TEAM VERTEX — Toward 200 Races and Beyond

TEAM VERTEX is the only team in D1 Grand Prix that has competed continuously since Round 1 of the inaugural season.
Since the opening round in 2001, we have never missed a single event.

In 2027, at the opening round of the season, we will reach the milestone of 200 consecutive entries — something that has never been achieved before. Over these 25 years, the reality behind this achievement has not always been easy. TEAM VERTEX is a private team led by owner-driver Takahiro Ueno. We have not had abundant funding or a fully developed racing structure.

We have competed under constant limitations:
the pressure of not being able to risk damaging the car, limited testing opportunities:
and the challenge of balancing racing with our main business.

Even so, we have continued to compete every season.

There were many moments when we felt that we could have pushed harder and achieved better results. However, we never stopped, because we always had a reason to keep going.

Now, all of those years have led us to the reality of reaching 200 consecutive races.

As we approach this milestone, one idea has become very clear to us: we want the final moment to be meaningful. After reaching 200 races at the opening round of the 2027 season, Takahiro Ueno will retire from professional competition at the end of that season.

For his final car, we want it to be the Toyota Soarer.

The Soarer is an important part of TEAM VERTEX history. It is a car that many fans still associate with Ueno, and it represents the origin and identity of the team.

However, making this happen is not simple. The car no longer exists and must be built from scratch. In addition, we need to develop a new aero package, build a competitive chassis and engine, and create a full race-ready structure to compete through the entire season.

Most importantly, we must continue competing throughout the 2026 season without missing a round in order to reach the 200-race milestone. This is not just a retirement project. It is a project to complete a 25-year journey without interruption and to finish it in the best possible way.

For this reason, we have launched the “Kyoso Project,” an initiative to support TEAM VERTEX from outside the team structure.

This project aims to achieve the 200-race milestone, compete at a higher level, and deliver a proper final chapter.

This challenge cannot be achieved without support.

More than anything, we want to share this final journey with as many people as possible, and we sincerely hope for your support.