2014 Toyota Racing Series Season

[Heycoop Racing]

Just had a look at the entry list - they are down to 15 cars, and only 1 kiwi in the field!! Do you think this is a good or bad thing.

I think its not so bad, as it gives some of the better kiwi drivers a chance to go head to head with some up and coming drivers from around the globe. However, only having one kiwi is probably not enough, maybe they should at least reserve a space for 2-3 kiwis, even if MSNZ is able to partly subsidise their season kin some way??

Also, it looks like a bit of an average field this season, only four names I recognise is James Munro, Andrew Tang (has raced trs before), Stein Sch... (dutch who has raced TRS last season) and Jann Mardenbourgh (GT Academy winner). Seems like this series, which was at its peak a couple of years ago, is slowly fading away.

[Worsel]

Not sure where the entry list is, but I read that there were 23 cars entered, 3 New Zealanders, 19 overseas, including Pedro Piquet, son of 3 times F1 champ Nelson.

[Biggy G]

Link to the entry list?

[Heycoop Racing]

Originally Posted by Biggy G

Link to the entry list?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Toyota_Racing_Series

If wikipedia can be trusted!!

In this case it can, as I've read all these names in different articles on the Toyota Racing website.

[HProject]

Macauley Jones should do well - son of some guy named Brad Jones, and proven to be very handy in a Formula Ford in Australia. He's my smokey pick early

Can't wait til the NZ Motor Cup - been a long time since I've taken photos of these things

[FraserGT]

Don't trust what you read on Wikipedia. It is only a partial list.

They are missing the Leitch brothers out of Invercargill and the four cars being run by ETECH. There were 17 cars shaken down at Hampton Downs last Monday with the two cars from Andy Neale's new team shaken down at Ruapuna on Friday. Victory's four cars have not run yet.

It's looking like there will be 23 cars on the grid at Teretonga with a strong rumor that Kenny Smith will be making an appearance at the NZ Grand Prix - his 49th NZGP.

This is the biggest field ever for TRS - the largest grid they have had before was something like 21 cars for one of the early NZ Grand Prix.

[isoskim]

Heycoop, can't believe you think the series is fading away. It just shows the lack of knowledge you have about the drivers who are coming over here. They have a great product which is tailored for international drivers. Outside of James Munro (who has a seat!) and probably Tom Alexander, I don't see any other up and coming NZ drivers who would match it with the internationals.

If ETEC Motorsport (http://www.etecmotorsport.com) run their 5 cars, brings us to 20. Comparable to previous years.

I enjoy the TRS meetings as much as any other. Mardenborough or Schothorst for the championship this season.

[Heycoop Racing]

Originally Posted by isoskim

Heycoop, can't believe you think the series is fading away. It just shows the lack of knowledge you have about the drivers who are coming over here. They have a great product which is tailored for international drivers. Outside of James Munro (who has a seat!) and probably Tom Alexander, I don't see any other up and coming NZ drivers who would match it with the internationals.

If ETEC Motorsport (http://www.etecmotorsport.com) run their 5 cars, brings us to 20. Comparable to previous years.

I enjoy the TRS meetings as much as any other. Mardenborough or Schothorst for the championship this season.

I completely forgot about ETEC!!!

I said it was fading away simply because of what appeared to be a lack of entries, although as Fraser said its looking like there will be 23 cars at round one - I take back what I said earlier

If I were to place bets, then my pick would be Steijn Schothorst for the championship. I think he was in the top 5 last year and won a race at Manfeild (happy to be corrected here...).

Does anyone know who ETEC are running this season, can't find anything on either their or Toyota Racings website.

[Rob29]

Sad to see the decline of this series-I remember when it was efectively a winter F1 series wirh the likes of Stirling Moss & Jim Clark taking part!

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Originally Posted by Rob29

Sad to see the decline of this series-I remember when it was efectively a winter F1 series wirh the likes of Stirling Moss & Jim Clark taking part!

Those were the Tasman days...

[bluespur]

The world has moved on quite a lot since then

TRS does provide an excellent concentrated series for a different group of younger racers

[Southern Man]

Well I cannot wait for it to start, sure looks to be the most promising field for TRS that we have ever had. Looking forward to seeing some youngsters trying to make their future in the sport. Also looking forward to seeing Nelson Piquet in person around and about our NZ circuits.

