Posted: 21/12/2023
Toyota is set for a thrilling year of local motorsport ahead with the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia (TGRA) Rally Team hitting the dirt tracks around Canberra in early April, the TGRA Scholarship Series on the track at Sydney Motorsport Park in late April, and the competition debut of the new GR86 racecar lining up on the grid at Townsville in July as part of the rebranded TGRA GR Cup.
The TGRA GR Cup, formerly known as the TGRA 86 Series, will run as a support category at five rounds of the Supercars Championship at Townsville, Sydney Motorsport Park, Sandown, and Bathurst before the final round at Surfers Paradise.
As Toyota’s second-tier entry-level race series, the TGRA Scholarship Series will run the current Toyota 86 racecar across five rounds at Sydney Motorsport Park, The Bend in SA, Phillip Island in Victoria, Queensland Raceway, and Sandown in Melbourne, before culminating in a Scholarship Evaluation Day at Norwell Motorplex in Queensland.
After an epic battle this year, reigning ARC champions Harry Bates and co-driver Coral Taylor will be battling it out against brother Lewis and his co-driver Anthony McLoughlin in a pair of GR Yaris AP4s, first off in their home-town rally in Canberra.
The ARC then moves to WA, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia before wrapping up with Rally Launceston in Tasmania in November.
Toyota Australia Chief Marketing Officer Vin Naidoo said that while 2023 had been a big year for Toyota motorsport in Australia, next year promises even more thrilling action on the track for drivers, teams and fans.
“This year was huge, with the inaugural TGRA Scholarship Series, a thrilling finale at Bathurst in the TGRA 86 Series, and a 1-2 season finish for Harry and Coral and Lewis and Anthony along with a Manufacturers Championship title for Toyota in the ARC,” Mr Naidoo said.
“Next year promises even more with the debut of the GR86 in the new TGRA GR Cup and another full season of Scholarship Series races, that both help nurture the champions of the future and give aspiring professional drivers a real opportunity to hone their racecraft in a safe, affordable and immensely exciting series.
“I’d like to wish all competitors and teams the best of luck and we’ll see you on the track in 2024,” he said.