidenced by the fact that development was permitted to proceed under the condition that only 500 units would be sold.

Just before the LFA’s release, the unthinkable happened: Naruse passed away in an accident near the Nürburgring. The calamity occurred not long after LFA development had concluded and Naruse, as master driver, had given his approval by saying, “Let’s go with this.” For Toyoda, suddenly being without his driving mentor and TMC’s master driver came with an immense sense of loss.

However, Toyoda, remaining steadfast in his conviction that cars and talent are honed on the front lines of motorsports, continued to pursue sports car development. Then came the revival of the 86 in 2012 and the GR Supra in 2019. However, the development of these models relied on Subaru and BMW, respectively, meaning that TMC was not able to achieve the complete in-house creation of a sports car.

The launch of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

In April 2015, TMC decided to consolidate its in-house motorsports activities, including those under the banners of “TOYOTA Racing”, “LEXUS Racing”, and “GAZOO Racing”, under the unified “GAZOO” name, upon which it adopted the logo “TOYOTA GAZOO Racing”. It was a development that marked the moment when activities that could not use “TOYOTA” back in 2007 could finally bear the company’s name. However, even though those activities had officially come under the umbrella of a large corporation, the original sense of humiliation that had driven Toyoda and Naruse began to fade.

The never-ending pursuit of making ever-better cars

Toyoda, then as president, decided that TMC would return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) to further evolve its activities to make ever-better cars. Returning to the WRC, in which competing vehicles are based on production vehicles, marked a major turning point in TMC’s motorsports activities.

Until then, TMC had developed its motorsports vehicles based on already completed production vehicles. However, after returning to the WRC, it began a new approach to car-making that reversed the conventional order by first creating a car capable of winning in the WRC and then turning that car into a production vehicle. This led to the launch in 2020 of the GR Yaris, a Toyota in-house-developed sports car, under the philosophy of making ever-better motorsports-bred cars.

The GR Yaris, which was unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January of that year and recorded its maiden victory in a Super Taikyu Series 24-hour race that September, began to be seen in action in motorsports events around the around, eventually leading to the development and launch of the GR Corolla. It was exactly this achievement that revived TMC’s in-house production of sports cars capable of winning in motorsports.

In 2025, Toyota returned to the Nürburgring 24 Hours race for the first time in six years, fielding a GR Yaris. While behind the wheel, Toyoda, who is TMC’s current master driver, says that he conversed with Naruse. Only TMC’s two master drivers know what they talked about.

For Toyoda, the next challenge was to conduct a true Shikinen Sengu in the form of TMC creating the ultimate in sports cars. As such, the GR GT, GR GT3, and LFA Concept premiered in 2025.

TGR’s journey of the motorsports-bred making of ever-better cars and the fostering of talent is without end. It will soon be 20 years since Team GAZOO came to be in 2007.

“No way that you guys at Toyota could build a car like this!” The humiliation felt by Hiromu Naruse and Akio Toyoda was the starting point of it all.

TGR would like to extend its sincere gratitude to everyone in the world of motorsports, its partners, and its fans for their unwavering commitment.

Together with all stakeholders, TGR—under the name “GAZOO Racing”—intends to continue making ever-better motorsports-bred cars and fostering the talents of drivers, engineers, and mechanics.

TGR looks forward to everyone’s continued support.

Furthermore, TMC’s research and development center in Cologne, Germany (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Europe), under the new name “TOYOTA RACING”, is to specialize in motorsports activities through its advanced development technologies, promoting long-term technological development in engine development and other areas. The technologies that it develops are to continue to be introduced in various motorsports scenarios, including the world’s top on-track races as well as rallies, in the pursuit of further improvement.

■TGRR

TGRR (TOYOTA GAZOO ROOKIE Racing) is to continue its current activities. As an entity that bears in its name the “T” of TOYOTA Racing and the “G” of GAZOO Racing, it intends to serve as a bridge between the two, honing in motorsports as a racing team the products and technologies each develops, while also functioning as a practical training ground (dojo) that fosters talent.

Logo transition is planned for completion in stages by January 2027.

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Motorsports

Audi F1 chief Jonathan Wheatley admits team principal role felt “completely unattainable”

Published

7 minutes ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Audi Formula 1 team chief Jonathan Wheatley has revealed that he never planned on becoming a team principal after beginning his motorsport career as a junior mechanic at Benetton in the early 1990s.

