Recognizing Contributors to Automotive Culture and Motorsport

Motorsport and TAG Heuer share an inseparable bond. From the very beginning of his workshop's establishment, founder Edouard Heuer foresaw the era of high-speed travel and aspired to create precise chronographs. His successors have continuously strived to enhance measurement accuracy through motorsport.

Consequently, TAG Heuer is dedicated to fostering automotive culture worldwide. In Japan, the "Japan Motor Racing Hall of Fame" was established in 2011 to shine a spotlight on distinguished figures in automotive and motorsport, aiming to connect automotive culture with the younger generation who will lead the industry into the future.

The award categories are "Racing Legend," "Automotive Cultural Figure," "Designer/Engineer," "Businessperson/Politician," and "Young Hope." Recipients are fairly elected through a voting process by a selection committee composed of past awardees.

Masaharu Sakai, the representative of the selection committee, remarked, "There were discussions about what kind of cars will be created in the future, who will drive them, who will design them, and who will evaluate them. The selection for the 'Japan Motor Racing Hall of Fame 2014' was incredibly passionate." He revealed the broad perspective taken during the selection process, hinting at the depth of this award.

The recipients for 2014 are as follows:

Automotive Cultural Figure: Ken Yokoyama (Artist)
Designer/Engineer: Kazutoshi Mizuno (Chief of GTR Development, Automotive Engineer/Journalist)
Businessperson: Toshiaki Kurosaka (Chairman, Porsche Japan Co., Ltd.)
Racing Legend: Aguri Suzuki (Former Racing Driver, Racing Team Owner)
Young Hope: Kenta Yamashita (Racing Driver)