Toyota’s commitment to single-seater motorsport in New Zealand is without precedent in the sport.  The establishment of TRS is a single-minded drive to identify and nurture the next generation of Kiwi race stars and give them early experience in a European spec open wheel formula car.

This year’s champion, Mitch Cunningham of Auckland, is a good example of the TRS process.  He embarked on a steep learning curve when he arrived in 2007-2008, watched Andy Knight play a strategic game as the season developed and most importantly saw the benefit of being fast but also consistent to accumulate points towards a championship goal.

An off-season in the USA brought Mitch even more experience and he arrived at the start of this season with a clear plan and a determination to focus on the title.

Along the way, he fought off the most competitive overseas challenges in the five year history of TRS, from the UK racers Will Stevens and William Buller and the Australian pairing of Nathan Antunes and young CAMS Rising Star Scott Pye. 

Each of these four drivers won races, but it was 22 year old Mitch who maintained his momentum, arriving at the Taupo A1GP round with the International Trophy in his sights.  He won the Trophy with a dominant three-from-three weekend, further extending his lead in the series.

A difficult weekend at the New Zealand Grand Prix hardly phased him, and he found heading to the final round that he had only Sam MacNeill to beat.  By the second of three races at the final round the trophy was secure, and Mitch had only one further goal remaining – to win the prestigious NZ Motor Cup.

Sam MacNeill proved the form he showed last year with a strong, consistent run in the championship.  His best results came at the New Zealand Grand Prix weekend, taking a second in the Dan Higgins Trophy race and third in the Grand Prix.

The 2007-2008 TRS Rookie of the Year, Michael Burdett, had started the season in winning form, found himself midfield at several rounds but returned to the blistering speed he showed toward the end of the 2007-2008 series by winning two of three races at the final round.
He impressed further when he skilfully controlled his car after a high speed crash on Pukekohe’s front straight while chasing Mitch Cunningham in the NZ Motorcup race.

Sliding wide with a flat spotted rear tyre, he hit the Armco at the southern end of the straight, smashing the rear suspension of his car and sliding headlong down the straight.  Michael steered his crippled car the length of the straight with seldom more than two wheels on the ground and parked it safely out of the way at Stables.
The season-long rivalry resumes this weekend, with leading TRS entries including Pye, MacNeill, Cunningham, Wootten, Burdett, Jilesen and Whelan, joined by Ken Smith and Daynom Templeman.

After a successful launch at the New Zealand Grand Prix event the new TRS Lites class trial continues at Hamilton as a precursor to launching the class in the 2010 series.

A transitional class, the Lites start at the rear of the grid and compete in the same races as the Championship cars, giving new drivers their first taste of premier-class racing in an “arrive and drive” package managed and engineered by Toyota Racing.

Lites cars use the existing mechanical components and FIA approved carbon fibre chassis of the Championship cars but have less power – approx 111 kW (150bhp) compared to the 166 kW (220 bhp) of the cars in the main series and have a simplified aero package and limitations on aerodynamic and mechanical adjustments.   Like the championship cars the Lites run on environmentally friendly E85 ethanol biofuel.

The focus is placed firmly on the driver so they become comfortable in the cockpit environment as they look to extract as much speed out of the package as possible.

Joining the series in 2009-2010, Lites drivers will receive coaching in all aspects of the sport to hone their engineering knowledge, media skills, fitness and understanding of diet and nutrition.

Series manager and originator of the Lites concept Barrie Thomlinson says the new class offers rising stars a cost effective, safe, high tech formula car supported by a development programme for engineers and drivers to develop their skills to an international level.

Lites will be out on track at Hamilton, with the first confirmed entries in the class-within-a-class lodged for Mitch Evans and Chris Cox, the pair who drove the Lites in their successful test during the 2009 Grand Prix weekend.

Last year the Hamilton 400 was one of the most action-packed events of the season as the TRS cars raced on a street circuit for the first time. 

This year, the cars make their second such appearance, and for many drivers it is their first chance at racing on the unforgiving Hamilton circuit.