Gazoo Racing enters two cars for this year’s endurance race
André Lotterer, a member of the winning squad at this year’s Le Mans race, has been named in the Gazoo Racing team for the Nürburgring 24 hours this weekend. Lotterer, a German racer who is a double series champion for Lexus in Japanese Super GT 500 competition, will form part of a powerful driver line-up for the two LFA that will be taking part, led by driver/team manager Akira Iida.
It will be the fourth time the LFA has competed at the legendary Nordschleife, a circuit that pushes Lexus’s cutting-edge technology to the extremes of mechanical endurance. Gazoo Racing’s technical team is drawn directly from Lexus’s research and development section, and by participating in the event these engineers and technicians are able to hone skills and that can be fed directly into new Lexus products.
British racing fans will have their own chance to admire the LFA at close quarters, as Gazoo Racing is due to bring one of its race cars straight from the Nürburgring to this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, from 30 June to 3 July.
In 2010 a Gazoo Racing LFA won the SP8 class in the race, set a fastest lap of just over eight minutes 55 seconds and finished 18th overall. This season the team has made strong progress with the car, with two class wins in the VLN endurance races at the Nürburgring, a fifth place finish and a fastest lap time almost 26 seconds quicker than its 24-hour race best.
The full Gazoo Racing line-up for the 39th Nürburgring 24 Hours: -
Takayaki Kinoshita (Japan)Six-times Super Taikyu endurance Series champion
Juichi Wakisaka (Japan)2006 and 2009 Super GT 500 class winner with André Lotterer in the Lexus SC 430
2002 Japan GTC championJordan Mugen Formula 1 team test driver 19981996 Japanese Formula 3 champion
André Lotterer (Germany)Winner of 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours with Audi2006 and 2009 Super GT 500 class winner with André Lotterer in the Lexus SC 430Formula Nippon competition 2003 to 2011 with nine race winsRookie of the year in German Formula 3 series 20001999 Formula BMW ADAC champion
Akira Iida (Japan)2000 Japan GTC championOverall winner of the 1995 and 2007 Tokachi 24 Hours raceLe Mans 24 Hours competitor 1994, 1996 and 2000
Hiroaki Ishiura (Japan)2007 Super GT 300 championMember of the Toyota Young Drivers Programme
Kazuya Oshima (Japan)Formula Nippon competitor, 2009 to 20112007 Japan Formula 3 champion2007 Super GT 300 championMember of the Toyota Young Drivers Programme
