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RACE WINNER JOINS TOYOTA 86 SERIES WINNING TEAM AISIN 86

Luke King joins Toyota 86 Series winning team - Photo: Supplied

By Bruce Williams

Luke King joins Toyota 86 Series winning team - Photo: Supplied

Luke King joins Toyota 86 Series winning team – Photo: Supplied

Last year’s Toyota 86 Series winners, Bruce Williams Motorsport Team AISIN 86, has announced that Luke King will be its team driver for the 2018 season commencing at Phillip Island this weekend.

King has been a front runner in the Toyota 86 Series since the inaugural season in 2016. He was one of only four drivers to take the chequered flag during that season with others being former V8 Ute series winner David Sieders, current Porsche Carrera Cup driver Cameron Hill and current Super2 driver and 2016 Toyota 86 winner Will Brown.

Team owner Bruce Williams is confident that King is the right driver to continue his team’s success from last season and also acknowledging AISIN’s continued support, which enters its third season.

“As the team owner I am very excited to offer the opportunity to another young driver to represent the team and our major supporter in AISIN Products,” Williams said.

“In 2017 our team won the Toyota 86 Race Series and we had some incredibly proud moments in supporting and watching young Jimmy Vernon win races and accept the series winning trophy.

“When considering our new team driver for the 2018 series we looked for a young driver with experience and maturity and in Luke King we have a driver that has raced and won in the Toyota 86 Series over the past two seasons.

“Luke is a dedicated young man with plenty of experience, with both the speed and maturity to represent both Bruce Williams Motorsport and our long-term supporter in AISIN.”

King takes over the Team AISIN Toyota 86 from Jimmy Vernon and can’t wait to get behind the wheel to start the expanded six round series, which includes an event at the recently completed The Bend Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend in South Australia

“I’m proud to be invited to be driving for Bruce Williams Motorsport, the series winning team from 2017 and I am looking forward to driving the #9 AISIN supported Toyota 86 entry this year,” said King.

“To pilot the winning car from last season and to have the support of Bruce gives me great confidence that we will see the success we have been working to achieve in our past endeavours in the 86 Series.

“I’m excited to be returning to the now six round championship which includes the state of the art Tailem Bend circuit for 2018. The 86 Series is by far the most professional category for us to be involved in at this stage, putting us in front of Supercar team owners and giving us the chance to showcase our sponsors at some of the most popular events of the year.”

“Our goal is to put a solid result in at every round to ensure we’re in the hunt for the title at Newcastle. Our past successes in the series include a win and lap record at Sandown, podium at Homebush, an average finishing position inside the top 10 and taking away the Publicity Star Award in 2017.”

General manager of Exedy Australia, Kabel Davis added that AISIN are looking forward to another strong season with Bruce Williams Motorsport and welcomed King into the AISIN family.

“The team at AISIN are proud to partner Bruce Williams Motorsport again in 2018, in what will be the 3rd year of our association together,” said Davis.

“We’re flying high after our series winning performance in 2017 and are looking forward to working with newly appointed team driver Luke King and the team in 2018.”

“AISIN products are distributed in Australia by EXEDY, which is the official supplier of clutches to the Toyota 86 Championship series. The AISIN range includes water pumps, fan clutches, lubricants, cylinders, clutches and other quality automotive components. AISIN is one of the largest automotive component manufacturers in the world”.

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