Latest news with #TR86
Scoop
25-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Zeltwanger Two Races Away From Glory
Lee Zeltwanger will be hoping for a drama-free weekend as the clock counts down to the final round of the inaugural Toyota 86 Trophy Series at Taupo International Motorsport Park this Saturday and Sunday. Zeltwanger has been the revelation of the four round winter series, not only matching the pace of more senior Bridgestone GR86 Championship runners Harry Townshend and Ajay Giddy, but leading the points battle for series honours overall with just two races this Sunday remaining. He has a 60 point lead over his nearest challenger in the race for the highly desirable prize pool. The winner will secure not only a free lease of a GR86 – supported by CareVets – but also free support from a race and championship winning engineer and mechanic. Second place in the championship will secure a free lease of a car from TGRNZ. Both first and second places will be responsible for other season costs. The third placed driver will secure entry fees and tyres for a season in the 2024-25 Bridgestone GR86 Championship. Sprague will be aiming to sign off his winter season in style with a debut win, having improved with each outing in his CareVets Scholarship car while Matt Day has impressed many with his speed in the TR86 and is in a well-deserved third overall in the Trophy Series points. All of the young guns will need to have their eyes out this weekend for both Townshend and Giddy. Both have taken wins and multiple podium places in the three rounds so far and will be on the pace this coming weekend too. They can't win the Trophy Series prizes – which are exclusively for TR86 rookies – but they can certainly add to their tally of wins and that is what both will be aiming to do. Mitch Vye makes his TR86 debut this weekend at Taupo too, and it will be the first appearance in the winter series for the Right Karts Academy – which ran three cars so strongly in its debut Bridgestone GR86 Championship campaign last season. If Mitch matches the form of the summer series drivers, he could be a dark horse for this final weekend. Nathan Grammer and Toby Elmiger complete the runners and will both be hoping to finish their campaigns for Mackenzie Motorsport and Action Motorsport on a high. Toyota 86 Trophy Series – Points after Round 3
Scoop
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Close Racing Expected At Manfeild In Toyota 86 Trophy Series
Nose to tail racing should be a guarantee when the Toyota 86 Trophy Series takes to the iconic Manfeild - Circuit Chris Amon track in Feilding for the third round this weekend. While championship leader Lee Zeltwanger dominated the three races of the first round, honours for the two races at the second round a fortnight ago were split between young Ajay Giddy and Harry Townshend. And try as he might, there was nothing Zeltwanger could do as he headed the rest of the compact but very high quality field. Zeltwanger's performance so far in the winter series is all the more impressive because the small team running him – Skunkworks Racing – is also new to Toyota 86 racing. Lee and his team are also mixing it with some big names in NZ motorsport including Mackenzie Motorsport, iMac Engineering, RaceLab Academy and Action Motorsport. Timaru's Corban Sprague is another new to Toyota 86 racing having secured the CareVets Scholarship prize for this inaugural winter TR86 series and he may just make that breakthrough to a first win this weekend having gained in speed and confidence over the previous two rounds. Matt Day is in a very similar situation on track, catching the eye with some great racing laps and race speed. Combine that with an improvement in qualifying and he will also be a threat for race wins this weekend. Nathan Grammer and Toby Elmiger are improving with each outing too and can be expected to go well. The two experienced Bridgestone GR86 Championship runners – Townshend and Giddy – will inevitably be close to the outright pace regardless this weekend and will be hunting for more race victories as they try to win the Winter class of the series. They are ineligible for Trophy Class points. The technical and cambered turns of the Manfeild circuit invariably create great racing amongst the Toyota 86s and there'll be plenty of action for them this weekend with two practice sessions, qualifying and one race on Saturday and two races on Sunday.
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
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Winter Is Coming And The TR86s Return To Do Battle
The cut and thrust of Toyota TR86 racing – so long a New Zealand favourite - returns this weekend at Hampton Downs as the brand new Toyota 86 Trophy Series gets underway. The TR86 model – one of New Zealand's most popular sports cars – provided race fans with thrilling action until the new GR86 racer was introduced for last season. The iconic TR86 races on, however, in the all-new four round winter series which takes on Hampton Downs, Manfeild and two visits to the Taupo circuit. Two classes compete for race wins, the Trophy Class covers most of the field but the Winter Series class is for those drivers who have raced in the Bridgestone GR 86 Championship or equivalent series. Practice takes place on Friday and all of the qualifying and race action will take place on Saturday. A 20 minute qualifying session for the field – a 10 car opener for the first round – is followed by the first race, an eight lapper. The second 10 lap race later in the day will have a grid formed on the fastest times the drivers clock in the first race. There's plenty of quality in the field too. Corbyn Sprague and Conley Webley come from the South Island and bring plenty of pedigree while the performances of Nathan Grammer, Toby Elmiger and Lee Zeltwanger will also be under the spotlight. Endurance racer Kyan Davie and former TR86 Championship racer Noel Simpson could also go well and watch out for young Matt Day, racing the ex- Orr-West TR86 in its familiar Dayle ITM yellow livery for the family team. The Winter Series class features two drivers who both scored podium finished in the GR86 Championship, Harry Townshend and young Ajay Giddy. Both know the Bridgestone tyre that is being used in the Winter Series and can be expected to go well. Townshend will be reunited with the TR86 he drove for two seasons before switching to the GR86 for his 2024-2025 championship campaign. 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
Scoop
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Elmiger Hoping Hard Work Brings Racing Rewards
The Taupo Nui A Tia college racer – who works at the Taupo International Motorsport Park in his spare time – will be racing in a car with a roof for the first time and will be up against some of the country's best young drivers. 'I've been working hard on and off the track with my team Action Motorsport,' he explained as he was confirmed for the four round series which begins at Hampton Downs this weekend. 'I've been going over previous drivers' data and onboard camera footage for the different tracks to see where I can improve while also working hard away from the track, going to the gym, and making sure I'm physically fit and ready for the challenge.' Elmiger has been racing in the NZ Formula First Championship, a single seater category that has produced some household New Zealand motorsport names. After securing a podium on debut, he went on to complete last season's summer championship and proved himself to be one of the fastest rookies. Now in the Toyota, he's hoping to be just as fast and competitive once he's got used to the car. 'While I've been in the car, I've found it very different from what I've previously driven, but I've adapted quickly and comfortably, and am enjoying the challenge of driving a different type of car. While I haven't driven the TR86 at Manfeild yet, I think Hampton Downs will be my favourite track with the fast-flowing corners. I think it will be great and make for some close racing. 'My main objective for this upcoming season is to learn as much as possible, but like any driver I'm aiming for the top step in the championship and to try and win something from a great prize pool.' The series will include two visits to his home track as well as the weekends at Hampton Downs and Manfeild and Toby will be carrying support from Penny Homes, GGL Site Development, Carters, Pitch Sports Bar, ARA|Sign On and Wise Concrete. 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
