Toyota Names 2024 GT500 Lineups; Yamashita Joins TOM’S

Toyota has revealed its GT500 driver lineups for the 2024 SUPER GT season, with Kenta Yamashita stepping up to join the flagship TOM’S team.

In a special announcement event on Tuesday, Toyota became the first of the ‘big three’ manufacturers to unveil its top-class roster for next season, confirming that six GR Supras will once again run across five teams.

Yamashita steps up from the Rookie Racing team to join reigning champion Sho Tsuboi aboard the No. 36 TOM’S entry, taking the place of Ritomo Miyata.

Miyata is stepping away from SUPER GT to focus on his commitments in Formula 2 and the European Le Mans Series next season.

Replacing Yamashita as Kazuya Oshima’s teammate in the No. 14 Rookie Racing entry is Nirei Fukuzumi, who is one of two newcomers to the Toyota stable.

As previously reported by Sportscar365, Fukuzumi is moving to Toyota after spending four seasons as part of the Honda GT500 set-up.

Making a similar move is Toshiki Oyu, who has been confirmed as the retiring Yuji Tachikawa’s replacement alongside Hiroaki Ishiura in the No. 38 Cerumo entry.

The remaining three Toyota crews all remain unchanged from 2023.

Sena Sakaguchi will finally stay for a third season in the No. 19 Racing Project Bandoh Toyota with Yuji Kunimoto despite speculation linking him to the vacancy at Cerumo earlier in the year.

The No. 37 TOM’S entry will be piloted for a second season in succession by Ukyo Sasahara and Giuliano Alesi, while Yuhi Sekiguchi and Yuichi Nakayama remain a duo in the No. 39 SARD car.

Cerumo’s main sponsor for the upcoming season has changed to KeePer, which sponsored the No. 37 TOM’S car until 2022.

Five of the six Toyota cars will run on Bridgestone tyres, with Racing Project Bandoh the sole runner on Yokohama rubber.

Yamashita, Tsuboi, Oshima, Fukuzumi, Oyu, Sakaguchi, Kunimoto and Sasahara will all combine their SUPER GT commitments with drives in Super Formula.

Fukuzumi beat Sekiguchi to the last available Toyota seat in the single-seater series at KCMG after both drove for the team in last week’s Suzuka post-season test.