Editing Lexus (section)

==Motorsport==
[[File:Lexus LFAs 24h-Rennen Nürburgring 2010.jpg|thumb|Lexus campaigned at the [[24 Hours Nürburgring]].|alt=Forward view of two racecars on a curved section of racetrack.]]

Lexus first entered the motorsport arena in 1999 when its racing unit, Team Lexus,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=210355&FS=ALMS-LEMANS|title=Team Lexus driver line-up announced|publisher=Motorsport.com|date=21 February 2006|access-date=20 May 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606123154/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=210355&FS=ALMS-LEMANS|archive-date=6 June 2011}}
</ref> fielded two GS 400 race vehicles in the [[List of motorsport championships#Touring car|Motorola Cup]] North American Street Stock Championship [[Touring car racing|touring car]] series. In its 1999 inaugural season, Team Lexus achieved its first victory with its sixth race at [[Road Atlanta]].<ref name=tlex>{{cite web|url=http://www.teamlexus.com/team_stats.htm |title=Team Lexus Stats|year=2006|publisher=Team Lexus|access-date=6 May 2007 |url-status=usurped |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070821224559/http://www.teamlexus.com/team_stats.htm |archive-date=21 August 2007}}</ref> Led by [[Sports Car Club of America]] and [[International Motor Sports Association]] driver Chuck Goldsborough, based in [[Baltimore, Maryland]],<ref name=lawson>{{cite web|url=http://www.crash.net/MotoGP/News/72072/1/lawson_to_race_lexus.html|title=Lawson to race Lexus|publisher=Crash.net|access-date=20 May 2009|date=29 April 2003|archive-date=5 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605183606/http://www.crash.net/MotoGP/News/72072/1/lawson_to_race_lexus.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Team Lexus capitalized on the debut of the first generation Lexus IS by entering three IS 300s in the third race of the 2001 [[Grand-Am Cup]] season at [[Phoenix, Arizona]].<ref name=va>{{cite web|url=http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=69033&FS=GRANDAM*|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815042225/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=69033&FS=GRANDAM*|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 August 2009|title=Lexus Virginia Festival of Speed race report|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=20 May 2009|date=1 July 2001}}</ref> Team Lexus won its first IS 300 victory that year at the [[Virginia International Raceway]].<ref name=va/> In 2002, Team Lexus' competitive efforts in the Grand-Am Cup ST1 ([[KONI Sports Car Challenge#Vehicles|Street Tuner]]) class achieved victories in the Drivers' and Team Championships,<ref name=tlex/><ref name=lawson/> as well as a sweep of the top three finishes at [[Circuit Mont-Tremblant]] in [[Quebec]], Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=106126&FS=GRANDAM*|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815042220/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=106126&FS=GRANDAM*|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 August 2009|title=Grand-Am arrives at historic Mont-Tremblant|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=20 May 2009|date=13 September 2002}}</ref>

After the release of the Lexus brand in the Japanese domestic market in 2005, Lexus sanctioned the entry of four SC 430 coupes in the [[Super GT]] series of the [[All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship]] in the [[Super GT#GT500|GT500]] class. In the first race of the 2006 series, an SC 430 took the chequered flag,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webcg.net/WEBCG/news/000017960.html|title=Debut win for Lexus SC 430|publisher=WebCG|date=20 March 2006|access-date=3 April 2012|language=ja|last=Shimamura |first=Motoko}}</ref> and drivers [[André Lotterer]] and [[Juichi Wakisaka]] raced the SC 430 to capture the GT500 championship for that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://response.jp/article/2006/11/06/88050.html|title=Lexus SC 430 title in final race|publisher=Response.jp|access-date=3 April 2012|date=6 November 2006|language=ja|last=Takagi|first=Kay|archive-date=17 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817125926/https://response.jp/article/2006/11/06/88050.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, another SC 430 won the GT500 opening round race.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.247motoring.com/article.php?id=1660 |title=Super GT Rd. 1 Suzuka Race Results |date=22 March 2007 |publisher=247Motoring.com |access-date=6 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030145/http://www.247motoring.com/article.php?id=1660 |archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref> In 2006, Lexus raced a hybrid vehicle for the first time, entering a GS 450h performance hybrid sedan in partnership with [[SARD|Sigma Advanced Racing Development]] at the 24 Hours of Tokachi race in [[Hokkaido]], Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://response.jp/issue/2006/0718/article83972_1.html|title=Lexus GS 450h in 24 Hours of Tokachi|language=ja|publisher=Response.jp|access-date=20 May 2009|date=18 July 2006|archive-date=28 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928104715/http://response.jp/issue/2006/0718/article83972_1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Lexus Canada also entered the GS 450h in 2007's [[Targa Newfoundland]] event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkregion.com/Leisure/article/44774|title=Lexus tests hybrid power|year=2007|last=Robinson|first=Beintema|publisher=York Region|access-date=22 June 2008|archive-date=26 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626185755/http://www.yorkregion.com/Leisure/article/44774|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, Lexus Super GT Team SC 430 and IS 350 racers won the GT500 and GT300 championships, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ww2.supergt.net/gtcgi/prg/NList02.dll/Code?No=NS014459&List=13 |title=SUPER GT top rankers awarded at JAF Awards presentation |publisher=SuperGT.net |access-date=12 January 2010 |date=28 November 2009 }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

[[File:Lexus Rolex 24 Racing Ganassi racer.jpg|thumb|left|In 2006, 2007, and 2008, Lexus won the [[24 Hours of Daytona|Rolex Sports Car Series Manufacturers' Championship]].|alt=Forward angle view of a racecar on a track; the car is labeled '01', 'Lexus', and 'Telmex'.]]

