Latest news with #BridgestoneGR86Championship
Scoop
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Zeltwanger Takes Debut Win
Saturday, 10 May 2025, 2:58 pm Press Release: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand Harry Townshend leads the field but Lee Zeltwanger took the spoils. Photo: Bruce Jenkins. Winter series class racer Townshend was simply too eager to get away from the lights quickly and picked up a five second penalty. Lee tucked in behind and for two laps the two enjoyed an entertaining battle for the lead but the damage to Townshend's race was done. Harry simply didn't have the speed to build a five second margin on Zeltwanger and after a couple of attempts to pass the Bridgestone GR86 Championship racer, Lee contented himself sitting in close proximity to the leader and counted down the eight laps to the flag. After taking pole position in the morning, he was delighted to secure an impressive first win. 'I knew early on that Harry had picked up a penalty,' he said afterwards. 'But I like to try and win on the road so I had a couple of goes at passing him, but the win was more important in the end so I was happy to tuck in behind and stay nice and close.' Behind the two leaders, Corbyn Sprague improved further on his qualifying performance and went one better to beat Ajay Giddy to the flag. That third became second in the final results with Townshend's penalty and that five seconds was also enough to promote Giddy to the final place on the podium and the Winter Series class win. Sprague was satisfied with the result after having only limited running in the CareVets TR86. 'I genuinely haven't had a lot of time in the car and I am still very much learning it and building a relationship with the team, we are getting faster every time we go out on the track so I am pretty happy with second and we know there is much more to come.' Townshend's penalty dropped him to an eventual fourth. Fifth should have been Matt Day in the Dayle ITM TR86 but he was another to jump the gun at the start and also copped a five second penalty. That put Noel Simpson fifth overall ahead of Toby Elmiger after a fine battle midfield, with Nathan Grammer seventh, Kyan Davie eighth, Day ninth and Conley Webley rounding out the top ten. Toyota 86 Trophy Series – Round 1 Hampton Downs Qualifying Grid Car # Driver name Trophy / Winter Team 1 22 Lee Zeltwanger Trophy Lee Zeltwanger 2 84 Corban Sprague Trophy iMac Engineering 3 10 Ajay Giddy Winter Mackenzie Motorsport 4 73 Harry Townshend Winter Mackenzie Motorsport 5 88 Noel Simpson Trophy Action Motorsport 6 74 Toby Elmiger Trophy Action Motorsport 7 50 Nathan Grammer Trophy Mackenzie Motorsport 8 19 Kyan Davie Trophy Mackenzie Motorsport 9 100 Matt Day Trophy Dayle ITM Racing 10 18 Conley Webley Trophy Action Motorsport 2025 Toyota 86 Trophy Series Rd1 9-10 May 2025 Hampton Downs - NZIGP Finale Rd2 21-22 June 2025 Taupo Int. Motorsport Park - Taupo Winter Series Rd3 5-6 July 2025 Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon - Manfeild Winter Series Rd4 26-27 July 2025 Taupo Int. Motorsport Park - Taupo Winter Series Visit us: © Scoop Media
Scoop
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Zeltwanger Races To First Toyota 86 Trophy Series Pole
For all of the drivers competing, it was the first dry time on track in the TR86 at the race meeting after most of Friday was rained off and it was Zeltwanger in his self-run TR86 – overseen by experienced Toyota racer Dion Pitt - who was quickest into the groove. His first flying lap was in the 1 minute 16 second bracket before he unleashed his best on his second flying lap – an impressive 1 minute 16.150 second effort. He was delighted to have found pole winning speed so quickly, commenting: 'I set a decent lap time on my first flying lap but when the tyres were up to temperature I was able to go a bit faster and I am very happy with my speed. It's a great car to drive, with much less roll than I am used to. 