Team LeMans
Le Mans Ltd., headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo is an automobile parts manufacturer founded in 1967. The original company name was Le Mans Chamber of Commerce. The company is mainly engaged in the development and sales of motorsport parts and the import and sale of race cars overseas.
| Inc. | |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Headquarters | Shibuya, Tokyo |
| Website | http://www.lemans.co.jp/ |
| Founded | 1969 |
|---|---|
| Base | Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Team principal(s) | Juichi Wakisaka |
| Current series | Super Formula Super GT |
| Former series | All-Japan Formula Three Championship All-Japan Sports Prototype Championship Fuji Grand Champion Series |
| Current drivers |   |
| Teams' Championships | Super Formula: 1996, 1999 |
| Drivers' Championships | Super Formula: 1979: Keiji Matsumoto 1996: Ralf Schumacher 1998: Satoshi Motoyama All-Japan Formula Three Championship: 1986: Akio Morimoto Fuji Grand Champion Series: 1983: Keiji Matsumoto 1988-89: Geoff Lees Super GT: 2002: Juichi Wakisaka, Akira Iida 2019: Kenta Yamashita, Kazuya Oshima |
| Website | Team Le Mans |
They also have a racing division called Team LeMans. The origin of the team name comes from 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Team LeMans
In 1969 Team LeMans was established as a racing department of Le Mans Chamber of Commerce. It has been active in a variety of categories since the 1970s as one of the top teams of Japan.
The team has competed in single-seaters since 1976, when they entered the All-Japan F2000 Championship. They served as the Japanese distributor of Reynard products until 2002. In 1991, Michael Schumacher, before his Formula One debut, raced with the team in the Sportsland SUGO round of the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship, while in 1996 his brother Ralf became the champion with the same team.
They also developed their own racing machine, that complied to Group C regulations.
In 2012 in collaboration with Hideki Noda they founded "NODA racing Academy Senior High School", several engineers such as Donuma Hiroyoshi, the team principal, have served as lecturers at the school.[1]
History
All-Japan F2000/F2/F3000 Championship
Their participation in the All Japan F2000 Championship started with Keiji Matsumoto in 1976. In 1979 he won the championship title. In 1988-89 Geoff Lees and Emanuele Pirro raced for the team, both winning one race.
Formula Nippon
In 1996, the team had its most successful year in Japan's top level open wheel series, when Ralf Schumacher and Naoki Hattori took the first two spots in the drivers' championship, also winning the first team title. The team repeated wins in the drivers and team championship with Satoshi Motoyama in 1998.
Fuji GC
The team achieved titles in The Fuji Grand Champion Series (Fuji GC) with in Keiji Matsumoto in 1983 and Geoff Lees in 1988 and 1989.
24 Hours of Le Mans
Team LeMans first entered the 24 Hours of Lemans in 1987 under the name Italya Sports. They competed in the race through 1990 without a single finish.
All-Japan GT Championship/Super GT
In 2002, the team won drivers' championship in the GT500 Class of the All-Japan GT Championship with Akira Iida and Juichi Wakisaka, who competed in a Toyota Supra race car.[2]
Team LeMans Results
Super GT (JGTC)
| Year | Class | Car | Drivers | Drivers' rankings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | GT500 | #6 Esso Toyota Team LeMans Toyota Supra | .svg.png){kind=small} |
12th |
| 2000 | GT500 | #6 Esso Toyota Team LeMans Toyota Supra | |
9th |
| 2001 | GT500 | #6 Esso Toyota Team LeMans Toyota Supra | |
7th |
| 2002 | GT500 | #6 Esso Toyota Team LeMans Toyota Supra | |
1st |
| 2003 | GT500 | #1 Esso Toyota Team LeMans Toyota Supra | |
2nd |
| 2004 | GT500 | #6 Esso Toyota Team LeMans Toyota Supra | |
3rd |
| 2005 | GT500 | #6 Esso Toyota Team LeMans Toyota Supra | |
6th |
| 2006 | GT500 | #6 Mobil 1 Toyota Team LeMans Lexus SC430 | |
12th |
| 2007 | GT500 | #6 Forum Engineering Toyota Team LeMans Lexus SC430 | |
9th |
| 2008 | GT500 | #6 ENEOS Toyota Team LeMans |  |
13th |
| 2009 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS Lexus SC430 | |
12th |
| 2010 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS Lexus SC430 | |
4th |
| 2011 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS Lexus SC430 | |
11th |
| 2012 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS Lexus SC430 | |
10th |
