History of the Toyota Gazoo Racing team

1154 Views 15 Replies 2 Participants Last post by Tazio Nuvolari, 4 mo ago

Tazio Nuvolari

Discussion Starter · Apr 1, 2022

Ignore the obnoxious and annoying narrator. This is a good history of Toyota Racing. The new Corolla GR will soon be sold in the U.S.

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kidkrash

· #2 · Apr 1, 2022 (Edited)

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I watch WRC and Gazoo Racing dominated the 2021 season and doing the same so far in the 2022 season as well.

Hence me creating my own WRC Rally Inspired badged Gazoo Racing RAV4.....lol
Updated the photos after installing the front badge and moving the rear

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Tazio Nuvolari

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 1, 2022

kidkrash said:
Hence me creating my own WRC Rally Inspired badged Gazoo Racing RAV4.

Me too. Got the enamel metal GR badges from Amazon and installed on my gas model 2021 RAV XLE. One on the front grill and one under the "RAV4" on the left rear. I have been tail gated by multiple Rav and other knowledgeable Toyota people scratching their heads and trying to figure out what I was driving.

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kidkrash

· #4 · Apr 5, 2022

Tazio Nuvolari said:
Me too. Got the enamel metal GR badges from Amazon and installed on my gas model 2021 RAV XLE. One on the front grill and one under the "RAV4" on the left rear. I have been tail gated by multiple Rav and other knowledgeable Toyota people scratching their heads and trying to figure out what I was driving.

I moved my rear GR badge to be above the RAV4 badge on the left side of the tailgate. Also ordered a front grill badge for the front. I am very close to Toyota facility in Texas (Plano) and they have a TRD presence there as well. I am sure sooner or later I will get called on my badging that a GR RAV4 does not exist. My response will be "Maybe it should"...lol

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kidkrash

· #5 · Apr 8, 2022

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Tazio Nuvolari

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 8, 2022

kidkrash said:
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Looks good! People will be asking you if you have the three cylinder turbo and the 6 speed gearbox. LOL

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kidkrash

· #7 · Apr 19, 2022

4

I added a WRC badge to the front grill and a WRC sticker to the wind deflector on my roof rack. I consider this my WRC Rally inspired GR RAV4 edition.

I am having fun with it and totally in-touch with my inner teen

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ager....lol

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kidkrash

· #8 · May 26, 2022

So not history per say but I was at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend and was able to get my picture wearing my GR Racing shirt. Had a great time seeing the Kaulig Racing team in action.

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Tazio Nuvolari

Discussion Starter · #9 · May 26, 2022

Ordered a GR Racing hat at the dealers. They said they don't know when they will get it due to the supply chain fiasco. Rovanpera is kicking ass in WRC--just won the Portugal Rally and Evans second and Katsuta 4th. Toyota leads manufacturers points.

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kidkrash

· #10 · 8 mo ago

I was glad Rovanpera and Toyota didn't run away with the win at recent Rally Acropolis in Greece. It will made the remainder of the season that much more exciting.

Also decided to remove my Limited and AWD drive badges from the rear and put the GR badge in thier place. Less is more....lol

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Tazio Nuvolari

Discussion Starter · #11 · 8 mo ago

The Gazoo Racing team got their butts kicked in the Acropolis Rally by Hyundai. Lappi and Evans had malfunctions leading to their retirement. All the Toyota drivers complained of serious and "frightening" handling problems and a "lack of grip." Weeks later team principal Latvala said they had made some major changes to the differentials and suspension and had very little testing time due to heavy rain in Finland before the Acropolis. Once they went through official scrutineering in Greece they were locked in and not allowed to go back to their successful set ups for the earlier Safari Rally or the Finland Rally when they realized the new parts weren't working out. Latvala recently said everything has now been sorted out and he expects a much different result this weekend in the New Zealand Rally. Its too bad in my opinion that former world champion Ogier is returning to Gazoo this week as he will take over Lappi's car. Lappi had been doing a great job. Rovanpera just needs 8 more points to win the drivers championship for Toyota...maybe this weekend it will happen.

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kidkrash

· #12 · 8 mo ago

During the Loeb/Peugeot era it got boring seeing the domination each season. Same with the Ogier era. Now with Loeb being the old guy it is good to see him compete again.
I too would prefer Lappi over Ogier. Not really a fan of Ogier on any level....lol

Here is to competitive rest of the season. Please no spoilers if you watch them before I do.....lol
I had to modify my Google News settings as well as I had 3 Rally spoiled for me this season.

Go Gazoo Racing!!!!

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Tazio Nuvolari

Discussion Starter · #13 · 8 mo ago

So for those not following Dirtfish.com and WRC.com--Rovanpera WON the 2022 WRC Driver's Championship by winning the New Zealand Rally and the Wolf Power Stage. Ogier came in second for a Toyota Yaris 1-2 for Gazoo Racing. The Spanish Rally Catalunya will probably determine if Toyota Gazoo Racing wins the Manufacturers Championship over Hyundai and Ford.

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kidkrash

· #14 · 8 mo ago (Edited)

I am so glad I was able to watch Rally NZ before the spoiler...lol
So proud to be driving my WRC Rally inspired GR Racing edition RAV4.

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kidkrash

· #15 · 4 mo ago

Ugh. Watching the first Rally of the Season it was instantly spoiled going to the WRC channel and seeing Seb won before we could even start watching it. To make matters worse I just saw the winner of Rally Sweden.

Tazio Nuvolari

Discussion Starter · #16 · 4 mo ago

kidkrash said:
I just saw the winner of Rally Sweden.

Rovanpera had to clear the road as the points leader from Monte Carlo and never regained the lost time. Tanak and Breen were way back in the running order on the stages and had a much easier time of it. Evans just did what Evans does--I don't know why Gazoo kept him on the team instead of Lappi. Katsuta is only on the team because the factory insists on a Japanese --no surprise to me he rolled and totalled his Yaris. The only good thing out of Sweden is that Rovanpera will not have to start first with road clearing duties on the next rally.

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