2025 TGRA GR CUP SEASON REACHES ITS FINALE AT SANDOWN RACEWAY

The 2025 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia (TGRA) GR CUP season has come to a close following the final round of racing at the Sandown 500 in Melbourne, with 16-year-old Oliver Wickham winning the championship in his first year of GR CUP racing.

Wickham, who was only 15 at the start of the season, was a model of consistency across all five rounds, placing in the top 10 in every race except the final one, where he was only required to finish to guarantee a win.

Wickham finished with 1036 points for the season, 82 points clear of second-placed Lincoln Taylor who won four races across the year, while third place went to Jett Murray who also placed consistently all season.

Wickham entered the final round with a comfortable lead over Murray and Jordan Freestone, and his signature consistency saw him walk away $50,000 richer, while Taylor and Murray pocketed $30,000 and $15,000 respectively for their efforts.

Following the final round, drivers, teams, families and friends gathered for the annual TGRA GR CUP Awards Dinner and unsurprisingly, Wickham also won the award for Best First-Year Driver.

The Kaizen Award, presented to the driver who showed continuous improvement over the course of the year, was awarded to Kade Davey, who was also commended for his eagerness to learn, support for his teammates and the respect with which he treated everyone.

Best presented team went to Lachlan Evennett and Lachlan Evennett Racing for their conduct as a team and excellent design and livery, while the Publicity Award went to Harry Tomkins for his entertaining social media presence and racing series promotion.

The final round of the year began with a bang for Lincoln Taylor, who jumped off the line and fought an exciting battle with guest driver Zach Bates before crossing the line for the race win under safety car conditions, ahead of Bates and Lachlan Gibbons.

Second race of the weekend saw a continuation of Pip Casabene’s red-hot late-season form, who won his first race of the year in the previous round on the Gold Coast with a gripping battle against Taylor.

At Sandown, fans were again treated to an intense battle, with Casabene coming out on top after a contentious moment on the final corner which saw him run off the road but recover and hang on to the win ahead of Taylor while Wickham rounded out the podium.

For the third and final race of the round, the heavens opened up as the race began, leading to slippery and tight-fought racing. A big collision between Hugo Simpson and Pip Casabene ended the weekend early for both racers, with Joshua Anderson best navigating the conditions to record his first TGRA GR CUP victory.

Needing only to finish to secure the championship, Wickham drove conservatively and crossed the line in 18th to secure his title.

Toyota Australia Chief Marketing Officer Vin Naidoo said all of the TGRA GR CUP competitors should be proud of their efforts in making the category one of the most exciting in Australian motorsport.

“First of all, I’d like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to all of this season’s winners – the dedication of the TGRA GR CUP drivers and teams makes this a special category in the Australian racing scene,” Mr Naidoo said.

“It has been wonderful to watch some of the country’s most talented young racers use the TGRA GR CUP to further their careers in motorsport, and on behalf of Toyota Australia I can’t wait for the 2026 season.”

The 2026 season calendar has been confirmed, with another five-round season set to showcase the GR86 racecars on some of Australia’s most iconic racing circuits.

The season will kick off in February as part of the Sydney 500, before making the rounds to Townsville, Ipswich, Bathurst and Melbourne.