Having joined Sauber as team principal in 2025, the Briton now heads into 2026 as the outfit transitions to Audi for the upcoming F1 season. The 58-year-old has reflected on his career to date and how he rose through the ranks, starting as a junior mechanic at Benetton before serving as chief mechanic at the same team and Renault, and as team manager and sporting director at Red Bull.

“This would be the least successful career in the world if I had, because it’s taken me 34 years to get here,” he told Motorsport Week when asked if he had always planned on becoming a team principal.

“No, back then, team principals were Ron Dennis, Flavio Briatore, Luca di Montezemolo. I mean, just to even think for a second that you could be a team principal was completely unattainable, because I generally have been happy working in a team environment.

“I never really saw myself doing the next step or the next step. I’ve just enjoyed every day in Formula 1. And like I said, I’ve been very lucky that people have identified me as maybe somebody who could take the next step. And then I think sometimes in your career, you get a significant phone call, and this was one of those.”

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal of Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber

Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images

He added: “And I’ve just been tremendously privileged to have been, at no point in my career, massively career motivated. I’ve just enjoyed working with whatever team, and I’ve been offered opportunities, and I sit here today as a Team Principal of what’s going to be the Audi Formula 1 project, which is one of the most exciting things I can believe I can say in a sentence.”

Audi will enter the F1 grid in 2026 with the same driver line-up as Sauber in 2025 – Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto – but will now be under the new Audi branding as a works team.

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Motorsports

Jeff Gordon ‘excited’ for big Hendrick addition tipped for huge impact – Motorsport – Sports

Published

54 minutes ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Jeff Gordon has expressed his excitement with Hendrick Motorsports’ new partner tipped to make a big impact behind the scenes.

Heading into the 2026 NASCAR season, Hendrick will have a new partner to aid them in their quest to maintain their status as one of the top teams in the sport. On Thursday, Gordon and Hendrick announced that the team has partnered with Atrium Health on a new facility meant to aid the team’s drivers, such as Kyle Larson.

The 35,000-square-foot facility, called the Atrium Health Athletic Center, is set to open in late January and will feature amenities aimed at helping the drivers remain in top shape. The announcement comes after Hendrick Motorsports made a $14.2M piurchase after Rick Hendrick’s $1 billion admission..

“Excited to welcome @AtriumHealth to the team! Here’s a first look at the partnership in action,” Gordon’s post on X read, which showed renderings of what the new facility would look like, featuring photos of a spa area, weight room, and fully furnished locker rooms, among other amenities.

Furthermore, Gordon elaborated on the benefits of having a facility with Atrium Health for the drivers, particularly since NASCAR differs from other motorsports, which he claimed would have an “impact where it matters most.” He also elaborated on the partnership in a release from Hendrick Motorsports, which was issued in conjunction with the social media posts.

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“The demands of NASCAR are different from any other sport – the schedule is relentless, the margins are extremely tight, and performance is about preparation as much as it is execution,” the four-time Cup Series champion’s statement began.

“This new facility allows our coaches and staff to work side by side with Atrium Health clinicians, ensuring every aspect of training, recovery and readiness is aligned. Everything in this space is designed around our athletes and our teammates.

“At the end of the day, it always comes back to people, and this new partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting them the right way every day.”

Dr. Claude T. Moorman, the President of Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, explained they were “proud” to team up with Hendrick in creating a facility that integrates “sports medicine, performance services and clinical care.”

“Our focus will be on supporting athlete fitness, injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, as well as optimizing performance throughout the NASCAR season, which is the longest season in professional sports,” his statement read.

“This partnership allows us to deliver high-level care in a purpose-built environment that meets the needs of both elite athletes and the broader workforce of the Hendrick organization.”

With Hendrick getting a new facility, it certainly can aid Larson’s, one of the team’s stars, quest to win another championship. In the 2025 season, Larson edged out Denny Hamlin in overtime to win his second Cup Series title, Hendrick’s 15th overall, the most in the sport.

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Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports and Atrium Team Up for Health

Published

1 hour ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Atrium Health has joined 15-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports in an innovative partnership that includes naming rights to the new 35,000-square-foot Atrium Health Motorsports Athletic Center located on the team’s campus in Concord.

The agreement establishes Atrium Health as both a brand partner of Hendrick Motorsports and a long-term provider in athlete and employee wellness.

Atrium Health is home to the region’s largest sports medicine outreach program and is nationally ranked for orthopedic care by U.S. News & World Report. The organization supports more than 20 professional and collegiate teams and over 100 high schools across North Carolina and South Carolina.

