October 28, 2003
TOYOTA-POWERED PROTOTYPES LOOK TO END 2003 CAMPAIGN WITH FIRST WIN
After topping the practice and qualifying charts, leading laps, registering fastest race laps and finishing on the podium, a pair of Toyota-powered Daytona Prototypes will attempt to take that final step into victory lane at this weekend's Grand American Rolex Series finale at the Daytona International Speedway.
The Doran-Lista Racing and Cegwa Sports teams each are desirious of earning the distinction of winning Toyota's first race in the series. Both teams will campaign a 4.35-liter Toyota V8 engine.
The Doran-Lista team haven't just been knocking on victory's door so far this season, they've done everything but knock that door down. The team heads into this weekend's Daytona tilt coming off both their best - and most disappointing event of the season at Virginia. The team's Doran JE4 Toyota was consistently the quickest car throughout the weekend and qualified the fastest, only to be put to the back of the grid for failing to pass tech inspection. Despite starting from the tail-end of the pack, drivers Didier Theys and Bill Auberlen worked their way up to second and were closing on the race leader when Theys was hit by a slower lapped car while working through through traffic. The result was six laps in the pits and a fifth-place overall finish. The team also was leading in the previous race at Mont Tremblant before a shift linkage broke.
"We have made big improvements in our engine mapping and our set-ups as we learn what this car likes, and we're making gains at every race," said Theys. "Our car was designed with Daytona in mind, and I think for sure we'll be contenders."
The first-year Cegwa Sports team also will be in the hunt for that first Toyota victory. Despite having no prototype experience prior to this season, drivers Darius Grala and R.J. Valentine registered a podium finish earlier this season at Watkins Glen and are coming off a strong fourth-place overall finish at Virginia. The duo will return behind the wheel of the OzExe/F1 Boston/Goodyear Toyota at the site of the team's first-ever prototype event earlier this year at Daytona.
The Grand American Champions Weekend will be broadcast on SPEED Channel. The Rolex Series race will be live on SPEED, Saturday, November 1, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Media photos and results will be available on the Grand American media-specific website at www.grandamerican.com/media (not for public use).
October 16, 2003
TOYOTA COMPLETES CHAMPIONSHIP INAUGURAL IRL CAMPAIGN
A manufacturer’s championship, a driver’s championship, an Indianapolis 500 victory, 11 wins and 11 pole positions highlighted Toyota’s inaugural IndyRacing League IndyCar Series season in 2003.
After wrapping up the IndyCar Series Engine Manufacturer’s Championship in August at Nazareth Speedway, three Toyota-powered drivers went down to the wire for the driver’s championship last weekend at the Texas MotorSpeedway with Scott Dixon coming out as the series champion. The 23-year-old Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver was followed by Marlboro Team Penske teammates Gil de Ferran and HelioCastroneves as Toyota-powered drivers swept the top three point positions.
“To have this type of success in a series as competitive as the IndyCar Series is extremely rewarding for all those involved with the program,” said Jim Aust, Toyota vice president of motorsports. “It’s been a tremendous team effort combining great drivers and teams with reliable and powerful Toyota engines. We plan to take a few days and enjoy these championships, but then it’s back to work on what should be an even more competitive series in 2004.”
Toyota has now captured two consecutive manufacturer’s and driver’s championships, having won last year’s CART title over Honda and Ford with Cristiano da Matta taking driver’s championship honors.
Victories have become a staple of the Toyota program with 21 open-wheel wins in 35 races over the past two seasons. De Ferran registered Toyota’s greatest triumph in winning the Indianapolis 500, which featured a one-two Toyota finish in the manufacturer’s first-ever appearance at the famed Brickyard.
This year’s Toyota dominance extends even further as the manufacturer led the IndyCar Series in virtually every statistical category. Toyota more than doubled the combined totals for its fellow manufacturers in wins, top-three finishes, poles and laps led.
“One of the keys to our success this year has been the depth of our program,” Aust said. “We don’t have one or two good teams running our engines, we have five. We believe that’s largely due to the fact that any team that runs Toyota engines knows they’re receiving equal service and quality.”
