Post by Formidable on Jan 1, 2022 23:30:38 GMT -5
UP//REV Motor Racing
Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
Tripwire: @uprev_racing
Tripwire: @uprev_racing
About
UP//REV Motor Racing began as a passion project in 2012 from a former Toyota executive named Hideki Mastuoka, with the team rooting back to the CHIBI class of Saikou no Taikyu. The very first iteration of the Toyota 86 had just been released for the year, and Matsuoka-san wanted to be the very first to put it on a motorsports grid. With the help of some friends, a few sponsors and even Toyota themselves, UP//REV was officially up and running in time for the first race of the 2012 Saikou no Taikyu season. Though the team had some troubles starting off, impressive results started coming in during the second half of the season, and they were finally being recognized as a competitor to look out for.
After the team’s many successes in the CHIBI class, Hideki decided to make the bold decision of leaving the Toyota corporation at the end of 2015 to get more serious about managing the programme and to lighten his workload. However, the decision slightly backfired, as he lost all backing from the Toyota that he previously had. With him and the team now on their own, he sought after other manufacturers to continue the programme. The SnT grid was shocked the following year to find a new Porsche Cayman GT4 running amongst the mostly Japanese GENKI grid. UP//REV in the first few seasons wasn’t quite a championship competitor, but they definitely came close to pestering some of the front-runners in the class. In 2018, newcomer Haisei Takumako joined alongside teammate Kai Takuri to bring the team’s best results yet. The pair would score a championship podium in the 2018 season, and later next year an exciting championship win as well.
For the 2020 season, UP//REV announced their debut in GT Endurance AM, and the partnership with Porsche continued on with the 911 GTC-R. The team once again had a rough start in the season, but managed to score several top 5s throughout the second half. Kai Takuri announced his departure before 2021 to race internationally, and Touring Apex Driving Academy finalist Yeona Myung was announced as the replacement driver. While GT Endurance AM has proved to be a challenging start for the team, Matsuoka-san is confident that better days are ahead for UP//REV Motor Racing, and that they’ll be a force to be reckoned with going into future seasons of J-SA GT Masters.
Drivers
Haisei Takumako
Tripwire: @haisei_tkmko
Gender: Male (he/him)
Age: 28
Birthdate: July 30th
Height: 5’ ft 3” in (160 cm)
Birthplace: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Interests: Politics, Literature, Psychology
Growing up in the city of Yokohama, he had a comfortable and affluent upbringing thanks to the financial successes of his father who owned a booming athletic clothing company by the name of Arcana Athletics. Also thanks to this, Haisei had easy access to the expensive hobby of motorsport at a very young age, and it grew to be one of his absolute favorites. Though it was just a casual weekend scrap for many on the grid, Haisei found enjoyment out of pushing every ounce in the car he was driving, and it became clear quickly that he was not out for a Sunday joyride. In his club races and pay drives, winning first place by an incredible margin was a common occurrence for the young man, and people within his clubs and leagues began to take notice. Many within his circle suggested that he go professional, but his passion and current life path had major conflict.
Despite showing some skill, racing only remained a past-time in his early life, and his main career was mainly dictated by his father who wanted him to focus on working in the business. At first, Haisei was agreeable to keeping his work at Arcana his priority and racing second. Over time, however, he gradually lost interest in anything dealing with the company, and the leap-of-faith into professional motorsport became evermore so tempting. When he eventually gathered the courage to tell his father about stepping into racing as a career, Haisei was met with harsh words and the threat of being shunned should he commit. To his family’s surprise, Haisei had already packed up and left the very next morning, and all that was left was a note that said “this isn’t the last you’ve heard of me”.
Though Haisei was now living alone, his racing club still supported him and his dream of becoming a pro. He scored his first drive in the CHIBI class of Saikou no Taikyu in 2013 where he could finally challenge himself and show everyone what he’s capable of. He and his team dominated the CHIBI field in 2014 and 2015, and the classes above immediately began to take notice. Haisei was taken in by UP//REV Motorsports in 2016 in their new Cayman GT4 program, and scored a championship win in 2019 as well.
As Haisei continues to climb up the motorsport ladder, he hopes to prove to himself and his unsupportive father that the race track truly is his home, and that success and happiness comes in more ways than just money. Though his already flourishing track record has proved that, he feels his journey is not over until he becomes, in his own words, “the greatest damn driver in all of Japan”.
Despite showing some skill, racing only remained a past-time in his early life, and his main career was mainly dictated by his father who wanted him to focus on working in the business. At first, Haisei was agreeable to keeping his work at Arcana his priority and racing second. Over time, however, he gradually lost interest in anything dealing with the company, and the leap-of-faith into professional motorsport became evermore so tempting. When he eventually gathered the courage to tell his father about stepping into racing as a career, Haisei was met with harsh words and the threat of being shunned should he commit. To his family’s surprise, Haisei had already packed up and left the very next morning, and all that was left was a note that said “this isn’t the last you’ve heard of me”.
Though Haisei was now living alone, his racing club still supported him and his dream of becoming a pro. He scored his first drive in the CHIBI class of Saikou no Taikyu in 2013 where he could finally challenge himself and show everyone what he’s capable of. He and his team dominated the CHIBI field in 2014 and 2015, and the classes above immediately began to take notice. Haisei was taken in by UP//REV Motorsports in 2016 in their new Cayman GT4 program, and scored a championship win in 2019 as well.
