With fifteen years of experience in the sport at the age of just 23, Massey racer Lee Zeltwanger has plenty of experience to take into a winter campaign in the Toyota 86 Trophy Series.
An all-round sports fanatic who also plays seven-a-side and eleven-a-side soccer, Lee is a graduate in sports exercise, nutrition, and management and likes working on and driving the cars he races.
He’s also had plenty of success in those 15 years on the motorsport scene, as he explained.
“I have been in motorsports for 15 years, and I started in karts when I was seven years old. In 2018, I moved away from karts and into car racing, starting in the BMW Race Driver Series in the E30 class.
“I enjoyed racing in that for three years and then moved into the BMW E46 class for another three seasons.
Some highlights were winning the North Island Championship in 2014 in the Junior restricted class and the Kapellen Trophy in Rotax mini in Switzerland in 2012. I won City of Sails, was second at the CIK trophy of NZ, was Auckland club champion and won races in both the BMW E30 and E46 classes.
“Now, though, I have my eyes set on the Toyota 86 Trophy Series.”
All-rounder Zeltwanger will run his own Toyota 86 in the four-round series, which begins this weekend at Hampton Downs. He is determined to do well against high-quality opposition.
“My objective is, of course, to try to win the series but also be consistent and finish every race to maximise points,” he added.
“Another objective is winning the scholarship that is available to the winner to do a season in the new Toyota 86 cars in the Bridgestone GR86 Championship. That would be amazing.”
Lee will contest the series, which also races at Manfeild and at Taupo International Motorsport Park twice.
2025 Toyota 86 Trophy Series:
- Round 1: 9-10 May 2025 – Hampton Downs – NZIGP Finale
- Round 2: 21-22 June 2025 – Taupo Int. Motorsport Park – Taupo Winter Series
- Round 3: 5-6 July 2025 – Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon – Manfeild Winter Series
- Round 4: 26-27 July 2025 – Taupo Int. Motorsport Park – Taupo Winter Series
Header Image: Supplied
