Team Taisan

Team Taisan (チーム・タイサン, stylized as Team TAISAN) is a Japanese auto racing team founded in 1983 by Yasutsune "Ricky" Chiba and owned by the Taisan Industrial Company.[1] Most active in the Super GT Series, formerly known as the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC), Taisan has been involved in all but one season from 1994 to 2018, taking a sabbatical in 2015. During that time they have won eight team championships and four drivers championships, representing manufacturers Ferrari, Porsche, Dodge, Toyota, Nissan, and Audi. Team Taisan has also participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning their class on their debut in 2000. For nearly their entire career, Taisan has been sponsored by tire manufacturer Yokohama Rubber Company, often carrying the name of Yokohama's Advan brand.

Japan Team Taisan
FoundedOctober 1983 (October 1983)
Founder(s)Yasutsune Chiba
BaseFukushima Prefecture, Japan
Team principal(s)Yasunori Chiba
Current seriesSuper GT Series, All Japan EV-GP Series
Former seriesFuji Long Distance Series, All-Japan Sports Prototype Championship, Japanese Touring Car Championship, Asian Le Mans Series
Current driversJapan Shinnosuke Yamada
Japan Shintaro Kawabata
Teams'
Championships
JGTC GT500: 1995
JGTC/Super GT GT300: 1996, 1998, 20002003, 2012
GP-EV: 2011
ALMS LMGTE: 2013
Drivers'
Championships
JTCC JTC-2: 1989
JGTC/Super GT GT300: 1996, 1998, 2000, 2012
ALMS LMGTE: 2013

History

The Team Taisan Endless Porsche which won the 2012 GT300 Drivers and Teams Championships

The team was initially formed through Nova Engineering and their efforts in the All Japan Endurance Championship and Fuji Long Distance Series. Taisan operated one of the teams' Porsche 962C with drivers Kunimitsu Takahashi and Kenji Takahashi. Kunimitsu went on to win the Endurance Championship three times from 1985 to 1987, while Nova Engineering won the team championships in the Fuji Long Distance Series those same years. Taisan expanded their program to include the Japanese Touring Car Championship in 1989 with BMW M3s, adding Briton Will Hoy to the team in 1990. A Group A category Nissan Skyline GT-R was added to the team in 1991 for Kenji Takahashi and Keiichi Tsuchiya while their BMWs continued in the lower JTC-2 category. Kunimitsu replaced Kenji in the Skyline for 1992 and 1993 before Kunimitsu and Tsuchiya left to form their own racing team and the JTCC eliminated the Group A cars from the series, leaving the team with a single Super Touring BMW for Kazuo Mogi in 1994.

Taisan returned to sports car racing in 1994 in the new All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, the team participating with one of their former 962Cs and teamed alongside a Ferrari F40. Masahiko Kondo and Anthony Reid won one race for the Porsche while Tetsuya Ota and Oscar Larrauri earned one victory in the Ferrari. A switch to a pair of Porsche 911 GT2s earned three GT1 victories in 1995 and the teams championship for the GT1 category,[2] while the team also added a GT2 class campaign under the Team Taisan Jr. moniker for a Porsche 964. Taisan Jr. became a dominant team in the rechristened GT300 class, winning the drivers and teams championships in 1996, followed by second place in 1997 and another championship in 1998 while campaigning a new Toyota MR2 in cooperation with Tsuchiya Engineering.[2]

Taisan's success led to the team being invited to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2000 for the LMGT category. Their Porsche 911 GT3-R, driven by Hideo Fukuyama, Atsushi Yogo, and Bruno Lambert won the category by a six-lap margin. Upon returning to Japan, Taisan began a streak of four consecutive GT300 team championships from 20002003, including a drivers championship with Fukuyama in 2000. Another Le Mans also earned the team a podium finish in their class for 2002.[2] Taisan downsized to a single Porsche team from 2004 onward as the JGTC transitioned to the new Super GT Series; Taisan eventually joined with Endless for a joint program that earned them another drivers and teams championships in 2012. The team expanded once again in 2013, retaining the Porsche in Super GT while joining the new Asian Le Mans Series with a Ferrari 458 Italia GT2, winning the series championship and earning the team an automatic invitation to Le Mans, their first since 2006.[2] A difficult 2014 season with a new Nissan GT-R led Taisan to take a sabbatical year from Super GT,[3] returning in 2016 with an Audi R8 LMS in cooperation with SARD.

