Dandelion Racing is a Japanese racing team, mainly running in

Super Formula The Japanese Super Formula Championship is a formula racing series held primarily in Japan. It is considered to be the pinnacle of single-seater racing in Japan or Asia as a whole, making it one of the top motorsport series in the region. The s ...

. The team was founded by Kiyoshi Muraoka in 1989 as "Dandelion Racing Project".

Early years (1993–1998)

The team made a small sponsor contract with NTT Docomo in 1993. It made a way to enter the Japanese local racing series. The team ran in the

All-Japan Formula Three Championship was a national motor racing championship that takes place in Japan. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. As a result of Formula 3 naming regulations by the FIA, on 13 August 2019, series pr ...

(1993 and 1994 seasons) and

Japanese Touring Car Championship The Japanese Touring Car Championship (abbr: 1985–1993: JTC, 1994–1998: JTCC, officially known as All Japan Touring Car Championship, ) was a former touring car racing series held in Japan. The series was held under various regulations during ...

(

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

, and

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

), and suffered from poor results through the 1990s. The relationship with NTT Docomo will continue to date, though there is no capital ties.

Formula Nippon/Super Formula (1999–)

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, the team switched from the defunct JTCC to

Formula Nippon The Japanese Super Formula Championship is a formula racing series held primarily in Japan. It is considered to be the pinnacle of single-seater racing in Japan or Asia as a whole, making it one of the top motorsport series in the region. The s ...

as a Honda engine user. Though the team continuously suffered from poor result at first, the fortune was changed in the 2002 season when Richard Lyons scored team's first point-finish in the series with finishing 2nd at the SUGO round. In the 2003 season, Lyons won the Suzuka round in July. It was also the first race win for the team. In the 2004 season, Lyons became the drivers' champion of the series and the team finished as 3rd in the teams' championship. During the following years, the team came to leave steady results. In

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

, the last season of Formula Nippon, the team became the teams' champion of the series with beating

TOM'S is an automotive aftermarket parts manufacturer and tuner of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, as well as a factory-backed racing team. The TOM'S head office is located in Tokyo, Japan. TOM'S most prominently produces aftermarket parts for current ...

at the final round of the season. Dandelion duo 2024 SF Motegi Race

Nobuharu Matsushita is a Japanese racing driver currently competing in Super GT for ARTA and Super Formula for TGM Grand Prix. Early career Karting Born in Saitama, Matsushita began his racing career in karting in 2005, competing the All-Japan Junior Kart Cha ...

returned to Japan after two seasons in the

GP2 Series The GP2 Series was a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The GP2 format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecc ...

and one season in the

FIA Formula 2 Championship The FIA Formula 2 Championship (F2) is a second-tier single-seater championship organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on road racing, racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the re ...

, joining the team. He takes the seat of

Takuya Izawa is a Japanese racing driver. He is a race winner in the Super Formula Championship, Super Formula and Super GT championships, as well as a podium finisher in the GP2 Series. Racing record Complete Japanese Formula 3 Championship results (:T ...

, who moved to

Nakajima Racing Nakajima Planning Co., Ltd, racing as Nakajima Racing, is a Super Formula and Super GT team organized and founded by Satoru Nakajima in 1983. The team has fielded four championship winners in the Formula Nippon racing series: Tom Coronel, Toranos ...

. 2018 champion Naoki Yamamoto moves to the team in 2019 after eight seasons driving for Team Mugen. He is joined by

Nirei Fukuzumi is a Japanese racing driver affiliated with Toyota Gazoo Racing who currently competes in Super GT for Rookie Racing, ROOKIE Racing and in Super Formula Championship, Super Formula for KC Motorgroup, KCMG. He won the GT300 class championship in S ...

, who completed a partial season with Mugen in 2018 alongside

FIA Formula 2 The FIA Formula 2 Championship (F2) is a second-tier single-seater championship organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the rebranding of ...

leaves Team Dandelion after a single season, returning to

Formula 2 Formula Two (F2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009 to 2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name returned aga ...

with Carlin. Yamamoto won his title in 2020, and the teams title in 2019. Yamamoto only stayed with the team for 2 seasons, and he replaced by

Tadasuke Makino is a Japanese racing driver for Honda Motor Company who currently competes in Super GT for Team Kunimitsu and in the Super Formula Championship for Dandelion Racing. A feature race winner in the FIA Formula 2 Championship during his time abroa ...

. Fukuzumi clinched runners up in 2021, then he replaced by Rookie champion

Hiroki Otsu is a Japanese racing driver who is currently competing in Super GT with ARTA, and in Super Formula for TCS Nakajima Racing as a substitute driver for Naoki Yamamoto. Career Early career Otsu started his motorsport career in karting in 200 ...

for 2022. Otsu then replaced by

Kakunoshin Ohta is a Japanese racing driver for Honda Motor Company who currently competes in Super GT for Astemo Real Racing and in Super Formula for docomo Team Dandelion Racing. Career Early career Ohta made his single-seater racing debut in 2018, rac ...

Complete Formula Nippon/Super Formula results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Notable and veteran drivers

Formula Nippon/Super Formula

* Richard Lyons (2002–2005, 2009) *

Naoki Hattori is a motoring journalist and racing driver from Japan. After he won the Japanese Formula 3 championship in 1990, he failed to pre-qualify for two Formula One Grands Prix with Coloni in 1991 as a late-season replacement for Pedro Chaves. He ra ...

(2003–2005) *

(2009–2013, 2017) *

Tomoki Nojiri is a Japanese racing driver who currently competes as a Honda factory driver in Super GT for Autobacs Racing Team Aguri, ARTA and in Super Formula Championship, Super Formula for Mugen Motorsports, Team Mugen, where he won the championship titl ...

(2014–2018) *

Stoffel Vandoorne Stoffel Jacques L. Vandoorne (; born 26 March 1992) is a Belgian racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Peugeot and in Formula E for Maserati. In formula racing, Vandoorne competed in Formula One from to , and ...

(2016)

References

External links

Dandelion Racing official website
- {{Authority control Japanese auto racing teams Formula Nippon teams Super Formula teams Japanese Formula 3 Championship teams Auto racing teams established in 1989 1989 establishments in Japan Honda in motorsport