Lexus' participation in [[Endurance racing (motorsport)|endurance racing]] further includes the [[24 Hours of Daytona|Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona]], sanctioned by the [[Grand American Road Racing Association]]. After entering the [[Rolex Sports Car Series]] in 2004, Lexus has won over 15 Rolex Series event races.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=231504&FS=GRANDAM-GRANDCUP|title=Lexus race report|date=2 September 2006|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=6 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930024207/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=231504&FS=GRANDAM-GRANDCUP|archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref> In 2005, Lexus was runner-up, and in 2006, it won the championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://autos.msn.com/as/minishow/article.aspx?contentID=4024549&s=Daytona2007|title=2007 Rolex 24: Preview|publisher=autos.msn.com|access-date=20 May 2009|last=Meredith|first=Mike|year=2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308164414/http://autos.msn.com/as/minishow/article.aspx?contentID=4024549&s=Daytona2007|archive-date=8 March 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Although Toyota has won this race in the past, it was the first time that its luxury arm emerged as the winner. In 2007, six Lexus-powered Daytona prototypes were entered in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona event at the [[Daytona International Speedway]]. Lexus was a repeat winner of the event, with a Lexus-[[Riley Technologies|Riley]] prototype driven by [[Scott Pruett]], [[Juan Pablo Montoya]], and [[Salvador Durán]] of [[Chip Ganassi Racing]] finishing first; Lexus-Riley prototypes also took three of the top ten spots.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=2746664&type=story|title=Rolex 24 at Daytona final results|date=28 January 2007|access-date=6 May 2007|agency=Associated Press|archive-date=3 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103005817/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2746664&type=story|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, Lexus won its third consecutive win at Daytona.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/2008-01-27-rolex-24-hours_N.htm|title=Ganassi wins three in a row at Daytona|date=28 January 2008|work=USA Today|last=DeCotis|first=Mark|access-date=22 June 2008|archive-date=27 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127012442/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/2008-01-27-rolex-24-hours_N.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> For the [[2010 Rolex Sports Car Series season|2010 season]], Lexus departed from the Rolex Sports Car Series, and Ganassi Racing switched to [[BMW]]/[[Dinan Cars|Dinan]] engines.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racer.com/ganassi-attracts-stars-for-daytona/article/160961/ |title=Ganassi Attracts Stars for Daytona |access-date=24 May 2011 |date=10 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323030310/http://www.racer.com/ganassi-attracts-stars-for-daytona/article/160961/ |archive-date=23 March 2010}}</ref>

The [[Lexus LFA#Motorsport|LF-A prototype]] also competed on the Nürburgring from 2008 to 2011 in [[VLN]] endurance races<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ts-vln.com/valuation/2008-4-classes.html |title=Rennwertung "39. Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy" nach Klassen-Plätzen |access-date=23 October 2009 |date=May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090902125927/http://www.ts-vln.com/valuation/2008-4-classes.html |archive-date=2 September 2009}}</ref> and in the [[24 Hours Nürburgring]], also with the IS F.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vln.de/newsausgabe.de.php?id=1654|title=BFGoodrich Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring – Chronologie 56. ADAC Westfalenfahrt|access-date=23 October 2009|date=4 April 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222095106/http://vln.de/newsausgabe.de.php?id=1654|archive-date=22 December 2010}}</ref> On 14 May 2011, a CT 200h tuned up by Gazoo Racing competed in the Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy, a six-hour endurance race.<ref>{{cite web|first=Wayne|last=Cunningham|website=CNET|url=http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20062673-48.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715051528/http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20062673-48.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 July 2012|title=Lexus hybrid takes on the Nurburgring|date=13 May 2011|access-date=13 May 2011}}</ref>

[[3GT Racing]], a partnership of Lexus and [[Paul Gentilozzi]], entered two [[Lexus RC]] F GT3 at the N.American [[2017 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship]] in the GT Daytona class. Their first win came in the [[2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship]] with Dominik Baumann and Kyle Marcelli at [[Mid-Ohio]] before winning again with the same pairing at [[Virginia International Raceway]]. Lexus finished in 8th in their first season in [[2017 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship|2017]] in the GT Daytona Manufacturer's Championship. They then improved to 5th in [[2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship|2018]] with the #14 achieving 5th and the #15 getting 10th in the Team's Championship.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

For the [[2019 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship]], the running of the Lexus GT3 cars has been transferred to AIM Vasser Sullivan, which is a debuting partnership, where the driver pairing of [[Jack Hawksworth]] and Richard Heistand have currently achieved 2 wins at [[2019 Sports Car Challenge of Mid-Ohio|Mid-Ohio]] before winning the next race at [[2019 Chevrolet Sports Car Classic|Belle Isle]]. As of the result of Lime Rock Park, Lexus are second in the [[2019 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship|2019]] Manufacturer's Championship and the #12 is third with the #14 in 5th despite that being the winning car.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

{{clear}}