Calendar dates unveiled for 2021 TRS season

Toyota have unveiled the dates for its five-round 2021 Toyota Racing Series calendar which kicks off on January 22-24.

No venues have been confirmed for the series though the opening rounds traditionally get underway in the South Island with Highlands Motorsport Park having staged the season-opener in the last two seasons.

As tradition, TRS will once again run its course over five successive weekends and conclude on February 19-21, the likely date for next year’s New Zealand Grand Prix.

Toyota Gazoo Racing New Zealand is currently working with event promoter Speed Works and Motorsport New Zealand and will announce venues in due course.

Last year saw the series head to Pukekohe Park for the first time since 2009 to contest for the hallowed NZ Motor Cup.

Consequently, Bruce McLaren Park in Taupo was scratched from the calendar though it remains unknown whether it will return in 2021 or if Pukekohe will be retained.

Likewise, Ruapuna Park has been absent from the calendar since 2018 and will likely be pushing to have the country’s premier single-seater class return to the Canterbury region.

Due to the global pandemic creating a myriad of border restrictions for international travellers, the 2021 TRS could well boost the largest number of New Zealand drivers in recent years.

As reported by Velocity News last week, several budding Kiwi youngsters got behind the wheel of an older generation FT50 as part of an official test which also saw the current FT60 car undergo more development testing.

Driver announcements are not expected to be revealed until the back stages of 2020 where series promoters will be hoping border restrictions have been softened to allow international drivers to compete next year.

2021 Castrol Toyota Racing Series dates:

• Round 1: January 22nd-24th
• Round 2: January 29th-30th
• Round 3: February 5th-7th
• Round 4: February 12th-14th
• Round 5: February 19th-21st

_{Main Image: Bruce Jenkins}