inception toyota racing series
Denis Clive " Denny " Hulme , ( ___MASK44___ June ___MASK81___  ___MASK31___ ) was a New Zealand racing driver who won the Formula One World Drivers ' Championship for the Brabham team . Between his debut at Monaco in 1965 and his final race in the 1974 US Grand Prix , he started 112 Grand Prix , resulting eight victories and 33 trips to the podium . He also finished third in the overall standing in 1968 and 1972 . Motor Racing Developments Ltd ., commonly known as Brabham , was a British racing car manufacturer and Formula One racing team . Founded in ___MASK36___ by two Australians , driver Jack Brabham and designer Ron Tauranac , the team won four Drivers ' and two Constructors ' World Championships in its 30 - year Formula One history . Jack Brabham ' s ___MASK8___ Drivers ' Championship remains the only such achievement using a car bearing the driver ' s own name . The Tasman Series was a motor racing competition held annually from ___MASK24___ to ___MASK40___ over a series of races in New Zealand and Australia . It was named after the Tasman Sea which lies between the two countries . The Tasman Series races were held in January through to late February or early March of each year , during the Formula One off season , taking advantage of winter in the Northern Hemisphere to attract many top drivers to summer in the south . Lexus originated from a corporate project to develop a new premium sedan , code - named F1 , which began in ___MASK63___ and culminated in the launch of the Lexus LS in ___MASK61___ . Subsequently , the division added sedan , coupé , convertible , and SUV models . Until ___MASK89___ Lexus did not exist as a brand in its home market and all vehicles marketed internationally as Lexus from ___MASK61___ - ___MASK89___ were released in Japan under the Toyota marque and an equivalent model name . In ___MASK89___ , a hybrid version of the RX crossover debuted , and additional hybrid models later joined the division ' s lineup . In 2007 , Lexus launched its own F marque performance division with the debut of the IS F sport sedan , followed by the LFA supercar in 2009 . Formula One ( also Formula ___MASK14___ or F1 and officially the FIA Formula One World Championship ) is the highest class of single - seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l ' Automobile ( FIA ). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been the premier form of racing since the inaugural season in ___MASK98___ , although other Formula One races were regularly held until 1983 . The " formula ", designated in the name , refers to a set of rules , to which all participants ' cars must conform . The F1 season consists of a series of races , known as " Grands Prix " ( from French , meaning grand prizes ), held worldwide on purpose - built F1 circuits and public roads . The Toyota Racing Series is New Zealand ' s premier `` open - wheeler '' motorsport category . The Series includes races for every major trophy in New Zealand circuit racing including the New Zealand Motor Cup and the Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy . The cars are also the category for the New Zealand Grand Prix -- one of only two races in the world with FIA approval to use the Grand Prix nomenclature outside Formula One . The Fédération Internationale de l ' Automobile ( FIA , English : International Automobile Federation ) is an association established as the " Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus " ( AIACR , English : ' International Association of Recognized Automobile Clubs ') on ___MASK23___ June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users . To the general public , the FIA is mostly known as the governing body for many auto racing events . The FIA also promotes road safety around the world . The New Zealand Grand Prix , sometimes known as the New Zealand International Grand Prix , is an annual motor racing event held in New Zealand . First held in ___MASK98___ , it is best known for hosting rounds of the Tasman Series in the 1960s and 1970s . It is currently run as the signature race of the Toyota Racing Series . Toyota is the world ' s market leader in sales of hybrid electric vehicles , and one of the largest companies to encourage the mass - market adoption of hybrid vehicles across the globe . Cumulative global sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrid passenger car models passed the ___MASK75___ million milestone in April 2016 . Its Prius family is the world ' s top selling hybrid nameplate with almost ___MASK2___ . 7 million units sold worldwide .