Team Taisan also began to embrace electric motorsport by participating in the All Japan EV-GP Series in 2011 with Tesla Roadsters as well as a modified Porsche 914, winning the 2011 championship. The team also began developing electric karts.[4] In 2018 Chiba announced an auction of many former Taisan racing cars dating back to the early 1990s, including several JGTC and Super GT machines.[2] Chiba also announced at the conclusion of the 2018 Super GT season that the team would cease participation in Super GT, instead concentrating solely on electric motorsports.[5]

Complete JGTC Results[6][7]

(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
1994 Ferrari F40 LM Y GT1 34 Japan Keiichi Suzuki
Japan Hideshi Matsuda
FUJ SEN FUJ SUG MIN
8
2nd 64
Porsche 962C 35 United Kingdom Anthony Reid
Japan Kazuo Mogi
Japan Masahiko Kondo
FUJ
NC
SEN FUJ
1
SUG MIN
3
Ferrari F40 LM 40 Japan Tetsuya Ota
Japan Keiichi Suzuki
United Kingdom Anthony Reid
Argentina Oscar Larrauri
FUJ
3
SEN
3
FUJ
3
SUG
Ret
MIN
1
1995 BMW M3 (E30) Y GT2 26 Japan Motoji Sekine
Japan Fumio Mutoh
Japan Junichi Yamanashi
Japan Masaoki Nagashima
SUZ
4
FUJ
11
SEN
6
FUJ
5
SUG
5
MIN
Ret
5th 44
28 Japan Motoji Sekine
Japan Fumio Mutoh
SUZ FUJ SEN FUJ
Ret
SUG
4
MIN
4
Porsche 911 GT2 GT1 33 Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Japan Kaoru Iida
Japan Keiichi Suzuki
SUZ FUJ
1
SEN
8
FUJ
Ret
SUG MIN 1st 80
Ferrari F40 LM 34 United Kingdom Anthony Reid
Japan Masahiko Kondo
Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya
Argentina Oscar Larrauri
Japan Keiichi Suzuki
SUZ
11
FUJ
Ret
SEN
3
FUJ
5
SUG
6
MIN
1
Porsche 911 GT2
35 Japan Keiichi Suzuki
Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya
United Kingdom Anthony Reid
Japan Masahiko Kondo
SUZ
Ret
FUJ
7
SEN FUJ
9
SUG
1
MIN
9
Ferrari F40 LM 40 Argentina Oscar Larrauri
Japan Tetsuya Ota
SUZ
Ret
FUJ
9
SEN FUJ
18
SUG MIN
12
1996 Porsche 964 RSR Y GT300 26 Japan Keiichi Suzuki
Japan Morio Nitta
SUZ
1
FUJ
2
SEN
Ret
FUJ
2
SUG
1
MIN
1
1st 93
BMW M3 (E30) 28 Japan Masaoki Nagashima
Japan Junichi Yamanashi
Japan Manabu Orido
Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya
SUZ
12
FUJ SEN FUJ
Toyota MR2 SUG
4
MIN
DNA
Porsche 993 RSR 38 Hong Kong Adrian Fu
Australia Rodney Jones
Japan Masaoki Nagashima
SUZ
9
FUJ
DNA
SEN
8
FUJ
12
SUG
DNA
MIN
8
Porsche 993 GT2 GT500 34 Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Japan Osamu Nakako
SUZ
9
FUJ
9
SEN
Ret
FUJ
12
SUG
12
MIN
6
8th 12
35 Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya
United Kingdom Anthony Reid
Argentina Oscar Larrauri
Japan Mitsuhiro Kinoshita
SUZ
12
FUJ
7
SEN
Ret
FUJ
DNS
SUG
15
MIN
Ret
1997 Porsche 993 RSR Y GT300 26 Japan Keiichi Suzuki
Japan Morio Nitta
SUZ
4
FUJ
1
SEN
3
FUJ
1
MIN
3
SUG
2
2nd 89
Porsche 993 GT2 GT500 34 Japan Keiichi Tsuchiya
