TRD Aurion to race at Indy
October 21, 2008 by Matt Brogan
Toyota will race debut the first of four TRD Aurion Aussie Racing Cars in next weekend’s Nikon Indy 300 race on the streets of Surfer’s Paradise, Queensland.
The exciting Aussie Racing Cars compete nationally at V8 Supercar events, as well as the Indy 300 and the Australian Grand Prix with Toyota is the first manufacturer to directly support entries in Aussie Racing Cars.
Toyota Australia motorsport manager Todd Connolly said Aussie Racing Cars are an exciting category that offer thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing.
“We’re really pleased to join such a competitive, popular and entertaining series,” he said. “Toyota sees it as an ideal grass-roots category for young drivers to learn and make their way up the ladder in motor sport.”
The 450kg Aussie Racing Cars have identical mechanical specification to ensure close competition and to put the emphasis on driver skill. They have a moulded body (a caricature of the vehicle on which it is based), a space-frame chassis and 1.2-litre Yamaha engine that delivers 91kW at 11,500rpm.
Todd Connolly identified two synergies with the new TRD Aurion Aussie Racing Cars and Toyota.
“Yamaha has been a Toyota technical partner for the last four decades and developed the latest Corolla dual-VVT-i-equipped engine,” he said. “CATIA, who sponsor our Formula One team and Australian rally team, provided the software to design the TRD Aurion look-alike body for the four new cars.”
The first TRD Aurion Aussie Racing Car to hit the circuit has been nominated as a “guest” car that will feature different motor sport personalities at each event. It is finished in the same livery as TRD’s 2008 Targa Tasmania class-winning TRD Aurion.
Race commentator and V8 race driver Neil Crompton will debut this car at Surfer’s Paradise, with an added exterior feature. The car will have its roof painted as a bandanna to support CanTeen’s October 31 National Bandanna Day for young people living with cancer.
Todd Connolly said he hopes the car’s appearance at the Nikon Indy 300 event would help raise awareness of CanTeen’s largest annual fund-raising day, when it aimed to sell one million bandannas. There will be a hospitality area at the circuit for CanTeen families from South-East Queensland.
Indy gets under way this Thursday with further information available at www.indy.com.au
Print it: 
In the top photo makes it look as though it has headlights and flared guards of a VE SS Commodore.. [oh and the HRT Decklid] the Grille and front Airdam from a BA XR8 Falcon – infact the only bit I can see on the Aussie Racer that resembles the full size TRD are the wing mirrors.
Wheelnut, agreed.
Paint this in different livery and it could be anything. Pffft.
Why is toyota so desperate to make things as small as this known? When shells of AU falcons and VE commys were made for those aussie racers there wasnt a murmur. But when toyota gets into it theres a huge big public relations exercise… like honestly who cares. Its just toyota trying to improve their white goods (with red stripes) image by chucking Corrola sales money at it. Pfft!
I doubt that this has anything to do with Toyota trying to improve the current piss poor sales of the Aurion range including TRDs..
The Aussie racers series is run by Phil Ward all he would have done is asked Toyota to allow him to create a scaled down model of the TuRD
Its very unlikely that the series or this particular car would have any significant Factory backing/sponsorship from Toyota.
Because [as in Nascar] apart from the bodyshell there is nothing on the car made by Toyota so there is nothing to promote Toyotas supposed engineering brilliance etc
Actually, Toyota asked Phil Ward, not the other way around – and large dollars reportedly changed hands. Expect “Toyota” to feature in race naming rights in the future.
It’s unfortunate that Toyota are getting involved with sponsorship of the Aussie Racers cos I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future they make it that not only does every car run a Yamaha engine gearbox and Yokohama Tyres etc.. but every car in the field is a TRD Aurion
Yet; its ironic that Toyota are prepared to accept the rules and regulations of the Aussie Racers which specifies the cars must use the same engines gearboxes brakes and tyres etc.. but they’re not willing to accept the rules and regulations of V8 Supercars.. which like the rules and regulations of Aussie Racers are designed to ensure close competition
Do not underestimate the almost perverse need for Toyota’s marketing crew to make Australians believe the Aurion is every bit as good as Flacon & Commodore. Hence the release.
