AutoAction
FREE DIGITAL MAGAZINE SIGN UP

Buckley primed for Trans-Tasman Toyota assault

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: November 15, 2023

Gold Coast young gun Alice Buckley is taking her career across the Tasman this summer where she will compete in the Toyota 86 Championship New Zealand, which fires up this weekend.

Buckley is the third female racer alongside Summer Rintoule and Christina Orr-West in what is shaping up to be the biggest ever field in the Kiwi Toyota series that will be held over six rounds starting at Taupo this weekend.

Buckley has already made a name for herself behind the wheel of a Toyota in 2023, clean sweeping the Scholarship Series event at Queensland Raceway.

She finished after competing in 12 of the 15 races and also made the step up to the Toyota 86 Series field and got 14 race starts under her belt in the top tier category.

Alice Buckley in the Toyota 86 Scholarship series. Image: Jack Martin Photography

 

For 2024 she will be stepping up to run the Toyota 86 Series full time in a brand new GR86 and in New Zealand her drive is believed to be supported by AC Delco.

Buckley has not only been busy racing Toyotas, having claimed victory in the competitive EFS 4X4 Accessories Track Attack Excel Cup alongside Nash Morris also at the “Paperclip” in September.

The stint in the New Zealand series will not be her first overseas opportunity having tested a Formula 4 in Europe during her time with the Ferrari Driver Academy and FIA Girls on Track program.

Buckley was thankful for the opportunities created by her support network and is looking forward to gaining more experience across the summer series in New Zealand.

“I am very focused and it’s great to have the support of my family however I also have an extended support team in Norwell,” she said.

Alice Buckley on her way to victory in the QR Excel enduro.

 

“Paul Morris and the team have been amazing and it’s local to where I live, so I am very lucky.

“I learn so much at Norwell with their experienced staff as I not only get to practice and learn techniques, I get to experience working around the cars and the instructors. 

“Throughout this year I have also raced the Toyota 86s in Australia in both the Scholarship and the Toyota 86 Australia Championship.

“I want to continue to focus on racing and improving on and off track. I will have a new team, a new car and be learning new tracks which is very challenging and exciting. I want to continue to learn and push myself to improve to always strive to be better.”

2024 Toyota 86 Championship New Zealand calendar

Round 1 – November 17-19 – Taupo International Motorsport Park

Round 2 – January 26-28 – Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon

Round 3 – February 9-11 – Euromarque Motorsport Park

Round 4 – February 16-18 – Highlands Motorsport Park – NZ Grand Prix

Round 5 – March 15-17 – Hampton Downs Motorsport Park

Round 6 – TBC

For more of the latest motorsport news, pick up the latest issue of AUTO ACTION or subscribe HERE

On this week’s Auto Action RevLimiter, we ramble on about Supercars. Why the finances don’t need a boost! What’s wrong with the calendar! Plus more!

Listen to our latest episode on your podcast app of choice or here

 

    

Shares

Recent Stories

array (
  0 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 11,
     'name' => 'Latest News',
     'slug' => 'latest-news',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 11,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 0,
     'count' => 13378,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 11,
     'category_count' => 13378,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'Latest News',
     'category_nicename' => 'latest-news',
     'category_parent' => 0,
  )),
  1 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 5192,
     'name' => 'Toyota 86/Excels',
     'slug' => 'toyota-86-excels',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 5192,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 659,
     'count' => 30,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 5192,
     'category_count' => 30,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'Toyota 86/Excels',
     'category_nicename' => 'toyota-86-excels',
     'category_parent' => 659,
  )),
  2 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 2029,
     'name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
     'slug' => 'email',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 2029,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 2031,
     'count' => 4285,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 2029,
     'category_count' => 4285,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
     'category_nicename' => 'email',
     'category_parent' => 2031,
  )),
  3 => 
  WP_Term::__set_state(array(
     'term_id' => 2031,
     'name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
     'slug' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
     'term_group' => 0,
     'term_taxonomy_id' => 2031,
     'taxonomy' => 'category',
     'description' => '',
     'parent' => 0,
     'count' => 3684,
     'filter' => 'raw',
     'cat_ID' => 2031,
     'category_count' => 3684,
     'category_description' => '',
     'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
     'category_nicename' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
     'category_parent' => 0,
  )),
)
74181

AUSTRALIAN F4 TEAMS TEST AHEAD OF OPENER

Pre-season testing has begun at Tailem Bend in the lead-up to the first event of the 2024 Australian Formula 4 Championship. The F4 category, considered one of the top pathways […]

Three Aussies in Le Mans 24 Hours entry list

The 62-car field of the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours is locked in as attention turns to the biggest race of the FIA World Endurance Championship season. The big grid […]

DJR delighted by double podium

Dick Johnson Racing (DJR) is back in form after both Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale both emerged from a wet and wild Taupo opener on the podium. A fast […]

Grove Racing embraces Kiwi spirit

As Supercars returns to Aotearoa next weekend, Grove Racing’s all-Kiwi combination will be hard to miss with a special NZ-themed livery. With Grove Racing sporting two of the home heroes […]