Get ready for an exciting journey with Chaz Mostert's new Toyota Supra! The race is on, and the stakes are high.
Walkinshaw TWG Racing, based in Melbourne, is gearing up for a challenging two-week mission. They're sending their #1 Supra to Queensland, where it will undergo a crucial engine parity testing program, which also serves as its shakedown. This is a big deal, as all eyes will be on how the Toyota performs against its competitors.
But here's where it gets controversial... Ford and GM are bringing their locally-based cars, with Triple Eight and Matt Stone Racing representing them. The Toyota, however, is the one creating buzz, as it aims to prove its worth.
Testing is set to begin as early as Sunday, with the team running on MSR's chassis dyno. Then, it's off to Queensland Raceway for up to two days of intense track time. The Walkinshaw Toyota will face off against the Triple Eight Mustang and a Team 18 Camaro at the 12-Hour event in Bathurst.
And this is the part most people miss... the real challenge lies in the tight timelines. Walkinshaw TWG, now rebranded as a Toyota team, is facing a gruelling start. They're assembling engines in Melbourne, which are then sent to Brisbane for tuning and approval by Craig Hasted on Supercars' category dyno. It's a race against time!
Walkinshaw has partnered with a UK firm, Swindon, to develop the Toyota engine. Their test mule engine has already completed over 5000km of running since last September, with only a minor issue of a dropped valve in November. However, the 'race spec' variant of the 5.2-litre Toyota engine is a recent development, only ready for Supercars' dyno testing in mid-January.
Walkinshaw needs five engines approved by Supercars to get their team and customer team Brad Jones Racing (BJR) ready for the season. BJR has received its first 'race spec' engine this week, and they've been documenting their car builds on YouTube. It's an exciting journey for them too!
Chaz Mostert's new Supra has already had its fair share of adventures. It was shipped to the US last September for wind tunnel testing, and now, it's back in Australia, ready to hit the tracks with its full race livery. Walkinshaw elected to airfreight the car over the New Year to ensure it was prepared for the season.
This two-week mission is a crucial step for Walkinshaw TWG Racing and Toyota's Supercars journey. It's an intense and exciting time, and we can't wait to see how it all unfolds. So, what do you think? Will Toyota make a strong impact in this testing phase? Let's discuss in the comments and share our predictions!
