Three-time New Zealand Grand Prix winner, Nick Cassidy, has been signed to drive for iconic Japanese motorsport team, TOM’s Toyota, competing in the full 2015 season of Japanese Formula 3 championship.
Following his success within New Zealand’s Toyota Racing Series Cassidy went on to cut his teeth in European Formula 3 last year and was picked by the British Racing Driver’s Club as a BRDC Rising Star for 2015, but it was commanding drive securing a podium finish in the 2014 Macau Grand Prix that cemented this opportunity. TOM’s, a perennial favourite at Macau understands what is required from a driver to achieve a result at Macau and invited Nick to test for them in December.
The Japanese Formula 3 Championship has proven itself as an incubator for some of the greats in motorsport, producing highly successful drivers including nine time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve and current F1 drivers Adrian Sutil (a champion with TOM’s in 2006), Kazuki Nakajima and Australian V8 Supercar driver James Courtney.
TOM’s General Manager, Susumu Koumi was all too happy to secure the Kiwi talent for his team.
“We are very pleased to have Nick in our F3 team for the 2015 Japan F3 Championship. It will be his new challenge this year not only in racing, but also working in a completely different culture and environment but these will be his asset for his future career as many of ex-TOM’s F3 drivers have been proving. We are quite excited to see the opening round in April.” Said Koumi.
Cassidy leaves New Zealand mid-February to start testing and will be based in Japan for the remainder of 2015.
“I’m delighted to be asked to drive for a team as respected and successful as TOM’s and look to make the most of this opportunity in 2015. I’m ambitious and take in a lot of confidence after my result in Macau last year, it’s been the culmination of a lot of support. A big thank you to everyone that has helped me in my career to date.” Said Cassidy of the new drive.
Cassidy is the first New Zealand alumni of the Toyota Racing Series to be integrated into Toyota’s Motorsport Programme and the local arm of the Automotive giant couldn’t be happier with the appointment.
“We have always had an objective within the Toyota Racing Series that New Zealand’s talent would be recognised on the international stage and to see Nick now moving to a Toyota backed team in Japan is a great affirmation of his talent and the hard work that he has put in over the years.” Says, Toyota New Zealand Motorsport Manager, Steve Boyce.
