New second-tier Scholarship Series invites aspiring racers and teams to apply for a fully-funded TGRA 86 drive at Bathurst
Toyota Australia is offering aspiring racers a fully-funded drive at Bathurst this year, as part of the one-make Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia (TGRA) 86 Series.
The Japanese brand has launched a new second-tier Scholarship Series which will kick off at the NSW State Championships at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend.
Open to any aspiring racer across Australia, four additional rounds of the Scholarship Series will be held in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Supercars driver Broc Feeney (right) chats with TGRA 86 Series drivers at the 2022 season launch
Following the final round in September, five drivers from the Scholarship Series will be selected for an “evaluation day” where they will battle it out to win a fully-funded drive in the TGRA 86 Series event at Bathurst.
“With the introduction of the Scholarship Series, there are even more opportunities for drivers and teams to get involved and provide fans with an abundance of thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing action,” said Toyota Australia chief marketing officer Vin Naidoo.
The first three rounds of the new Scholarship Series will double as pre-qualifying events for new and returning drivers who finished outside the top 20 in the 2022 TGRA 86 Series, Toyota said.
Triple Eight Racing’s Roland Dane (left) chats to a TGRA 86 Series driver at the 2022 season launch
Those who finished inside the top 20 in the 2022 season do not need to pre-qualify for the 86 Series season opener at Townsville on July 7-9.
Now in its eighth season, the 86 Racing Series has become a breeding ground for some of Australia’s premier racing drivers, with past alumni including Broc Feeney, Will Brown, Cameron Hill and Declan Fraser – all current Supercars drivers.
Toyota has committed to running the series until at least the end of 2026, and its second-generation GR86 race car will debut in the 2024 season.
2023 TGRA Scholarship Series calendar:
April 14-16: NSW State Championships (SMP)
May 26-28: Victorian State Championships (Phillip Island)
June 16-18: Motorsport Australia Trophy Series (SMP)
August 4-6: Motorsport Australia Trophy Series (QR)
September 1-3: 2023 Master Blast (SMP)
September 21: Scholarship Series Evaluation Day (SMP)
2023 TGRA 86 Series calendar:
July 7-9 July: NTI Townsville 500 (Townsville)
July 28-30: Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight (SMP)
August 18-20: OTR SuperSprint (The Bend)
September 15-17: Penrite Oil Sandown 500 (Sandown)
October 5-8: Repco Bathurst 1000 (Mt Panorama)
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Keyword: Toyota 86 Series launches new scholarship program