[Exclusive] Toyota Chairman to Debut in Korean Motorsports Next Month... Co-Hosting with Hyundai Motor Company

Participation in Yongin Speedway Event on the 27th of Next Month
Hyundai and Toyota Jointly Host Motorsports Event
'Racing Mania' Chairman Toyoda Visits Korea for the First Time in 12 Years
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun Also Scheduled to Attend

Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, who will visit Korea next month, will make his debut at a domestic motorsports event. Known as a racing enthusiast, Chairman Toyoda is scheduled to attend a racing event co-hosted by Toyota and Hyundai Motor Company at the end of October, where he will take the wheel himself. Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun will also attend the event to explore ways to expand the motorsports base in both countries.

According to industry sources on the 12th, Chairman Toyoda will participate in a domestic motorsports competition held on the 27th of next month at Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. This event is a special extension of the largest one-make race series in Korea, the ‘Hyundai N Festival.’ It is jointly hosted by Hyundai and Toyota, and the event name is reportedly still under consideration.

This participation was finalized when Chairman Toyoda, known as a ‘racing enthusiast,’ planned his visit to Korea to coincide with the Hyundai N Festival period. At 68 years old this year, he still enjoys racing on the circuit. When participating in races, he uses the pseudonym ‘MORIZO.’

Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation Group (photo left), Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group [Photo by each company]

Since receiving training from Toyota’s legendary test driver Himoru Naruse in the early 2000s, he has been directly involved in racing for over 20 years. In the mid-2000s, he personally drove the Toyota sports car 86 and participated in the N?rburgring 24-hour endurance race, known as the ‘race from hell.’ He has also staged surprise events by appearing in racing suits while driving new cars at launch events. In May of this year, he participated as a start racer in the Super Taikyu endurance race held in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun is also expected to attend the motorsports event next month. There is a possibility that Chairman Chung will join the event alongside Chairman Toyoda’s performance. There is also a chance of a surprise performance by Chairman Chung at the 2024 WRC (World Rally Championship) final event scheduled to be held at Toyota Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, in November.