Crompton cuts Supra’s first Bathurst laps
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 10 October 2025
The Toyota GR Supra has already played a starring role, with the legendary Neil Crompton cutting its first laps around Mount Panorama.
Toyota is making a highly anticipated return to the top level of Australian Touring Car racing in 2026 with homologation team Walkinshaw Andretti United and customer Brad Jones Racing.
Crompton already gave the Supra its first laps at a private track, while a shakedown has also taken place at Winton.
But after Friday qualifying at Bathurst, the car was on track in front of the racing world and it impressed through both vision and sound.
Crompton, who has been a key player behind the scenes in bringing Toyota to Supercars, felt honoured to take it around the mountain in a 15-year first.
“It is a pretty special moment,” he said.
Neil Crompton rolls out of the pits to drive into the Supra history books. Image: Peter Norton
“I think it is a great thing for Australian motorsport and Toyota.
“It is a wonderful thing to be able to introduce a new brand to the business. I have been lucky enough to represent both GM and Ford, both of which are wonderful manufacturers.
“To have this opportunity is bloody cool.”
Listening and watching from the pit lane is future Toyota driver Macauley Jones and he cannot wait for 2026 and feels the buzz inside the team.
“It is a lot of work for the team and sometimes you get a little scared, but it is such an exciting change,” he said.
“It is obviously new to the category and it was special to see Neil to the first laps around Bathurst.
“He has done a lot of work to be a part of this program not just for BJR, but Toyota itself.
“It sounds great as well which is really cool.”
Mount Panorama has often been the seen for new car’s demonstration laps from Dick Johnson in the BA in 2002 to Car of the Future and Gen3 Mustangs and Camaros in more recent years.
Image: Peter Norton
2025 Bathurst 1000 schedule
Thursday, October 9
PRACTICE 1 1: R. Wood/J. Ojeda 2:05.1029 2: A. De Pasquale/H. Jones +0.4236 3: K. Allen/D. Wood +0.8132
PRACTICE 2 1: Scott Pye/W. Brown 2:06.8395 2: David Russell/J. Golding +0.1461 3: Tony D’Alberto/W. Davison +0.6345
Friday, October 10
PRACTICE 3 1: B.Feeney/J.Whincup 2:04.9763 2: R.Wood/J.Ojeda +0.0341 3: W.Brown/S.Pye +0.0784
PRACTICE 4 1: C. Mostert/F. Coulthard 2:04.6591 2: N. Percat/T. Slade +0.0754 3: B. Kostecki/T. Hazelwood +0.1210
QUALIFYING 1 Brodie Kostecki 2:04.0307 2 Broc Feeney +0.0064 3 Ryan Wood +0.0560
Saturday, October 11
PRACTICE 5 (co-drivers only) 10:05 AM – 11:05 AM
PRACTICE 6 1:10 PM – 2:10 PM
TOP TEN SHOOTOUT 5:05 PM – 5:50 PM
Bathurst Day, October 12
WARM UP 8:30 AM – 8:50 AM
THE GREAT RACE 11:45 AM (161 laps)
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