As Haisei continues to climb up the motorsport ladder, he hopes to prove to himself and his unsupportive father that the race track truly is his home, and that success and happiness comes in more ways than just money. Though his already flourishing track record has proved that, he feels his journey is not over until he becomes, in his own words, “the greatest damn driver in all of Japan”.
Yeona Myung
Tripwire: @y_myung
Gender: Female (she/her)
Age: 18
Birthdate: February 7th
Height: 5’ ft 3” in (160 cm)
Birthplace: Mokpo-si, Korea
Interests: Martial Arts, Skateboarding, Meditation
If someone had told Yeona as a kid that she would be engaged in motorsports shortly after the end of her taekwondo career, it would’ve left her and anyone else left utterly confused. However, that is exactly where she would end up by the turn of her adolescence.
Born in the city of Mokpo of South Korea, she was raised by parents who were already professional in the taekwondo scene, and they began training her from early childhood. As expected, the effort paid off as Yeona’s skills far surpassed her peers, and it looked like a prodigious career was ahead. By the start of her teen years, she was already being recognized nationally, and was even being heavily considered for Olympic participation.
However, before Yeona could even reach the world stage of taekwondo, a freak accident occured while she was out skateboarding with friends. She sustained numerous injuries to her lower legs and ankles, and it put her on the sidelines for quite some time. Her health would eventually go back to normal; however, her taekwondo skills would not. Losing balance, poor technique and even instances of sharp pain were common after her recovery. She was left utterly devastated that her career might be over, and for a while it left her depressed and hopeless.
Thankfully, her family was extremely supportive and empathetic, and did everything in their power to encourage Yeona to branch out from what she had grown up with her whole life. Besides skateboarding and martial arts, she had a keen interest in motorsports as an avid fan, and even had a sim racing setup that she would race on during her off days. Yeona was an already decent racer virtually, but with Touring Apex’s bi-annual academy program coming up, she had to sink as many hours as possible honing her race craft if she was to compete with the top drivers.
She managed to score top 10 in the online event qualifier, and it was enough to get her an invitation into the finale where she would race in a real car against the other finalists at Twin Ring Motegi. While she didn’t win the event, a top 5 finish despite being the youngest driver at 15 years old had everyone noticing her potential.
Immediately the next year, she earned a drive in the GENKI class of Saikou no Taikyu where her talent started to flourish exponentially as the season went on, scoring several podiums and nearly a win in the final few races. The next year, would see even more successes including her first and second ever wins, but finished just outside of the championship podium due to mechanical issues and incidents to no fault of her own.
Though the future seemed bleak for Yeona at such a young age, she struck the iron of a potential motorsports career while it was still hot and it paid off massively. With a drive now secured in the major J-Speed Association series, GT Masters, she is a testament to the saying that it’s never too late to be successful at anything.
Born in the city of Mokpo of South Korea, she was raised by parents who were already professional in the taekwondo scene, and they began training her from early childhood. As expected, the effort paid off as Yeona’s skills far surpassed her peers, and it looked like a prodigious career was ahead. By the start of her teen years, she was already being recognized nationally, and was even being heavily considered for Olympic participation.
However, before Yeona could even reach the world stage of taekwondo, a freak accident occured while she was out skateboarding with friends. She sustained numerous injuries to her lower legs and ankles, and it put her on the sidelines for quite some time. Her health would eventually go back to normal; however, her taekwondo skills would not. Losing balance, poor technique and even instances of sharp pain were common after her recovery. She was left utterly devastated that her career might be over, and for a while it left her depressed and hopeless.
Thankfully, her family was extremely supportive and empathetic, and did everything in their power to encourage Yeona to branch out from what she had grown up with her whole life. Besides skateboarding and martial arts, she had a keen interest in motorsports as an avid fan, and even had a sim racing setup that she would race on during her off days. Yeona was an already decent racer virtually, but with Touring Apex’s bi-annual academy program coming up, she had to sink as many hours as possible honing her race craft if she was to compete with the top drivers.
She managed to score top 10 in the online event qualifier, and it was enough to get her an invitation into the finale where she would race in a real car against the other finalists at Twin Ring Motegi. While she didn’t win the event, a top 5 finish despite being the youngest driver at 15 years old had everyone noticing her potential.
Immediately the next year, she earned a drive in the GENKI class of Saikou no Taikyu where her talent started to flourish exponentially as the season went on, scoring several podiums and nearly a win in the final few races. The next year, would see even more successes including her first and second ever wins, but finished just outside of the championship podium due to mechanical issues and incidents to no fault of her own.
Though the future seemed bleak for Yeona at such a young age, she struck the iron of a potential motorsports career while it was still hot and it paid off massively. With a drive now secured in the major J-Speed Association series, GT Masters, she is a testament to the saying that it’s never too late to be successful at anything.
Staff
Hideki Matsuoka - Team Founder and Owner
Tripwire: @matsuoka_racing
Gender: Male (he/him)
Age: 55
Birthdate: April 10th
Height: 5’ ft 5” in (165 cm)
Birthplace: Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Tsuruki Kumiyo - Team Manager
Tripwire: @tsuruchan
Gender: Female (she/her)
Age: 34
Birthdate: June 24th
Height: 5’ ft 8” in (175 cm)
Birthplace: Kuwana, Aichi, Japan
