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Toyota 86 Series set for Townsville 500 season launch

By Timothy Neal

Date posted: July 3, 2023

The 2023 Toyota 86 Racing Series will launch its season at the Townsville 500 this weekend, which includes some talented newcomers from the Scholarship Series.

The final TGRA 86 series grid has been set for the year after three rounds of the scholarship series having passed, with 12 drivers set to make their series debut in the Sunshine state this weekend.

The qualifiers join the 11 drivers that made the top-20 last year and have opted for another season, whilst 12 will be on debut.

Among the newcomers will be15-year-old Gold Coast Karter Alice Buckley – a finalist from the 2022 FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars program – and 20-year-old Max Geoghegan, grandson of the late five-time Australian Touring Car champion, Ian “Pete” Geoghegan.

The TGRA 86 Scholarship Series has seen some fresh new talent qualify Townsville and beyond.
Image: Jack Martin Photography

Two other young guns to make it through the scholarship series will be 17-year-old Oscar Targett, who’s been impressing in the Porsche Sprint Cup, and the national Formula Ford leader, Matthew Hillyer, racing under the banner of Supercars teams Grove Racing and WAU as part of their development programs.

Returning for another crack at the $50,000 dollars in end of season prize money is the 2022 Kaizen Award winner Jarrod Hughes, and Best First Year Driver, Campbell Logan.

The talented Oscar Targett will enter the 2023 TGRA 86 series as part of Grove Racing’s development program

Clay Richards – grandson of Jim and son of Steve – will also be back for another season, the winner of the Toyota Way Values award in ’22.

With the Scholarship Series still in action for two more rounds, the top five from those two events will battle it out for a sponsored grid spot at the Bathurst 1000 support races.

Victorian talent and Australian Formula Ford Series leader Matt Hillyer will enter as part of WAU’s TGRA 86 development program.

Toyota Australia Chief Marketing Officer, Vin Naidoo, says that the quality of the newcomers will make for an entertaining five round series.

“As the TGRA 86 Series kicks off its eighth season, we’re excited to see the racing action this weekend at Townsville with plenty of young new drivers set to challenge the old guard for the chequered flag,” Mr Naidoo said.

“It’s really great to see the enormous demand to get a drive in this series as our goal has always been to provide an affordable grassroots series for those that just love to race, along with a great learning environment for aspiring professionals to gain experience and hone their race craft.

16-Year-old Alice Buckley makes her TGRA tin top debut at Townsville with big wraps from her Karting efforts

“On behalf of Toyota, I’d like to wish all teams and drivers the best of luck for the 2023 season and look forward to plenty of thrilling action on the track for drivers and fans alike.”

 

7-9 July

NTI Townsville 500

Townsville, QLD

28-30 July

Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight

Sydney Motorsport Park

18-20 August

OTR SuperSprint

Tailem Bend, SA

15-17 September

Penrite Oil Sandown 500

Sandown, VIC

5-8 October

Repco Bathurst 1000

Bathurst, NSW

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