Homebush guest stars announced and 2017 calendar confirmed for Toyota 86 Racing Series
Nov 28, 2016 By Toyota Australia.
An all-star cast of invited drivers will join the fifth and final event of the inaugural Toyota 86 Racing Series (T86RS) at this weekend?s Sydney 500
Supercars round at Homebush.
For the series grand finale Supercars and sports car ace Alex Davison will be joined by Matt Brabham, grandson of three-time Formula One world champion Sir
Jack, as well as reigning Bathurst 1000 champ Jonathon Webb.
At the same time, organisers have confirmed a five-event schedule for 2017, with the series again running as a key support category to the Virgin Australia
Supercars Championship.
The provisional calendar is: Phillip Island SuperSprint (April 21?23), Townsville 400 (July 7?9), Sydney SuperSprint (August 18?20), Bathurst 1000 (October
5?8), Newcastle 500 (November, date TBC).
Toyota Australia has added selected high-profile racers to the starting line-up at each round of the 2016 series, to assist and advise regular competitors.
And this weekend?s trio is well placed to help mentor the field with tips on everything from race-craft and physical fitness to team structure and
management.
Some people claim to have motor racing in their blood, but
Alex Davison, grandson of four times Australian Grand Prix winner Lex and
brother of Supercars stalwart Will, has pure high-octane flowing through his veins.
For the last decade Alex has mixed high-profile Supercar drives with national sports car competition.
When an aspiring racer tells you his ultimate ambition is to win the Indy 500 and then become Formula One World Champion you might take the news with a
large pinch of salt, except when the young gun in question is a Brabham.
Grandson of three-time F1 world champion Sir Jack, and son of Le Mans winner and multiple IMSA GTP champion Geoff,
Matt Brabham is
following in some illustrious family footsteps.
This year he competed in the 100th running of the Indy 500, becoming the third, third-generation driver in the history of the race to do so.
Last month,
Jonathon Webb teamed up with Will Davison to claim victory in the Bathurst 1000 endurance classic.
As if one Bathurst victory wasn?t enough, earlier in the year Jonathon shared a McLaren 650S with fellow Supercars front-runner Shane Van Gisbergen and
Portuguese ace lvaro Parente to win the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour sports car enduro.
These victories came behind the wheel of cars run under the banner of Jonathon?s own Tekno Autosports racing operation, and few people are better placed to
pass on advice to help emerging T86RS drivers succeed on and off the track.
The race to the finish line in this year?s Toyota 86 Racing Series is incredibly tight, and with a maximum of 300 points up for grabs over three races this
weekend any one of five drivers is capable of taking the title at Homebush.
Five-time race winner Will Brown from Toowoomba in Queensland leads on 1078 points, while experienced Sydney-sider David Sieders is close behind on 1010.
Cameron Hill from Canberra follows on 916, with the Gold Coast?s Aaron Seton sitting in fourth on 900, while western Sydney?s Tim Brook, in fifth place on
884 points, will be hoping all the cards fall his way for a long-shot series victory.
The Toyota 86 Racing Series
The Toyota 86 Racing Series is designed to provide an entry point and training ground for up-and-coming drivers, offering a confirmed prize pool of
$125,000.
Open to all manual variants of Toyota?s cult-classic sports car[sup]*[/sup], the series is part of the support program at selected rounds of the Virgin
Australia Supercars Championship.
In 2016 the Toyota 86 Racing Series has run over five events: May 20?22 (Winton SuperSprint), August 26?28 (Sydney Motorsport Park SuperSprint), September
16?18 (Sandown 500), October 6?9 (Bathurst 1000) and December 2?4 (Sydney 500).
For regular updates and more information go to toyota.com.au/86/racing-series.
[sup]*[/sup]
Must be Australian Design Rule (ADR) compliant, fitted with
Neal Bates Motorsport mandatory race package,
and equipped with Confederation of Australian Motorsport mandated safety equipment.