'I'm one hundred percent looking forward to the races a little later.' Alongside Lee on the front row for the first race of the new series will be old hand Harry Townshend. Back in the car he raced in the Toyota 86 Championship, but ineligible for Trophy Series points having run in the Bridgestone GR86 Championship last season, he nevertheless showed his intent to bag a few race wins and podiums with a fine lap of 1 minute 16.419 on his second flying lap. That was good for the fastest time in the Winter Series class, edging out rival Ajay Giddy by three tenths of a second. CareVets Scholarship winner Corbyn Sprague saved his best effort until later in the session to claim the outside starting position on the second row with fourth fastest time. Matt Day was at the sharp end from the first flying lap and had a solid session aboard the Dayle ITM Racing TR86, also clocking a time under the 1 minute 17 second TR86 benchmark to take the fifth fastest time. Sixteen year old Taupo student Toby Elmiger will be alongside Day on the third row of the grid. Former TR86 championship series Master class racer Noel Simpson qualified a solid seventh in the Lexel TR86, edging Nathan Grammer. Ninth and tenth will be Kyan Davie and Conley Webley. Toyota 86 Trophy Series – Round 1 Hampton Downs Qualifying Grid Car # Driver name Trophy / Winter Team 1 22 Lee Zeltwanger Trophy Lee Zeltwanger 2 73 Harry Townshend Winter Mackenzie Motorsport 3 10 Ajay Giddy Winter Mackenzie Motorsport 4 84 Corban Sprague Trophy iMac Engineering 5 100 Matt Day Trophy Dayle ITM Racing 6 74 Toby Elmiger Trophy Action Motorsport 7 88 Noel Simpson Trophy Action Motorsport 8 50 Nathan Grammer Trophy Mackenzie Motorsport 9 19 Kyan Davie Trophy Mackenzie Motorsport 10 18 Conley Webley Trophy Action Motorsport 2025 Toyota 86 Trophy Series Rd1 9-10 May 2025 Hampton Downs - NZIGP Finale Rd2 21-22 June 2025 Taupo Int. Motorsport Park - Taupo Winter Series Rd3 5-6 July 2025 Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon - Manfeild Winter Series
Scoop
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Giddy To Run Trophy Series Ahead Of Second GR86 Campaign
The 14-year-old Orewa College student was the youngest competitor in the championship last season and indeed one of the youngest ever competitors in any Toyota series in New Zealand. He showed immense promise too, occasionally topping the timesheets in practice, qualifying third at the final round at the recent Supercars event before taking a fourth place and second place finish over the weekend. He's now looking to maintain that momentum and get more track time and more knowledge of the Bridgestone tyre ahead of next season. The Mackenzie Motorsport-run driver cannot win the Trophy Series as a current Bridgestone GR86 Championship competitor, but he can win the Winter Series class and take race wins and podiums. 'I think this will be a really good series to help me continue to improve my race craft,' he said. 'Time in the seat on any of the tracks is always so beneficial no matter what car you are driving and the TR86 is also a fun car to drive. 'It's also a great opportunity to stay current and prepare for the next season of GR86 Series at the end of the year which I really want to do well in.' 2025 Toyota 86 Trophy Series Rd1 9-10 May 2025 Hampton Downs - NZIGP Finale Rd2 21-22 June 2025 Taupo Int. Motorsport Park - Taupo Winter Series Rd3 5-6 July 2025 Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon - Manfeild Winter Series
Scoop
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Townshend A Favourite For Toyota 86 Trophy Series Wins
The Toyota regular, who scored his first podium finish in last season's Bridgestone GR86 Championship, will run all four rounds of the Trophy Series in his older TR86 car in which he competed for two seasons in Toyota's main championship before it switched to the GR86 model. Having competed in the GR86 Championship, he is ineligible for the Trophy Series title but can win races, score podiums and win the Winter Series class for more experienced racers. Circuit knowledge, car knowledge and most importantly knowledge of the new Bridgestone tyre guarantees that Harry has a strong set of cards heading into round one at Hampton Downs this weekend. 'I'm definitely looking for podium finishes even though the main reason for racing is that we have a great time as a team,' he explained. 'It's always good to keep developing your driving skills, which for me have come a long way in the past couple of seasons. 'Last season was a breakthrough one for myself and the team getting a podium result and being consistently fast in the races. 'I can improve further in qualifying and that will be something I will focus on at these race weekends, particularly in regard to learning how to get the most out of the strong Bridgestone tyre at exactly the right moment. Harry's winter campaign will be backed by loyal supporters Bayswater Vehicles, Repco, and Provident Insurance. 2025 Toyota 86 Trophy Series Rd1 9-10 May 2025 Hampton Downs - NZIGP Finale Rd2 21-22 June 2025 Taupo Int. Motorsport Park - Taupo Winter Series Rd3 5-6 July 2025 Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon - Manfeild Winter Series
