1970s: The Birth of TOM's Racing

The cancellation of Toyota’s sportscar programme had a direct impact on the career paths of some of Japan’s most promising young racing drivers. Nobuhide Tachi, Kiyoshi Oiwa and Naohiro Fujita were a trio of promising touring car drivers who hoped to graduate to international competition in the Toyota 7.

The loss of that opportunity became the driving force for a new racing initiative. In 1974 Tachi and Oiwa created TOM’S Racing (Tachi Oiwa Motor Sport), an enterprise that would grow to become one of the central elements in Toyota’s domestic motor sport programme for both Group C and touring cars.

Toyota continued to be represented in domestic touring car competition, principally by racing Celica and Corolla models. Its greatest success came with the Celica LB Turbo winning the Fuji 1,000km in 1973, but glory was short-lived: the international oil crisis brought Toyota’s racing activities to an abrupt halt.

The 1970s saw private racing take the lead in motor sport in Japan, with the launch of the Grand Champion Series in 1971. Toyota did little during the decade as a manufacturer, aside from minor touring car and TS races for the Starlet and the taking on the role of engine supplier for the Formula Pacific series from 1977.