Dates for the second Toyota 86 Trophy Series have been confirmed, and organisers TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand are aiming to attract both quantity and quality for the autumn and winter competition.
Following last season’s successful introduction to the New Zealand motorsport calendar, the 2026 series will once again be held over four rounds.
For next season, there will be one Hampton Downs weekend at the NZIGP season finale, one at Taupo as part of the Taupo Car Club Winter Series and two at Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon with the Feilding Winter Series. There will be a race weekend each month in May, June, July and August.
The inaugural champion, Lee Zeltwanger, has made the step up to the ‘main game’ Bridgestone GR86 Championship for the forthcoming summer season, and category manager Amanda Tollemache is confident the next edition will also reveal yet more rising NZ driving talent.
“Lee and several of the other young drivers in the winter series are the reason we wanted to run a grassroots competition like the Toyota 86 Trophy Series,” she explained.
“Its focus is to bring through those drivers who are performing well in entry-level series throughout New Zealand and to give them a professionally run series with genuine career-changing prizes and a platform from which they can showcase their skills.”
Each race weekend will include two practice sessions, one qualifying session and two or three races with TGRNZ confirming the prize package soon – it’s likely to again help make the next career step on the racing pathway for the top performers.
Entries for the second edition of the series will open early next year, and prospective drivers and teams can register their interest by emailing racing@toyota.co.nz
2026 Toyota 86 Trophy Series
- Round 1: 16/17 May at Hampton Downs (NZIGP Season Finale)
- Round 2: 20/21 June at Taupo Motorsport Park (Taupo Car Club Winter Series)
- Round 3: 4/5 July at Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon (Feilding Auto Electrical Winter Series)
- Round 4: 1/2 August at Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon (Feilding Auto Electrical Winter Series)
Header Image: Bruce Jenkins
