After being a multi-engine championship throughout all of its history, dating back to 1979, this will change in 2024 with the introduction of a spec Toyota engine developed by TOM'S and based on the Toyota GR Yaris three cylinder 1.6-litre turbo engine.[1] This change coincided with the introduction of a new chassis, the Dallara 324, after four years of using the Dallara 320, and with a change of tyre supplier from Yokohama to Kumho.[2][3]
B-Max Racing Team saw its six-car operation split up into four different entries: The No. 4 and No. 8 cars were run under the "JMS Racing Team" and "GNSY Racing" banners, the No. 13 and No. 30 cars were fielded under the "Team Dragon" guise and the No. 1 and No. 50 remained under the B-Max Racing Team name.
Rn-sports left the championship after having competed in every Super Formula Lights season bar 2021.
Reigning Teams' Champion B-Max Racing Team signed two new drivers in its core program under the B-Max name. 2023 champion Iori Kimura stepped up to the teams' Super Formula outfit, with his seat in the No. 50 car filled by Syun Koide, who departed Toda Racing after coming third in his debut season with the team.[7][6] The No. 1 car was driven by Kaylen Frederick, who made his debut in Japan after coming 21st with ART Grand Prix in the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship, while Igor Fraga and David Vidales left the championship after coming fourth and ninth in 2023, respectively. Fraga focused on his reserve driver duties for PONOS Nakajima Racing in Super Formula and his Super GT program with Arnage Racing, while Vidales joined AF Corse for the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.[4][8][9] Togo Suganami and Takashi Hata, who did three and four rounds with the team in 2023 respectively, did not return.[4]
The two cars under the Team Dragon banner were piloted by B-Max Team Owner "Dragon" and Rin Arakawa, who embarked on a part-time campaign after coming sixth in the previous year's F4 Japanese Championship with Zap Speed. Arakawa shared the car with Masters' Class driver Makoto Fujiwara, the 2023 F4 Japanese Championship Independent Cup champion.[4] In B-Max Racings two other satellite entries, Nobuhiro Imada continued to pilot the No. 4 car, albeit under the JMS Racing Team name, and Yasuhiro Shimizu, who last raced in the Super GT GT300 Class in 2011, joined GNSY Racing.
The calendar for the 2024 season was announced on 24 November 2023. It will once again consist of eighteen races held over six weekends at six circuits. Four of the events will support the parent Super Formula Championship.[11] When the Super Formula season finale was brought forwards by two weeks, the Super Formula Lights amended its calendar accordingly.[12] The season opener, scheduled to be held over the last weekend in April at Mobility Resort Motegi, was cancelled two weeks prior to the event after issues with the new spec engine in combination with the new Dallara chassis arose. The series still plans to hold the first three races of its campaign, with further details to be concretized at a later date.[13]