Set to officially open later this month, the Atrium Health Motorsports Athletic Center at Hendrick Motorsports will provide integrated medical, wellness and sports performance resources for the team’s more than 50 pit crew athletes, while also supporting the health needs of Hendrick Motorsports’ Charlotte-area employees. Atrium Health clinicians will staff the facility.

The Atrium Health Motorsports Athletic Center includes a high-performance gym with the latest training equipment, modern locker rooms, a team operations center for race-day competition operations, a nutrition area, athletic meeting and film rooms, and dedicated spaces for physical therapy, hydrotherapy and recovery. The facility also features a dedicated space for sports science research, and a closed-loop pit stop practice circuit that can accommodate two teams concurrently.

Beginning with the 2026 NASCAR season, Atrium Health will have a significant presence across all Hendrick Motorsports-fielded teams, including logo placement on driver fire suits, crew apparel, athletic training gear and track equipment.

Atrium Health has actively supported the NASCAR industry through initiatives like the NASCAR Day Giveathon and by providing sports medicine coverage at major events such as the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. These efforts underscore Atrium Health’s commitment to improving health and wellness for athletes, fans and event participants at the speedway.

Gene A. Woods, CEO, Advocate Health: “Partnering with Hendrick Motorsports is a defining opportunity to deliver world‑class, innovative medical care to one of the highest‑performance cultures in NASCAR. In both health care and auto racing, excellence is engineered – driven by precision, powered by state‑of‑the‑art technology and made possible by exceptional teammates. With Atrium Health’s nationally recognized clinicians embedded on the Hendrick campus, this partnership will help keep their record‑setting athletes fully on the throttle and give every team member faster, more seamless access to care – on and off the track.”

Rick Hendrick, owner, Hendrick Motorsports: “People are the foundation of our organization, and supporting their health and performance is essential to our success. Our new partnership with Atrium Health brings best-in-class clinical and performance resources directly to our campus. There’s no facility like this in the world of auto racing. It’s a game changer. The Atrium Health Motorsports Athletic Center will help our athletes perform at their best and give our teammates convenient access to high-quality health care. We value the shared commitment to people that defines both of our organizations, and we look forward to a truly incredible collaboration in the coming years.”

Dr. Claude T. Moorman, president, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute: “We are proud to join Hendrick Motorsports in creating a facility that integrates sports medicine, performance services and clinical care. Our focus will be on supporting athlete fitness, injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, as well as optimizing performance throughout the NASCAR season, which is the longest season in professional sports. This partnership allows us to deliver high-level care in a purpose-built environment that meets the needs of both elite athletes and the broader workforce of the Hendrick organization.”

Jeff Gordon, vice chairman, Hendrick Motorsports: “The demands of NASCAR are different from any other sport – the schedule is relentless, the margins are extremely tight, and performance is about preparation as much as it is execution. This new facility allows our coaches and staff to work side by side with Atrium Health clinicians, ensuring every aspect of training, recovery and readiness is aligned. Everything in this space is designed around our athletes and our teammates. At the end of the day, it always comes back to people, and this new partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting them the right way every day.”

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Motorsports

2026 season preview: Spire Motorsports

Published

2 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Editor’s note: Today’s Spire Motorsports preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2026 Cup Series season.

SPIRE MOTORSPORTS

Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Engine: Hendrick Motorsports
Driver-crew chief pairings: Daniel Suárez-Ryan Sparks (No. 7); Michael McDowell-Travis Peterson (No. 71); Carson Hocevar-Luke Lambert (No. 77)

Team outlook: Anyone within the Spire Motorsports camp would probably tell you 2025 was a disappointment. The team showed speed throughout the season and competed for wins, but couldn’t close the deal with any of their three cars. None of their drivers reached the playoffs, but that could and should change in 2026, as Spire understands what they are capable of, attempting to shatter the glass ceiling and make a big statement in the year ahead.

DANIEL SUÁREZ, NO. 7 CHEVROLET

Experience: 9 full-time seasons in NASCAR Cup Series; 323 starts
2025 stats: 29th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 2 top fives, 7 top 10s, 0 poles, 35 laps led

Driver outlook: Suárez had his worst final result in the standings last year since his 2020 campaign with Gaunt Brothers Racing. Going into 2026, he replaces Justin Haley in the No. 7 Chevrolet, and all signs should point toward a far better year for the 34-year-old veteran. Paired with McDowell, the two should be forces to be reckoned with on road courses this year, and Suárez’s recent history at EchoPark Speedway could line him up for a breakthrough multi-win campaign.

