Three-time race winner in the Toyota 86 Scholarship Series Alice Buckley will make the step up to the Toyota GAZOO Racing 86 Racing Series in 2024.

Buckley is in for a busy schedule ahead as the 16-year-old will complete the New Zealand Toyota 86 Championship prior to contesting the Australian-based Toyota GAZOO 86 Racing Series, which welcomes the new model GR86 for the 2024 season.

Her campaign will be backed by ACDelco and will contest New Zealand’s opening round at Taupo International Motorsport Park this weekend.

In what was an impressive performance in the second-tier Toyota GAZOO Racing Scholarship Series in 2023, Buckley clean-swept the Queensland Raceway round as she took home the ‘Toyota Way’ award for her commitment to the sport.

ACDelco continues its relationship with the category having supported frontrunner Jarrod Hughes for the previous two seasons.

“ACDelco has been a supporter of emerging driver talent in the Toyota 86 series for the last two years with Jarrod Hughes, Alice is another highly competitive young racer and has already achieved so much in her short racing career,” said ACDelco General Manager Marketing, Chris Payne.

“The Toyota 86 one-make series is ultra-competitive, and the ideal environment for us to communicate the continued growth of ACDelco. Reinforcing our position in the market for all makes auto parts and vehicle servicing.

“As part of our partnership, Alice will gain an immersion into our business and help communicate the ACDelco message to an entirely new customer segment.”

The opening round of New Zealand’s Toyota 86 Championship occurs at Taupo International Motorsport Park on November 17-19.