| 2013 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS Lexus SC430 | |
5th |
| 2014 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS Lexus RC F | |
7th |
| 2015 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS Lexus RC F | |
9th |
| 2016 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans WAKO'S Lexus RC F |  |
2nd |
| 2017 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans WAKO'S Lexus LC 500 GT500 | |
3rd |
| 2018 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans WAKO'S Lexus LC 500 GT500 | |
10th |
| 2019 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans WAKO'S Lexus LC 500 GT500 | |
1st |
| 2020 | GT500 | #6 Lexus Team LeMans WAKO'S Toyota GR Supra GT500 |
All Japan Sports Prototype Championship
| Year | Car | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Nissan Skyline Turbo C (LM04C) | |
| 1985 | Nissan LM04C
Nissan LM05C |
|
| 1986 | Nissan March 86G | |
| 1987 | Nissan March 86G | |
| 1988 | #86 Nissan March 88G | |
| 1989 | #85 Nissan March 88G | |
| 1990 | #85 Nissan R89C | |
| 1991 | #25 Nissan R89C
#25 Nissan R90CP |
|
24 Hours of Le Mans
| Year | Car | Drivers | Rankings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | #29 Nissan R86V |  |
32nd DNF |
| 1988 | #85 March 88S |  |
42nd DNF |
| #86 March 88S | |
43rd DNF | |
| 1989 | #32 March 88S | |
27th DNF |
| 1990 | #85 Nissan R89C | |
35th DNF |
Super Formula (Formula Nippon, Japanese Formula 3000, Japanese Formula 2000)
| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | Drivers | Rankings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Team LeMans | March 792 | BMW M12/7 | |
1st |
| 1988 | Team LeMans | March | Mugen Honda |  |
3rd |
| Reynard | |||||
| 1989 | Team LeMans | Reynard | Mugen Honda | |
6th |
| 1990 | Team LeMans | Reynard | Mugen Honda | |
16th |
| 1991 | Team LeMans | Reynard | Mugen Honda |  |
2nd |
| Ralt | |||||
| 1992 | Team LeMans | Reynard | Mugen Honda | |
3rd |
| 1993 | Team LeMans | Reynard | Mugen Honda | |
NA |
| 1994 | Team LeMans | Reynard | Mugen Honda | |
3rd |
| 1995 | Team LeMans | Reynard | Mugen Honda | |
8th |
| 1996 | X Japan Racing Team LeMans | Reynard 96D | Mugen MF308 | |
1st |
| 1997 | Team LeMans | Reynard 96D
Reynard 97D |
Mugen MF308 |  |
3rd |
| 1998 | LEMONed Racing Team LeMans | Reynard 97D | Mugen MF308 | |
1st |
| 1999 | Unlimited Racing Team LeMans | Reynard 99L | Mugen MF308 | |
2nd |
| 2000 | Team LeMans | Reynard 99L | Mugen MF308 | |
5th |
| 2001 | Team LeMans | Reynard 99L | Mugen MF308 |  |
14th |
| 2002 | Team LeMans | #7 Reynard 99L
#7 Reynard 01L |
Mugen MF308 | |
13th |
| #8 Reynard 01L | |
4th | |||
| 2003 | Forum Engineering ARTA Team LeMans | #7 Lola B3/51 | Mugen MF308 | |
4th |
| #8 Lola B3/51 | |
8th | |||
| 2004 | Team LeMans | #7 Lola B3/51 | Mugen MF308 | |
5th |
| #8 Lola B3/51 | |
13th | |||
| 2005 | Forum Engineering Team LeMans | #7 Lola B3/51 | Mugen MF308 | |
11th |
| #8 Lola B3/51 | |
8th | |||
| 2006 | Team LeMans | #7 Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | |
7th |
| #8 Lola FN06 | |
18th | |||
| 2007 | Forum Engineering Team LeMans | #7 Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | |
14th |
| #8 Lola FN06 | |
16th | |||
| 2008 | Team LeMans | #7 Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | |
11th |
| #8 Lola FN06 | |
16th | |||
| 2009 | Team LeMans | #7 Swift 017.n | Toyota RV8K | |
13th |
| #8 Swift 017.n | |
6th | |||
| 2010 | Team LeMans | #7 Swift 017.n | Toyota RV8K | |
10th |
| #8 Swift 017.n | |
8th | |||
| 2011 | Team LeMans | #7 Swift 017.n | Toyota RV8K | |
5th |
| Team Kygnus Sunoco | #8 Swift 017.n | |
6th | ||
| 2012 | Team LeMans | #7 Swift 017.n | Toyota RV8K | |
7th |
| Team Kygnus Sunoco | #8 Swift 017.n | |
6th | ||
| 2013 | Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | #7 Swift 017.n | Toyota RV8K | |
11th |
| #8 Swift 017.n | |
13th / 3rd | |||
| 2014 | Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | #7 Dallara SF14 | Toyota RI4A | |
8th |
| #8 Dallara SF14 | |
12th / 4th | |||
| 2015 | Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | #7 Dallara SF14 | Toyota RI4A | |
8th |
| #8 Dallara SF14 | |
6th | |||
| 2016 | SUNOCO Team LeMans | #7 Dallara SF14 | Toyota RI4A |  |
14th |
| #8 Dallara SF14 | |
17th | |||
| 2017 | SUNOCO Team LeMans | #7 Dallara SF14 | Toyota RI4A | |
TBD |
| #8 Dallara SF14 | |
TBD |
Footnotes
- NODA racing Academy Senior High School
- "All-Japan GT Championship — Class GT500 2002 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 19 October 2016.