MORE: Daniel Suárez driver page

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, NO. 71 CHEVROLET

Experience: 18 seasons in NASCAR Cup Series (full-time the last nine seasons); 537 starts
2025 stats: 22nd in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 3 top fives, 6 top 10s, 2 poles, 96 laps led

Driver outlook: Texas and Chicago were ones that got away from McDowell as the long-time veteran was passed by Logano for the lead in the closing laps before crashing with two laps to go from second in the Lone Star State. At Chicago, McDowell started on the front row and led 31 laps before a mechanical failure ruined the No. 71 team’s day. Even at age 41 with many miles logged, the hunger and drive are still there for McDowell and should be in contention for victories this year, maybe even having an outside shot at a championship run.

MORE: Michael McDowell driver page

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 CHEVROLET

Experience: 2 full-time seasons in NASCAR Cup Series; 81 starts
2025 stats: 23rd in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 2 top fives, 9 top 10s, 1 pole, 122 laps led

Driver outlook: Hocevar lived by the moniker of “checkers or wreckers” last season, and it bit him more times than it rewarded. Consistent, race-contending speed is there in the No. 77 Chevrolet, but the goal for Hocevar is to have the discipline to complete the grind of a full race. He showed that at Nashville, finishing runner-up to a dominant Ryan Blaney, but other races got away from him. If he can hone it in consistently and balance aggression through a 36-race calendar, there’s no telling what Hocevar could achieve in his third Cup season.

MORE: Carson Hocevar driver page

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Sawyer Brown Pre-Race Concert Presented by Raymer Oil Revs Up Window World 450 – Speedway Digest

Published

2 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

As NASCAR Cup Series points racing returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time in nearly 30 years, the soundtrack of that era returns as well with multi-platinum country hitmakers Sawyer Brown headline a pre-race concert presented by Raymer Oil. The performance will be part of The Boys and Me Tour, firing up fans before the historic Window World 450 at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

The Window World 450 marks the first NASCAR Cup Series points race at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1996 and the first 450-lap Cup Series race in track history. With extended distance and playoff implications, the event is set to be one of the most anticipated races on the 2026 NASCAR calendar.

“North Wilkesboro Speedway and Sawyer Brown both represent eras for racing and music that fans still talk about with passion today,” said Graig Hoffman, executive director of North Wilkesboro Speedway. “As points racing returns to Wilkes County for the first time in three decades, it felt fitting to welcome a band that was defining country music during that same period. This will be a summer doubleheader of entertainment you’ll hear throughout the North Carolina mountains in July!”

Formed in the early 1980s and rocketing to national fame in the mid-1990s, Sawyer Brown has built a reputation on electrifying live shows and songs rooted in real life. With 24 albums, 51 charted singles and the No. 1 hit “Some Girls Do,” the band has spent more than four decades delivering high-energy performances to fans across the country — including more than 6,000 live shows.

Anchored by frontman Mark Miller alongside Gregg Hubbard (keyboards/vocals), Joe Smyth (percussion), and Shayne Hill (lead guitar), Sawyer Brown’s legendary live energy is set to echo through North Wilkesboro Speedway for a 60-minute set beginning at 5 p.m., revving up fans ahead of the return of the highly anticipated Window World 450.

“There’s something special about a place that has stood the test of time,” said Miller. “North Wilkesboro Speedway has that kind of soul. Bringing The Boys and Me Tour to a track with this much history, on a night this meaningful, is exactly the kind of moment we love to be part of.”

Fans can experience the “life songs” of Sawyer Brown’s pre-race concert up close with a $75 Track Pass upgrade, which includes stage-front access to the concert, driver introductions and pre-race festivities.

TICKETS:

Single-day tickets will be available for purchase exclusively at the North Wilkesboro Speedway Box Office, Tuesday, Jan. 13, from noon to 5 p.m. Three-day weekend ticket packages and Track Passes can be purchased online now at www.northwilkesborospeedway.com.

MORE INFO:

Fans can connect with North Wilkesboro Speedway and get the latest news by following on X and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan.

SMLLC PR

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Motorsports

Ram CEO’s new marketing play involves NASCAR, reality TV and Dana White

Published

2 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Jan. 9, 2026, 8:01 a.m. ET

Ram is working furiously to put its truck sales back on track, and its latest marketing ploy is a NASCAR reality TV show produced by Dana White.

The Stellantis NV brand — which announced last year it would once again sponsor a NASCAR Craftsman truck team for 2026 after 13 years away — is behind a series called “Race For The Seat” that premiers Jan. 25 on Fox.

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