In addition to finishing 1-2-3 in the final standings, Toyota-powered drivers finished sixth (Al Unser Jr.), seventh (Tomas Scheckter), eighth (Scott Sharp) and 10th (Tora Takagi) in taking seven of the top-10 points positions. Six different Toyota drivers won races this year with Dixon and de Ferran with three each, Castroneves with two, and Unser Jr., Sharp and Alex Barron each with one.
IRL IndyCar Series Engine Manufacturer’s Statistics for 2003
Category Toyota Honda Chevrolet
Points 145 106 101
Wins 11 2 3
Top-three Finishes 31 12 5
Poles 11 3 2
Laps Led 2,327 495 439
October 12, 2003
De Ferran Wins Texas, Dixon Takes IndyCar Series Title
- Gil de Ferran (Marlboro Toyota) won his final IndyCar Series race and fellowToyota driver Scott Dixon (Target Toyota) registered his first IndyCar Serieschampionship before an estimated 100,000 at Texas Motor Speedway onSunday.
- The Toyota victory is its 11th in 16 races this season and caps off a season that saw Toyota register the most wins (11), poles (11), an IndyCar Series Engine Manufacturer’s Championship and a Driver’s Championship.
- Gil de Ferran’s victory is his third of the season and the fifth of his IndyCar Series career. In winning the race, he captures his first IndyCar Series championship. De Ferran tied Dixon and Sam Hornish for most wins in the series this year.
- With the second-place, Scott Dixon captures his first IndyCar Series title. The championship is Dixon’s sixth in his 10 years of racing cars beginning with Formula Vee in New Zealand in 1994 at age 13, since then he’s won titles in Formula Ford (1995, 1996), Formula Holden (1998), Indy Lights (2000) and now in the IndyCar Series.
- Toyota drivers swept the top-three in points this season with Scott Dixon leading Gil de Ferran by 18 points in the final standings, with Helio Castroneves five points behind his teammate in third.
-Scott Dixon’s second-place finish is his fourth second-place finish in the last five races and his eighth top-two finish (three wins and five seconds) of the 2003 campaign.
- With today’s victory, Toyota concludes its first season of IndyCar Series competition by winning the Manufacturer’s Championship lead by 39 points over second-place Honda. Toyota actually clinched the 2003 Engine Manufacturer’s Championship at Nazareth and also won last year’s CART Manufacturer’s Championship.
- Scott Dixon joins a select group of drivers that have earned titles with Toyota power in major U.S. racing series over the past 16 years. Since 1987, Toyota-powered drivers have won championships in every major series where the manufacturer has competed. Chris Cord became the first Toyota champion when he won the 1987 IMSA GTO title in an All American Racers (AAR) Celica. After moving up to IMSA GTP competition, Juan Manuel Fangio II earned consecutive championships in 1992and 1993 in an AAR Toyota Eagle. With the GTP series demise after the 1993 season, Toyota moved into open-wheel racing with Cristiano da Matta registering the 2002 CART championship before moving into a seat with the Toyota Formula One program this year.
- Toyota appears likely to have two more champion drivers this year. Robert Huffman will wrap up Toyota’s first NASCAR championship when he takes the green flag at the Goody’s Dash season finale in Atlanta, while Jeff Kincaid won his fourth straight CORR Pro-Lite title in 2003.
- Scott Dixon’s IndyCar Championship is the fifth Indy-style championship for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon joins Jimmy Vasser (1996), Alex Zanardi (1997, 1998) and Juan Montoya (1999) as Target Ganassi champions.
- Today’s race marked the finale IndyCar Series race for 2003 Indianapolis 500 champion Gil de Ferran, who will retire at season’s end. While de Ferran will be moving on at the conclusion of the season, the Toyota IndyCar Series line-up for 2004 is already starting to take shape. Two-time series champion Sam Hornish will replace de Ferran in the Marlboro Toyota for Team Penske. In addition, Tony Renna was recently announced as the 2004 teammate for Scott Dixon in a matching pair of Target Toyotas for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.
