Toyota in Supercars – After 20 years, it’s happening

Toyota will enter the Repco Supercars Championship from 2026 with its GR Supra (computer-generated image).

By Bruce Williams

Date posted: 18 September 2024

It’s the Supercars story of the decade!

In massive news for the sport, Toyota, the worlds biggest car manufacturer has confirmed it will join the Supercar grid in 2026, committing to a minimum five-year program, running at least four V8-powered Gen3 GR Toyota Supras. – Auto Action was on hand for the bombshell news as it broke and has the story covered from all angles, see at the bottom of this story for links to other important stories about Toyota’s entry into Supercars.

The bombshell news was revealed under embargo to media yesterday at a press conference on the Gold Coast.

After 20 years of yes/no speculation over a potential Toyota presence in Supercars, the announcement was made as Toyota Australia gathered for a major dealer conference on the Gold Coast, with Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, confirming that Toyota’s participation was “a dream come true that would provide both a showcase for its GR performance cars and an extended career opportunity for talented drivers and the design and engineering crews that support them”.

It was confirmed by Hanley that four Gen3 Toyota GR Supras will compete from 2026.

Hanley told the attending media that two cars will be run by Walkinshaw Andretti United, which will fulfil the role of ‘homologation’ team, with current drivers Chaz Mostert and youngster Ryan Wood undertaking the development of the car, with a second team being confirmed by the middle of next year.

An announcement is expected to confirm that the second two-car Toyota team will be Team 18.

Team 18 is owned by Charlie Schwerkolt, whose day-to-day business – Waverley Forklifts – is a major national forklift hire business, specialising in Toyota forklifts.

Not only will Schwerkolt’s team switch to Toyota in 2026, but it’s likely to carry Toyota sponsorship through the lead-up, in 2025 as it has in the past.

The GR Supra-Gen3 car will be powered by Toyota’s 5-litre, 2UR-GSE all-aluminium, quad-cam V8 engine that has featured in a range of performance production cars, suitably ‘paritised’ alongside the current Ford/GM engines in Supercars.

This engine also powered the TRD Toyota Hilux to a Dakar win in 2019.

On that front, it is worth noting that former F1 engineer and Holden Race Team Managing Director (HRT morphed into Walkinshaw Andretti United in 2018) Steve Hallam currently works with Toyota Racing Developments in the US as Manager, Vehicle Support and Team Engineering.

It can be assumed that TRD will play a significant role in finalising the Supercars-spec 2UR-GSE Toyota V8 power unit which may require some adjustment to meet the Supercars parity requirements.

Work has been underway for some time at Toyota’s local design facility, Altona in Melbourne, to design the car’s bodywork. A 40% scale clay model is already in existence.

Scott Pye racing with Toyota branding for Team 18 at Adelaide last year. Image: Mark Horsburgh

“At Toyota, we have been toying with the idea of competing in Supercars for more than 20 years and now, with the right car, the right team, and a very strong partnership with the Repco Supercars Championship, the time is definitely right,” a very proud and excited Sean Hanley said.

“Our ‘GR’ brand and performance cars were built on the knowledge that we gain from participating in top-level motorsport and our entry into the Supercars Championship will cement that connection and give us the opportunity to showcase Toyota Gazoo Racing excitement to a wide audience of passionate fans.

“It will also provide an opportunity for a continuous career pathway for drivers and teams that we first established when we launched the one-make Toyota 86 Series nine years ago as an affordable grassroots circuit-racing category run as a support series at select Supercars Championship events around the country.

“With our entry-level Scholarship Series, and what is now branded the TGRA GR Cup continuing as a support category for Supercars, our joining the Supercars Championship was a natural extension of our support for Australian motorsport at all levels.

“And with our strong and ever-growing partnerships with Walkinshaw Andretti United and Supercars, we are in it, to win it,” he said.

Toyota has announced it will enter the Supercars Championship with the GR Supra from 2026 (l-r) Repco Supercars Championship CEO, Shane Howard; Walkinshaw Andretti United Director, Ryan Walkinshaw; Chairman of RACE, Barclay Nettlefold; Toyota Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley.

While keen to end its relationship with Ford on a positive note, Ryan Walkinshaw is naturally ecstatic with the development:

“To announce our future with Toyota Australia, as it enters the Supercars Championship from 2026, is a fantastic honour and privilege for everyone at Walkinshaw Andretti United.

“Toyota’s commitment to our team and to the sport is a historic moment, and one that shouldn’t be underestimated.

“While the future is certainly exciting, our immediate focus is on the remainder of 2024 and the 2025 seasons, winning races, and sending off our relationship with Ford the right way.”

Colin Bond in a Toyota Corolla during the brand’s last ATCC campaign in 1993 at Phillip Island. Image: Auto Action Archives

Toyota’s last presence in Australia’s premier touring car championship was between 1985 and 1990, when it contested the Australian Touring Car Championship, taking several class wins with Toyota Corollas.

Its commitment to Supercars is, by comparison, enormous and will shake up the Supercars scene tsunami-style… This will be a significant positive as RACE looks to renegotiate Supercars’ TV deal, with Toyota well-known for backing its sporting sponsorships (commercially) to the hilt.

Stay tuned to the Auto Action website as the day goes by for more specific stories about the Toyota Supercars announcement, and don’t forget to listen to the Auto Action RevLimiter Podcast to learn what it means.

Bruce Williams & Thomas Miles

The Full Toyota Supra Story

Supercars’ Seismic Shift: Toyota’s arrival shakes it up

Supercars confident in parity process with new Toyota Supra – Auto Action

Toyota’s Supercars entrance is ‘the top of the tree’ – Auto Action

Podcast: Toyota is going Supercars, the news that

Toyota brings Walkinshaw Andretti United “back to where we should be”

How 86 Series pushed Toyota to Supercars

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