ROOKIE Racing Co Ltd. (ROOKIE Racing) and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced their participation in the IDEMITSU 1500 SUPER ENDURANCE 2022 (Thailand 25H Endurance Race) at Chang International Circuit in Thailand, 17 – 18 December 2022.
The team will race in the ORC ROOKIE GR Corolla H2 concept car, a hydrogen-powered vehicle, and the ORC ROOKIE GR86 CNF concept car, a carbon neutral vehicle.
Participation this time will not follow the race for the full 25 hours, but only in the first and last few hours of the race.
This will be the first time the two vehicles will compete in a race outside Japan. In addition, one of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Thailand vehicles will use carbon neutral fuel.
Starting with participation in the Thailand 25H Endurance Race, ROOKIE Racing and Toyota will continue to strive to enhance and accelerate the development of carbon neutral technologies in Asia through motorsport.
ROOKIE Racing Challenge at the Taikyu Super Series in Japan
ROOKIE Racing and Toyota are participating in the Super Taikyu series in Japan in mid-season 2021, with the Corolla powered by hydrogen and accelerating efforts to "produce", "introduce" and "use" hydrogen.
Aligned with the vision and mission of partners inside and outside the industry which aims to help society achieve true carbon neutrality.
Starting in 2022, in addition to the Corolla's hydrogen engines, ROOKIE Racing and Toyota are also using synthetic fuel in the GR86 and are continuing to face the challenge of expanding clean energy options, including through the use of internal combustion engines.
Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation, who is also the founder and team owner of ROOKIE Racing, participates under the racer name "Morizo".
Expansion of Motorsport Activities to Asia
Most recently, during the ninth round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) at Ypres in August and the 13th round of the WRC in Japan in November, ROOKIE Racing and Toyota conducted trials of the GR Yaris H2 hydrogen engine under development.
It aims to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen as a viable option for achieving carbon neutrality in long rally conditions. Morizo also drove the vehicle to provide an assessment of its safety and performance.
This time the trials moved to Asia. The Chang International Circuit is Thailand's premier international circuit, and hosts the Thai MotoGP, the most prestigious motorcycle racing series in the world.
Since the circuit opened in 2014, Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. has become the main sponsor, and promotes the development of motorsport in Thailand by holding one-make races there.
Rookie Racing won the "IDEMITSU 600 SUPER ENDURANCE 2019" for 10 hours, his first participation in a race held at the circuit.
This year, the first entry from ROOKIE Racing and Toyota in three years, the cars will be tested in conditions different from those of Japan, to accelerate efforts to expand technological options in creating a carbon neutral society worldwide.
