Toyota GR Yaris ready to pass the endurance test at Killarney

This year saw a “one make” race series called the GR Cup come to life.

What started out as a left field idea from the sales and marketing department at Toyota South Africa to play with a few GR Yaris’ off the showroom floor turned into a professionally-run race series which has forced, not only the racing fraternity, but also everybody else to sit up and take notice of the GR brand and Toyota Gazoo Racing in SA.

I had the privilege of participating in the series, which formed part of the National Extreme Series that toured around the country.

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GR Yaris gets racy

These 198 kW/360 Nm three-cylinder 1.6-litre turbocharged road cars were shod with Dunlop semi-slicks and had only the two front seats replaced with race seats, a roll cage and harness, plus the front brake pads, oil and hoses replaced with race spec items.

They were able to run fast times while putting up with an easy 500-plus laps of abuse during
the year.

Still fitted with aircon, leather interior, electric windows and all the other creature comforts offered by a GR Yaris, the car continued to impress, race after race.

Just when I thought I had hung up my race suit, Toyota SA and Toyota Gazoo Racing SA have decided to enter two GR Yaris’ into the Cape Motorsport Festival at Killarney this weekend.

Joining forces

A team of four motoring journalists from the GR Cup – Ashley Oldfield, Thomas Falkiner, Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger and me – will be piloting one of the GR Yaris Cup cars, while a mixed Toyota team will be in a second for a solid nine hours of endurance racing as part of the final round of the SA Endurance Racing Championship.

It is going to be fun for us journalists to be on the same team this time, instead of hunting each other down and swapping paint in the process.

This is a confidence move from all involved, and the greatest test of these GR Yaris’ to date, but I have no doubt both cars will finish, and finish well.

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