“Quotes”
Jim Aust, Toyota vice president of motorsports: “It was only fitting for a great champion like Gil de Ferran to go out a winner in his final start, and it’s just as fitting that Scott Dixon take home the championship this year. Scott has run strong from the first race to the season finale here. Our congratulations go out to Scott, the entire Target Chip Ganassi Racing team and everyone at Toyota Racing Development.”
Toyota Drivers Start/Finish
Gil de Ferran 1/1
Scott Dixon 2/2
Scott Sharp 20/6
Tora Takagi 11/7
Al Unser Jr. 17/9
Helio Castroneves 5/13
Tomas Scheckter 3/15
Felipe Giaffone 4/19
A.J. Foyt IV 19/22
IndyCarSeries Manufacturer’s Points
1. Toyota 145
2. Honda 106
3. Chevrolet 101
IndyCar Series Driver’s Point Standings
1. Scott Dixon (Toyota) 507
2. Gil de Ferran (Toyota) 489
3. Helio Castroneves (Toyota) 484
Next Race: Toyota 300, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Feb. 29, 2004
October 10, 2003
DE FERRAN, DIXON LEAD ALL TOYOTA FRONT ROW IN TEXAS QUALIFYING
- On the verge of his final IndyCar Series event, Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran (Marlboro Toyota) won his first pole position of the season and fellow Toyota driver Scott Dixon will start beside him to make it an all-Toyota front row forSunday’s Texas 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway.
- Today’s pole isToyota’s 11th in 16 races this season and its 23rd in the last two seasons of open-wheel competition in 35 races.
- Toyota-powered drivers swept the top five positions in qualifying today with Gil de Ferran and Scott Dixon leading Tomas Scheckter (Target Toyota), Felipe Giaffone (Hollywood Toyota) and Helio Castroneves (Marlboro Toyota). Included in the mix are two pairs of teammates – with MarlboroTeam Penske drivers de Ferran and Castroneves in first and fifth, and Target Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Dixon and Scheckter in second and third. Giaffone drives for Mo Nunn Racing.
- Gil de Ferran’s pole position is his first of the season and the fifth of his IRL IndyCar Series career after winning four poles a year ago. He twice won from the MBNA pole – at Pikes Peak and Gateway. Today’s effort marks de Ferrran’s first front-row start of the season in what is scheduled to be his final IndyCar Series event after announcing his retirement at season’s end.
- Scott Dixon’s (Target Toyota) second-place in qualifying today marks his series-leading ninth front-row starting position of the season – starting on the front row in 56 percent of the races this season. Dixon has now qualified in the top six in 15 consecutive races this year. He closes out the qualifying portion of the season as the series leader in poles (five) and front row starts (nine).
- With the two front-row starting positions today, Toyota drivers claimed 21 of the 33 front-row positions available this season in IndyCar Series competition.
- The three Toyota-powered drivers still in the championship hunt will start Sunday’s race in first (Gil de Ferran), second (Scott Dixon) and fifth (Helio Castroneves).
Toyota Texas Qualifying:
1. Gil de Ferran
2. Scott Dixon
3. Tomas Scheckter
4. Felipe Giaffone
5. Helio Castroneves
11. Tora Takagi
17. Al Unser Jr.
19. A. J. Foyt IV
20. Scott Sharp
Texas 500, Texas Motor Speedway, ESPN, 3:30 p.m. EDT
October 08, 2003
FAST FACTS - TEXAS 500
Sept. 21, 3:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Texas Motor Speedway
200 laps on the 1.5-mile oval for 300 miles
TOYOTA DRIVERS EYE TITLE RUN AT TEXAS – While Toyota wrapped up the IndyCar Series Manufacturer’s Championship back in August, the IndyCar Series driver’s championship will come down to an old-fashioned Texas shoot-out as three Toyota-powered drivers are among five drivers still with a chance at the 2003 title.
Toyota drivers Scott Dixon (Target Toyota) and Helio Castroneves (Marlboro Toyota) enter the season finale tied for the series lead and holding their fate in their own hands. Castroneves’ Penske teammate Gil de Ferran also is still mathematically in the race, although, he would need both Dixon and Castroneves to finish well back in the pack just to have an outside chance.
