March 10^th, 2003

Toyota Australia goes rallying with twins in twin-cams

AFTER a 12 year `rest’ from official competition, Toyota Australia has formed its own works motorsports team, Toyota Team Racing (TTR).

TTR will enter the Australian Rally Championship in 2003 with two Corolla Sportivos to be driven by three-times Australian Champion Neal Bates and his twin brother Rick.

The twin-cam twins are expected to be a significant force in the series, driving a pair of two-litre turbocharged all wheel drive Corollas. 

Co-drivers will be Coral Taylor who has won three national titles with Neal, and former Formula Two and Privateers Cup champion Damien Long who will co-drive Rick. Young NSW South Coast find, and Neal Bates’ protégé, Ben Barker has been named test and relief driver for the team. 

TTR has also entered the voice of motorsport, Murray Walker, in this year’s Targa Tasmania co-driving a Toyota Camry Sportivo with former Australian Touring Car and Rally champion Colin Bond.

Toyota Australia’s manager - promotions and public relations, Adrian Weimers, said “Motor racing has come of age in Australia, and it makes increasingly good business sense.

“More than 5.4 million people regularly or occasionally watch motor racing either at the track or on television.”

Toyota Team Racing will provide an umbrella infrastructure within which the company can enter events and provide support.

Toyota is encouraging former Australian sports car and hillclimb champion Alan Hamilton in the development of a sports racing car, the SP9R, using locally manufactured engine, drive line and suspension components from the 2.4litre VVT-i Camry.

It is also offering encouragement to two young Australian F1 aspirants Ryan Briscoe and James Courtney.

Briscoe is a member of the Toyota Formula One team’s young driver development program and Courtney will race in the All Japan F3 championship for Toyota TOMS.

TTR will outsource the preparation of its two works rally cars to Neal Bates Motorsport, who prepared the first car for team-boss Neal Bates last year, but management will remain within the team structure.

Toyota last fielded a works team in the late 1980s, running twin cam Toyota Corollas in the Australian Touring Car Championship.

Its 29-race undefeated record was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records and it won three Australian Manufacturers Championships as well as the inaugural Two Litre Touring Car title. The team was disbanded in 1991 shortly after Neal Bates was discovered by its Star Search program in which young drivers from all motorsport disciplines were given the opportunity to drive a Corolla in a round of the touring car title.

Toyota continued to offer Bates support throughout the 1990s and his team went on to win three national rally championships in a Toyota Celica.

TTR is intended to help Toyota Australia add local focus to its parent company’s global Formula One program.

“Toyota has made significant motorsport commitments in several world leading categories,” said Mr Weimers.

“In Australia a combination of Formula One and IRL international coverage combined with a strong local program will provide enthusiasts with a vision of our company which is not necessarily traditional.

“Our program will appeal to a broad range of enthusiasts. We hope it will bring pleasure to our customers and to enthusiasts who may become our customers.”