Three different winners from three races at the first round at Hampton Downs last month set the tone for what will be a closely-fought 2026 Toyota 86 Trophy Series.
Nathan Grammer, Ajay Giddy and Toby Elmiger took the spoils after three races typical of the Toyota 86 genre: they were closely fought, they were competitive and they showcased tomorrow’s brightest young racing talents.
These young drivers showed exactly what they are capable of, and if Ajay competes, all three will be aiming for repeat performances this coming weekend as the series heads to Taupo Motorsport Park for round two of four.
Two drivers who left Hampton Downs, perhaps wondering what might have been after showing prodigious speed, were Nieko Scoles and Taylor Mitchell. Both have impressive resumes from other categories, and both intend to make a career out of motorsport.
In Scoles’ case, he was the fastest driver outright at Hampton Downs but just couldn’t quite make the most of that pace and convert it into that first win. Mitchell, too, was very quick, but a mistake early on put him off the circuit and into the tyres, and he never quite recovered from that early misdemeanour. For Scoles, the consolation of a round win was still not quite the same as taking that first race win in the category.
Fast forward to Round 2, and both of those young guns, along with Hampton Downs’ three winners, should guarantee great racing and perhaps some more new names on the top step of the podium.
With the first three races of 12 on the calendar complete, the early points leaders are Scoles in the Trophy Class for rookie TR86 racers, with Giddy and Scoles tied for first in the Winter Series class.
Another to watch this weekend will be Riley Boswell. With just his dad and him running the car, their pace as rookies was hugely impressive at the first round, and Riley too can be expected to at least maintain – if not improve – on that eye-catching form.
In a tight field last month, Mitch Vye, Marcel Bartley and Josh Hill all impressed and showed they could more than live with the front runner’s pace. With Josh Bethune overseeing things in Hill’s camp, he is another who will be hoping to make a big step forward in terms of results at round two.
Veteran Mark Mallard will be back for another race weekend, and like the rest in the field, had moments at Hampton Downs where his pace was fully competitive. Don’t write off a top three at any stage of the Taupo weekend by the Crème Insurance boss.
Header Image: Bruce Jenkins
