Automotive Journal

Following his victory over the Pharnaces in 47 BC, the legend is that Julius Caesar addressed the Roman Senate and announced, “Veni, vidi, vici” - “I came, I saw, I conquered.” A couple of millennia later, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) USA could easily make the same boast in every racing venue it has entered.

TRD first started in 1979 as a Toyota Motor Sales USA subsidiary in Costa Mesa, California. It was in charge of after market performance parts design and distribution for TRD Japan. It developed over the next 30 years to become a complete engine development through assembly operation. Their cutting-edge racing technology was in every high speed arena in every genre, stacking up wins and cementing the company’s reputation. It was at first a slow climb to the top, but TRD’s growth gained momentum in the early 2000s, and TRD engineers now design and build the V-8 Tundra and V-8 Camry engine for their respective Nascar series. In addition, they also do engines for factory-backed vehicles in Championship Off-Road Racing (CORR), National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), the U.S. Auto Club Sprint Car and National Midget Car Racing Series, and the grand American Rolex Sports Car Series.

By 1983, TRD joined forces with All American Racers (AAR), rolling out a Celica in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) road racing competition. Within six years, TRD-powered cars moved up to the GTP Class, the elite level of American road racing. Also in ‘83, Precision Preparation, Inc. partnered with TRD to build trucks for both real-world off-road and stadium competitions. Toyota trucks developed a taste for the dirt, taking multiple wins in the premier Baja 500 and 1000 events, as well as manufacturer’s championship in the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group SCORE and CORR series.

The climb up the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) ladder began in 1996 for TRD, and it won its first Indy-car competition in June 2000 at the Milwaukee Mile, with Juan Montoya driving. Gil DeFerran won the mother of all American races, the Indianapolis 500, in 2003 while driving a TRD-powered Indy car.

The next step was entry in NASCAR with the V-6 Celica Goody’s Dash Program. In 2007, the V-8 Camry debuted at the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series, and Jason Leffler ended the Busch Series at O’Reilly Raceway Park third in points, netting TRD its first NASCAR win. David Reutimann earned a second place point finish in the series by winning the Sam’s Town 250 in Memphis, and Dave Blaney got the Nextel Cup season record through his third place finish at Talladega.

TRD has experienced success at NASCAR that extends beyond its stock cars. Debuting at the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004, TRD took the manufacturer’s championship for 2006 and 2007 consecutively, and Todd Bodine was awarded the driver’s championship in 2006.

In addition to these high profile venues, TRD USA includes victories in the NHRA’s Funny Car series with Jerry Toliver at the Pomona Winternationals; domination of the 2003 IRL Indy-car series with 11 wins out of 16 races; four Daytona Prototype Driver’s Championships since the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series started in 2004; USAC Sprint Car and Midget Car Racing Series wins; and a sweep of the 67th Annual Turkey Night Grand Prix at Irwindale Speedway, with Dave Darland taking the Midget event, and Bobby Santos the Sprint Car.

Officially, TRD means Toyota Racing Development. But it stands for “Top Results and Design.