Japan Hideshi Matsuda
SUZ FUJ SEN
10
FUJ
Ret
13th 4
Chrysler Viper GTS-R MIN
14
SUG
8
1998 Toyota MR2 Y GT300 25 Japan Keiichi Suzuki
Japan Shingo Tachi
SUZ
1
FUJ
C
SEN
1
FUJ
1
MOT
6
MIN
1
SUG
1
1st 106
Chrysler Viper GTS-R GT500 55 Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Japan Eiichi Tajima
Japan Fuminori Mizuno
United Kingdom Anthony Reid
SUZ
14
FUJ
C
SEN FUJ
14
MOT MIN
DNA
SUG
10
17th 1
1999 Porsche 993 GT3-R Y GT300 26 Japan Hiroaki Suga
Sri Lanka Dilantha Malagamuwa
Germany Dominik Schwager
Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Japan Tomohiko Sunako
SUZ
5
FUJ
Ret
SUG
Ret
MIN
Ret
5th 48
Porsche 996 GT3-R FUJ
1
OKA
Ret
MOT
1
Porsche 993 GT3-R 55 Japan Hiroaki Suga
Japan Eiichi Tajima
FUJ
7
OKA
6
MOT
11
14th 10
Chrysler Viper GTS-R GT500 Japan Eiichi Tajima
Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Germany Dominik Schwager
SUZ
9
FUJ
13
SUG
15
MIN
13
13th 2
2000 Porsche 996 GT3-R Y GT300 26 Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Japan Hideo Fukuyama
Japan Fuminori Mizuno
MOT
1
FUJ
1
SUG
9
FUJ
7
OKA
7
MIN
1
SUZ
2
1st 101
28 Japan Hiroaki Suga
Japan Shinsuke Shibahara
MOT FUJ SUG
10
FUJ
1
OKA
8
MIN
3
SUZ
Ret
Chrysler Viper GTS-R 55 Japan Hiroaki Suga
Japan Shinsuke Shibahara
Japan Eiji Yamada
Japan Takahide Tasaki
MIN
10
SUZ
15
17th 1
GT500 MOT
16
FUJ
Ret
SUG
DNA
FUJ
18
OKA
DNA
NC 0
2001 Porsche 996 GT3-R Y GT300 24 Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Japan Kazuyushi Nishizawa
OKA
11
FUJ
4
SUG
5
FUJ
7
MOT
3
SUZ
16
MIN
2
1st 74
26 Japan Hideo Fukuyama
Japan Atsushi Yogo
OKA
4
FUJ
17
SUG
7
FUJ
13
MOT
2
SUZ
3
MIN
8
Chrysler Viper GTS-R 55 Japan Eiji Yamada
Japan Takayuki Kinoshita
OKA
8
FUJ
9
SUG
DNA
FUJ
9
MOT
14
SUZ
DNA
MIN
3
12th 19
2002 Porsche 911 GT3-R Y GT300 24 Japan Hideo Fukuyama
Japan Mitsuhiro Kinoshita
OKA
2
FUJ
Ret
SUG
16
SEP
5
FUJ
1
MOT
7
MIN
Ret
SUZ
2
1st 102
26 Japan Atsushi Yogo
Japan Kazuyushi Nishizawa
Japan Takayuki Kinoshita
OKA
5
FUJ
3
SUG
7
SEP
10
FUJ
7
MOT
3
MIN
3
SUZ
17
28 Japan Yutaka Yamagishi
Japan Yukihiro Hane
Japan Sunako Jukuchō
OKA
11
FUJ
7
SUG
6
SEP
11
FUJ
11
MOT
17
MIN
Ret
SUZ
8
9th 33
Chrysler Viper GTS-R 55 Japan Eiji Yamada
Japan Takashi Shimizu
Japan Takayuki Kinoshita
OKA
10
FUJ
16
SUG
5
SEP
9
FUJ
8
MOT
9
MIN
4
SUZ
21
2003 Porsche 911 GT3-R Y GT300 24 Japan Akihiro Asai
Japan Atsushi Yogo
United Kingdom Adam Wilcox
OKA
1
FUJ
11
SUG
13
FUJ
8
FUJ
10
MOT
18
AUT
8
SUZ
5
9th 38
26 Japan Shinichi Yamaji
Japan Kazuyushi Nishizawa
OKA
2
FUJ
1
SUG
8
FUJ
6
FUJ
4
MOT
Ret
AUT
3
SUZ
9
1st 88
Dodge Viper Competition Coupe 55 Japan Eiji Yamada
Japan Takayuki Kinoshita
OKA
16
FUJ
16
SUG
Ret
FUJ
1
FUJ
5
MOT
Ret
AUT
7
SUZ
Ret
2004 Porsche 911 GT3-R Y GT300 26 Japan Yutaka Yamagishi
Japan Kaoru Ijiri
Japan Akihiro Asai
OKA
9
SUG
10
SEP
Ret
TOK
11
MOT
Ret
AUT
13
SUZ
8
14th 6

