The company last week took the covers off the Gen3-spec Supra that will be campaigned by Walkinshaw Andretti United and Brad Jones Racing next season.
WAU’s prototype car subsequently undertook a two-day test at Winton, which was effectively a shakedown run for its race-spec, 5.2-litre, quad-cam V8 engine.
Toyota will break the Ford/GM duopoly that has existed since 2019, after Nissan, Mercedes-AMG and Volvo all came and went last decade during the Car of the Future era.
Those programs ended after only sporadic success, and some have touted early victories as crucial to keeping Toyota engaged in the sport long-term.
However, Toyota’s VP of marketing, Sean Hanley, who has spearheaded the company’s long-awaited Supercars entry, is downplaying any notion that its Supras must win next year.
Toyota’s Supercars project is at least a five-year commitment, with a particular view towards winning the Bathurst 1000.
Buy tickets
“Whenever you enter a team sport, of course, you want to win at some point. We’re no different,” said Hanley.
“Of course, we want to win, but we want to earn the right to win. We want to be respected winners.
“So therefore, we understand that this is a race that has many, many good race people involved, many good teams.
“So therefore, our request of both of these teams is very simple – be respectful. It’s not win at any cost. When it’s right, we’ll win this race. If that’s right year one, then that’s year one.”
Hanley pointed to Toyota’s other sponsorships – which includes support of the Adelaide Crows AFL and North Queensland Cowboys NRL teams – as evidence of its attitude.
“If you look at Toyota’s history, we got many football clubs that haven’t won a grand final for many years. We’re still with them, and that’s the way we work,” he said.
“It’s about it’s more than just winning. Of course we want to win. And I know Walkinshaw Andretti United and Brad Jones Racing, that’s their goal.
“We put our faith into these two teams, and they had values similar to Toyota. So, we want to win, but we’re patient people. It’s not the end of the world if we don’t, it’s better if we do.”
WAU and BJR are currently fourth and sixth in the 2025 Supercars teams’ championship standings respectively heading into the Endurance Cup.
The former was a Bathurst 1000 winner as recently as 2021, but its last drivers’ title came while running under the Holden Racing Team banner back in 2002.
Team boss Ryan Walkinshaw said he does not currently have expectations for next season, only ambitions.
“No predictions, other than the fact that every single year, when we turn up at the first round, our plans are to go and win Bathurst and win a championship,” he said.
“That doesn’t change whether we’re racing for GM, for Ford or for Toyota.
“So, there’s no predictions, because it’s still a big work in progress, but the ambition is no different to any other season.”
Brad Jones meanwhile expects Toyota will be a winner at some point next year.
“I can honestly say I’ve been sat here and spit-balled exactly where I think we’ll end up, but I expect to be competitive, and if we’re not straight away, then soon after,” he said.
“You know, I don’t want to make a crazy prediction… [but] I’ll be, I’ll be disappointed if Toyota doesn’t win a race next year.”
Discussion about this post