The Toyota Supra is set to take on a new racing series in 2026 as it heads to new markets.
According to an announcement on Tuesday, Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia will join the Repco Supercars Championship lineup in 2026. Walkinshaw Andretti United will field a minimum of four Toyota Gen3 GR Supras while competing against the lineup full of Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro entries.
The new Supercars entries will use the 2UR-GSE all-aluminum, quad-cam V8 engine. The production variants of this engine appear in a variety of Lexus vehicles. This engine also powered the HiLux that won Dakar in 2019.
Today, history is made. Enter, the Toyota GR Supra Supercar!@TGR_AUS will join the Repco Supercars Championship in 2026 with homologation team @FollowWAU! #RepcoSC #Supercars #TOYOTAGAZOORacingAustralia pic.twitter.com/KVNJODxj7M
— Supercars (@supercars) September 17, 2024
Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood will drive two of the new entries in the Supercars field. A second team will be announced at a later date as Toyota kicks off a promised five years in the series where such names as Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin have won multiple championships.
Walkinshaw Andretti United has had extensive success in Supercars competition. The team has accounted for seven Bathurst 1,000 wins, six Drivers Championships, and 191 Championship race wins.
The design process has begun as Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia prepares for the move into Supercars. The in-house design team based in Altona has already used CAD and VR technology to produce a scale clay model.
The move into Supercars continues Toyota Racing's expansion, which already includes championships in the World Endurance Championship, the World Rally Championship, and NASCAR.
The addition of Toyota provides Supercars with a third manufacturer for the first time since 2019. The racing series has previously featured Mercedes, Nissan, and Volvo on the grid, but they all departed after short stints competing against Ford and Chevrolet.
"At Toyota, we have been toying with the idea of competing in Supercars for more than 20 years and now with the right car, the right team, and a very strong partnership with the Repco Supercars Championship, the time is definitely right," said Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Franchise Operations
"This is truly an historic moment. Our GR brand and performance cars were built on the knowledge that we gain from participating in top-level motorsport and our entry into the Supercars Championship will cement that connection and give us the opportunity to showcase Toyota Gazoo Racing excitement to a wide audience of passionate fans."