[socram]

Although the TRS may well be our top single seater series and attracts some great young and not so young drivers, I'd still rather watch the variety in the F5000s.

[bluespur]

Take the top three or so from F5000 field and it really is a high speed procession as the owners do not want to do any damage

Prefer to watch racing, myself

[Dav1s]

Originally Posted by bluespur

Take the top three or so from F5000 field and it really is a high speed procession as the owners do not want to do any damage

Prefer to watch racing, myself

I have to agree. F5000 are fantastic machines, sound great. But how many of them are genuinely being pushed??

Most are driven by guys who seem to be well past it, or out on a bit of a Sunday drive because they can.

I certainly perfer hungry young up and comers battling wheel to wheel forging careers.

[pukekoheracer]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

Those were the Tasman days...

Pity it isn't like that today, but Moss was last here in 62, and Clark 1968 just before he died

[Heycoop Racing]

Originally Posted by Dav1s

I have to agree. F5000 are fantastic machines, sound great. But how many of them are genuinely being pushed??

Most are driven by guys who seem to be well past it, or out on a bit of a Sunday drive because they can.

I certainly perfer hungry young up and comers battling wheel to wheel forging careers.

Your right, very few cars are being driven to the limit. Look at what that young guy does in the high winged Lola t140 - beating some of the much quicker Lola T330'or T332s

[socram]

Fair enough. I was a keen spectator when you could tell a P99 Ferguson from a BRM, from a Lotus, From a Ferrari from a Cooper, but the permanent memories I now have from recent meetings are photographs of the cars and as they all look the same, half the interest has gone.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

It's reasonably similar, the TRS, to what it was back in those Tasman days, but just lower down the ladder. Still, this field looks quality and one or two of these guys could well end up in F1 in the not-too-distant future.

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

It's reasonably similar, the TRS, to what it was back in those Tasman days, but just lower down the ladder. Still, this field looks quality and one or two of these guys could well end up in F1 in the not-too-distant future.

No comment really, just got tired of looking at the name "Biscuits In A Red Bull" no offence intended. According to my old buddy Kenny Smith there are 23 TRS cars running this season with 4 kiwi's amongst that field.

Ken said that he intended to run the GP meeting only and that would make 24 cars, if Mitch Evan's does the same that would be a record breaking 25 car TRS field. Congratulations to Toyota NZ on their persistance, it just goes to prove if you throw enough money at something for long enough it will generally work out in your favour.

[Heycoop Racing]

Here is the entry list as was published by Toyota Racing New Zealand... looks like a great feild numbers wise, and some seriously young competitors!

[pukekoheracer]

Going to be at Teretonga, looking forward to the TRS races

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by pukekoheracer

Going to be at Teretonga, looking forward to the TRS races

Any body seen a list of TLX and TL NZV8 cars entered for Teretonga yet? Its this weekend coming unless I am mistaken and everything is quite as a door mouse so far.

[DRIFDY]

5 TLX: Bargs, Ross, Varney, Hughes, Lauder
8 TL : Matt / Ian Booth, Bronson Porter,James McLaughlin,Brock Cooley, Grant Molloy, Liam MacDonald, Ross Cameron

20: Formula Ford mix of Nz and SI camps, classes 1,2 and 3

22+ NZ Sports Sedan Challenge
Mostly just a mix of OSCA, Sports Saloons and a few NI guys.

12: NZ Six
12: Clubmans

My lists are a few weeks old so the numbers are + or -

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by DRIFDY

5 TLX: Bargs, Ross, Varney, Hughes, Lauder
8 TL : Matt / Ian Booth, Bronson Porter,James McLaughlin,Brock Cooley, Grant Molloy, Liam MacDonald, Ross Cameron

20: Formula Ford mix of Nz and SI camps, classes 1,2 and 3

22+ NZ Sports Sedan Challenge
Mostly just a mix of OSCA, Sports Saloons and a few NI guys.

12: NZ Six
12: Clubmans

My lists are a few weeks old so the numbers are + or -

So I guess we will have to wait for tomorrow's practice times to see who actually shows up.