Complete Super GT Results[8][9]

(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
2005 Porsche 996 GT3-RS Y GT300 26 Japan Yutaka Yamagishi
Japan Kaoru Ijiri
Japan Takashi Inoue
Japan Isao Ihashi
OKA
Ret
FUJ
12
SEP
16
SUG MOT FUJ AUT SUZ
19
NC 0
2006 Porsche 996 GT3-RS Y GT300 26 Japan Kazuyuki Nishizawa
Japan Shinichi Yamaji
SUZ OKA
8
FUJ
7
SEP SUG SUZ MOT AUT FUJ
8
18th 10
2007 Porsche 996 GT3-RS Y GT300 26 Japan Nobuteru Taniguchi
Japan Shinichi Yamaji
Japan Kazuyuki Nishizawa
Germany Dominik Farnbacher
SUZ
11
OKA
3
FUJ
19
SEP
13
SUG
Ret
SUZ
Ret
MOT
1
AUT
8
FUJ
1
5th 72
2008 Porsche 996 GT3-RS Y GT300 26 Japan Nobuteru Taniguchi
Japan Shinichi Yamaji
Japan Keita Sawa
Germany Dominik Farnbacher
SUZ
3
OKA
2
FUJ
Ret
SEP
15
SUG
7
SUZ
5
MOT
4
AUT
15
FUJ
1
4th 83
2009 Porsche 996 GT3-RS Y GT300 26 Japan Haruki Kurosawa
Japan Tsubasa Abe
Japan Katsuhiko Tsutsui
Japan Tsubasa Kurosawa
OKA
10
SUZ
10
FUJ
4
SEP
Ret
SUG
7
SUZ
16
FUJ
14
AUT
9
MOT
9
11th 38
2010 Porsche 996 GT3-RS Y GT300 26 Ukraine Igor Sushko
Japan Masayuki Ueda
Japan Shogo Mitsuyama
SUZ
11
OKA
13
FUJ
10
SEP SUG
18
SUZ
Ret
FUJ
C
MOT
11
20th 12
51 Japan Yuya Sakamoto
Japan Shogo Mitsuyama
Japan Hideki Yamauchi
SUZ OKA FUJ
20
SEP SUG
15
SUZ FUJ
C
MOT
16
22nd 5
2011 Porsche 996 GT3-RS Y GT300 26 Japan Kyosuke Mineo
Japan Hideshi Matsuda
Japan Junichiro Yamashita
Japan Shogo Mitsuyama
OKA
12
FUJ
11
SEP
13
SUG
11
SUZ
14
FUJ
15
AUT
20
MOT
10
16th 19
Ferrari F430 GT2 41 Japan Shinichi Yamaji
Japan Hiroshi Koizumi
Japan Kyosuke Mineo
OKA
9
FUJ
9
SEP SUG
12
SUZ
17
FUJ
21
AUT MOT
Ret
17th 15
2012 Porsche 911 GT3-R Y GT300 911 Japan Kyosuke Mineo
Japan Naoki Yokomizo
OKA
2
FUJ
8
SEP
2
SUG
5
SUZ
Ret
FUJ
4
AUT
2
MOT
1
1st 102
2013 Porsche 911 GT3-R Y GT300 0 Japan Kyosuke Mineo
Japan Naoki Yokomizo
OKA
10
FUJ
Ret
SEP
11
SUG
3
SUZ
7
FUJ
19
AUT
8
MOT
10
9th 40
2014 Nissan GT-R GT3 Y GT300 67 Japan Shogo Mitsuyama
Japan Naoki Yokomizo
Japan Kyosuke Mineo
OKA
19
FUJ
9
AUT
9
SUG
5
FUJ
17
SUZ
Ret
BUR MOT
16
16th 24
2016 Audi R8 LMS Y GT300 26 Japan Shogo Mitsuyama
Japan Yuya Motojima
Japan Tsubasa Kondo
OKA
20
FUJ
15
SUG
19
FUJ
8
SUZ
20
CHA MOT
6
MOT
7
16th 27
2017 Audi R8 LMS Y GT300 26 Japan Shinnosuke Yamada
Australia Jake Parsons
Austria Christian Klien
OKA
21
FUJ
21
AUT
14
SUG
18
FUJ
19
SUZ
Ret
CHA
19
MOT
14
24th 11
2018 Audi R8 LMS Y GT300 26 Japan Shinnosuke Yamada
Japan Shintaro Kawabata
Japan Shinji Nakano
OKA
9
FUJ
15
SUZ
28
CHA FUJ
Ret
SUG
20
AUT
20
MOT
16
19th 16

References

  1. "Team TAISAN". Super GT. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  2. O'Connell, RJ (6 November 2018). "Team Taisan Set To Withdraw From Super GT". DailySportsCar. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  3. "タイサン、2015年はSGT/ル・マンの活動を休止" [Taisan suspend SGT / Le Mans activities in 2015] (in Japanese). Auto Sport Web. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  4. "Team TAISAN and Power Japan Plus Form Partnership to Develop World's First Electric Vehicle Powered by the Ryden Dual Carbon Battery". Business Wire. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  5. Hirano, Ryuji (7 December 2018). "チーム・タイサン、2018年限りでスーパーGTでの活動に幕。今後はEVレースへ転換" [Team Taisan ends activities in Super GT in 2018, now turns to EV racing]. Autosport Web. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  6. "World Sports Racing Prototypes - All Japan Grand Touring Championship". www.wsrp.cz. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  7. "SUPERGT.net | JGTC RACE ARCHIVE". supergt.net. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  8. Magazine, Speedsport. "Super GT & All Japan GT: Overview of seasons". www.speedsport-magazine.com. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  9. "Results | SUPER GT OFFICIAL WEBSITE". supergt.net. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
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