Race Ready: Toyota 86 hits the track

Neal Bates looks at me with a straight face and says, “I don’t know anything about this!”

I’m gob-smacked. Standing there at Sydney Motorsport Park, helmet in hand and ready to drive

The four time Australian Rally Champion immediately breaks into laughter knowing he’s got me. Batesy also knows I’m a wannabe and that I love days like this.

In the pit lane are some road going versions of Toyota’s flat-four cult car and a few more in full race kit. At first glance the competition cars don’t look too far removed from those you’d find in a showroom. It’s unmistakably 86 but with a tougher stance, all toned up like its been working out with the Commando for 12 months.

In some ways it has… Not the Commando bit — this project has been years in the making.

Tetsuya Tada, Toyota’s Global Chief Engineer for 86, had a dream to see this car succeed in motorsport even before it was launched three years ago. What he actually wanted was to find the greatest 86 driver on the planet. It’s another chapter in Toyota’s motor racing history but more grassroots than the World Endurance Championship and Rally programs.

Bates headed up the engineering team to develop the local version of the 86 racer and square away the control specs for the Aussie series. It’s a one-make Pro-Am formula designed to be cost effective and give talented youngsters the chance to shine against up to five professional drivers.

Neil Crompton’s AirTime Autosport has been engaged as category administrator – another clever move by Toyota. Collectively this has the makings of something good. Really good!

The proof, one way or another, is now just a week away as this is published.

On May 20, at Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria, the Australian series gets underway with the first of five rounds for 2016. It will run on the undercard at many of the big Supercar events like Sandown and Bathurst. Supercars Media arm will produce the television coverage and is planning to try a few innovations that will showcase the inevitable close racing and the personalities in it.

Today, however, we’re on the 1.8k South (or Amaroo) circuit at Sydney Motorsport Park. It’s a tight, undulating little layout that is perfect for these cars.

Out front is a reminder of the heritage Toyota has in motorsport with some iconic cars on display from rallying and the Australian Touring Car Championship. Several of the pit bays have been transformed into a workshop and all the key race components have been laid bare for us to see.

A car, the race kit Bates has developed and to contest a full season should cost less than $100K. That might still sound like a lot but for a quality national series with television coverage it’s cheap!

I try to walk casually to the car when my name is called but the boys know I’m nervous. With all the flexibility of yoga newbie I enter through the gap in the roll cage.

Bates leans in and helps me adjust the steering wheel position while I do the belts up. Crompton is heckling me pretending to be pit reporter. I politely ask him to… Well, you get the idea…

Inside it’s a proper racecar. The carpet and creature comforts are gone and in front of me is a Motec dash. I fire the 86 into life and immediately notice it doesn’t sound like the flat four that is under the bonnet. The race bred exhaust system gives it a different note that only gets better as I leave pit lane to cut my first laps.

The power is not neck-snapping but it seems like a significant improvement on the road car and the racer revs harder. The trademark chassis balance of the 86 remains but its enhanced by the Murray Coote control suspension package each competitor must use. It feels nimble but when pushed the car moves around a bit and that’s a good thing.

All sorts of tyres were tested during the development phase. Slicks were ruled out to keep costs down and Bates was conscious not to over-tyre the cars which could hurt other components and ruin the spectacle.

In the end he settled on a Dunlop Direzza 225/40R 18 – an all-rounder that, treated right, will have good tyre life. And when racers lean on them a little too much in the heat of competition (which they invariably do) there’ll be consequences. In a close contest like this, the result will be overtaking and action!

My two runs in the car weren’t long enough but I left with a massive smile on my face. It’s a fun car to drive while remaining true to everything 86 stands for.

I’m an unabashed fan of this concept. Giving youngsters an affordable pathway and pitting them against pros who will help mentor is spot on. And no one can walk in with a chequebook (who uses those anymore?) and buy an advantage.

Everyone is in equal equipment.

More than 35 cars were expected at Winton for the opening round.

Some second-generation racers were confirmed starters too including the highly rated Aaron Seton, son of two-time ATCC winner Glenn Seton. Ben Grice, who’s Dad Allan won Bathurst twice, has also announced he’s taking part.

Among the candidates for the Pro drives are Steven Johnson and Leanne Tander but Crompton is dangling the carrot to a number of legends and several seem keen to play.

Not all one-make series have been success stories in motorsport but this one seems to have all the right ingredients and I can’t wait to see what the opening round brings.