For the two leaders, the scenario is fairly simple. Should either Dixon or Castroneves win the race, they would reign as the 2003 IndyCar Series champion. If neither should win, then the highest-placing driver among the two will need to earn within seven points of the amount scored by Tony Kanaan or within 18 points of that totaled by Sam Hornish during Sunday’s finale.
A look at the IndyCar Series points race:
1. Scott Dixon (Toyota) 467
1. Helio Castroneves (Toyota) 467
3. Tony Kanaan (Honda) 460
4. Sam Hornish (Chevrolet) 448
5. Gil de Ferran (Toyota) 437
TOYOTA DRIVERS LOOK TO JOIN SELECT COMPANY – Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran all be looking to join a select group of drivers that have earned titles with Toyota power in major U.S. racing series over the past 16 years. Since 1987, Toyota-powered drivers have won championships in every major pavement series where the manufacturer has competed. Chris Cord became the first Toyota champion when he won the 1987 IMSA GTO title in an All American Racers (AAR) Celica. After moving up to IMSA GTP competition, Juan Manuel Fangio II earned consecutive championships in 1992 and 1993 in an AAR Toyota Eagle. With the GTP series demise after the 1993 season, Toyota moved into open-wheel racing with Cristiano da Matta registering the 2002 CART championship before moving into a seat with the Toyota Formula One program this year.
Toyota appears likely to have two more champion drivers this year. Robert Huffman will wrap up Toyota’s first NASCAR championship when he takes the green flag at the Goody’s Dash season finale in Atlanta, while Jeff Kincaid won his fourth straight CORR Pro-Lite title in 2003.
Of course, Toyota also has a long history of off-road championships with Ivan “Ironman” Stewart, Robby Gordon and Rod Millen all notching championships under the Toyota banner in SCORE and MTEG competition.
TITLE CHASE NOT NEW TO PENSKE, TARGET TOYOTA TEAMS – It only seems appropriate that the two teams leading the IndyCar Series points race heading into the season finale are the two most decorated teams in open-wheel racing. No teams in open-wheel racing are more experienced in a championship hunt than those of Marlboro Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Combined, the two teams won six consecutive CART championships from 1996-2001, and they have a total of 15 Indy-style championships (11 for Penske, four for Ganassi). Last year, each team finished as the championship runner-up in their respective series with Target Ganassi’s Bruno Junqueira finishing second in CART (to fellow Toyota driver Cristiano da Matta), while Castroneves and de Ferran finished second and third in the IndyCar Series for Penske.
Past Penske champions include Tom Sneva (1977, 1978), RickMears (1979, 1981, 1982), Al Unser (1983, 1985), Danny Sullivan (1988), Al Unser Jr. (1994) and de Ferran (2000, 2001).
Dixon will be looking to join the ranks of Jimmy Vasser (1996), Alex Zanardi (1997, 1998) and Juan Montoya as Target Ganassi champions.
GOODBYES AND HELLO’S – This weekend’s race will mark the final IndyCar Series race for 2003 Indianapolis 500 champion Gil de Ferran, who will retire at season’s end. While de Ferran will be moving on at the conclusion of the season, the Toyota IndyCar Series line-up for 2004 is already starting to take shape. Two-time series champion Sam Hornish will replace de Ferran in the Marlboro Toyota for Team Penske. In addition, Tony Renna was recently announced as the 2004 teammate for Scott Dixon in a matching pair of Target Toyotas for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Hornish was a regular in the Toyota Atlantic Championship before moving into the IndyCar ranks, while Renna placed seventh in a Toyota at this year’s Indianapolis 500 for Kelley Racing.
Toyota IndyCar Series Driver Line-Up and Position Entering Texas 500:
Driver Season Points Standing (Race Wins)
Scott Dixon 1st (Miami, Pikes Peak, Richmond)
Helio Castroneves 1st (Gateway, Nazareth)
Gil de Ferran 5th (Indianapolis 500, Nashville)
Al Unser, Jr. 6th (Texas)
Tomas Scheckter 7th
Scott Sharp 9th (Motegi)
Tora Takagi 10th
A.J.Foyt IV 20th
Felipe Giaffone 21st
October 06, 2003
TOYOTAS FINISH FOURTH, FIFTH AT VIR 400
Boththe Cegwa Sport and Doran-Lista Toyota-powered Daytona Prototypes finished inthe top five of Sunday’s VIR 400 – marking the first time Toyota has poweredtwo cars in the top-five in its first year in Daytona Prototype competition.
The Cegwa Sport OzExe/F1Boston/Goodyear Toyota placed fourth both overall and in class. While the team placed third in class on two other occasions earlier this season, Sunday’s fourth marked the first-year team’s best overall showing to date. Darius Grala and R.J. Valentine handled the driving duties with the car performing flawlessly as the team registered another impressive performance.
The Doran-Lista DORAN JE4 Toyota team made it two Toyotas in the top five of the Daytona Prototype Class with a fifth-place class finish. It was an up-and-down weekend for the team, which had high hopes of earning Toyota’s first Daytona Prototype victory after registering the fastest time in every practice session, as well as qualifying. Unfortunately, the car was forced to start last after a slight height error with the gurney flap caused the car to fail post-qualifying inspection.
While the pole was lost, the performance was still there as the Toyota went from 17th to 10th on the first-lap and into fifth overall by Lap Five. Didier Theys eventually drove the car into second place before being hit by another car while moving through lapped traffic. The incident forced Theys to pit, with the car losing six laps due to a bent upper A-arm. After falling to 19th-place, the team recovered to salvage a fifth-place in class and sixth-place overall. Theys’ co-driver, Bill Auberlen registered the fastest lap of the race – almost a half-second faster than the fastest lap turned in by the eventual race-winner.
The Cegwa Sport and Doran-Lista teams return to action when the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series wraps up its 2003 season with the Grand American Champions Weekend at Daytona International Speedway, October30 - November 1.
October 02, 2003
TOYOTA EYES FIRST DAYTONA PROTOTYPE VICTORY
After knocking on the door in recent Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series events, Toyota will be looking for its first-ever Daytona Prototype victory this weekend in the VIR 400 at Virginia International Raceway.
Two Toyota-powered teams are vying for the distinction of earning Toyota’s first victory in the series. The Doran Lista team will be making their third start of the season after finishing third in its debut race at Watkins Glen and qualifying second at the most recent event at Mont Tremblant.
Doran Lista is joined in the Toyota ranks by the first-year Cegwa Sports team, which registered a podium finish earlier this season at Watkins Glen. Both teams campaign Toyota RacingDevelopment-prepared 4.35-liter Toyota V8 engines.
“After winning the Indianapolis 500 and earning championships in the Indy Racing League and the CORR off-road series – with another title imminent in the NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series – a Daytona Prototype victory would be a great way to crown Toyota’s finest season ever in motorsports,” said Jim Aust, Toyota vice president of motorsports and the president and CEO of Toyota Racing Development (TRD), U.S.A. “Both Toyota-powered teams have shown they are capable of running up front this season, and the Doran Lista team has enjoyed some success in the past at VIR.”
A pair of 2002 Grand Am champions will team for the Doran Lista effort. Didier Theys, the 2002 Sports Racing Prototype champion, set the fastest race lap at last year’s VIR event on his way to a second-place finish. Bill Auberlen, the 2002 GTclass champion, will join him in the Toyota-powered Doran JE4.
Darius Grala, the 2002 Ferrari Challenge champion, returns behind the wheel of the OzExe/F1Boston/Goodyear Toyota. The entry alsowill feature sponsorship from Danville Toyota in nearby Danville, Va. Grala again will team with sports car veteran R.J. Valentine.
Sunday’s VIR 400 will be televised on SPEED Channel at 4 p.m. The VIR 400 is the 11th round of the Grand Am Rolex Series. Media photos and results will be available on the Grand American media-specific website at www.grandamerican.com/media (not for public use).