Funny though, they still don’t trust their own supercharged motor to go racing in so they chose Phils one mkae series….. At least Phils cars are reliable when thrashed…………………. (He he he)
They need the money. Both Ford and Holden have had sponsorship from the factory pulled in. Toyota is a welcome cash injection needed to keep it afloat. And i hope they have some wins. Might even attract some more interest in the events from those who gave it a miss in the past.
FRONTMAN,
The 4 lobe setup from eaton is not ’setup’ for competion use.. at least not yet. Also nothing to really gain there.
SALESMAN,
No comfort girls. Must be the credit crunch? *sighs*.
Yes Toyota sponsors more motorsport than any other manafacturer. whether this is to offset their boring image, you decide, but it works..
Salesman,
Did you read the article? Do you understand what is being discussed here?
Ford and Holden don’t (and as far as I know, haven’t) sponsor “Aussie Racing Cars”. These are overgrown go-carts.
Frontman:”Do not underestimate the almost perverse need for Toyota’s marketing crew to make Australians believe the Aurion is every bit as good as Falcon & Commodore”
What you mean is their perverse need to try to convince the Australian public that a USA V6 Camry is a unique Australian designed car! What a joke!
Brett I sit corrected :-)
Salesman, Ford and GM-H are not nor have they ever been direct sponsors of Ausie cars. As for the wins, Hmmmm will look good, a poor rendition of an Aurion dicing with an FJ ;-)
DanMan………Settle pettle, can’t you read a cheap jibe when ones put out there :-)
Yes Bret, i read the article. I would like to see more manufactures cars involved. The Australian market no longer consists of just Holden and Ford. Our little island is now exposed to a greater amount of the market. The events organizers are doing the right thing to create more interest by way of competition.
In case that is to hard to process Bret I will make it more simple.
More interest = more money generated for all involved.
Danman,
If an opportunity presents itself i will indulge more.
Frontman,
So Ford and GMH have never had an interest in sponcering these cars?
I drive a TRD Aurion and it is a fantastic car. Apart from being jealous, I see no reason for the hate it has received.
Salesman,
This is a small boutique category that someone drempt up. It uses a spaceframe chasis, a Yamaha motorcycle engine and is clad in (up till now) 1 of four fibreglass bodyshells:
Classic Holden, Classic Ford, AU Falcon or VZ Commodore.
More bodyshell designs just meant more expense, and therefore was initially limited to just the 4.
This category is about the driver not the car.
Quote [The Salesman]:Yes Bret, i read the article. I would like to see more manufactures cars involved.
The only manufacturers directly involved in Aussie Racers is Yamaha as they are the ones who provide the engines and Yokohama who privide the tyres for all of the cars that compete in the series.. The Cars as well as their rollcages are designed and built in Phil Wards workshop
Salesman, I recall seeing some of these cars at various car shows around the country on the Gm / Ford stands, but these were put there as promotion for the catagory and the fun factor at a show. I can catagorically state that at Ford we never seriously looked at putting real money in. ( by that I mean no more than you might give the local footy club {no not Geelong}) Most of the sponsorship has come form the drivers and their affiliations.
I actually find this bit hillarious
From Todd Connoly:
“Yamaha has been a Toyota technical partner for the last four decades and developed the latest Corolla dual-VVT-i-equipped engine,”
He’s clutching at marketing straws. Yamaha power all the Classic Aussie cars in the race.
It’s a freakin go cart!!!!!!
It’s a freakin go cart!!!!!!
Ooohhhh, be still, my beating heart.
The excitement of an Aurion that’s not an Aurion.
Damn, I just felt my pacemaker kick in……
Settle, calm, that’s better.
Now, what does this all Toyota goodness really mean – nothing.
I think its quite nice that toyota is sponsoring into aussie racing series. Maybe that’ll get their foot into v8 supercar racing.
I love those little carts. If they make a road going version, i would use one to commute everyday! mad fun and beats the petrol prices!
It actually looks better than the real thing, always thought toyota should stick to small cars lol. As for the series, it is entertaining to watch even though its based on an american concept. Wouldn’t mind havin a fang in one of those things ‘to be honest’ (TBH)
Talk about over used brand promotion from Toyota, when does it all stop, there is not one day that goes past where they dont get a mention on CA, front wheel spinning T_e_R_D Racing,, OH WHAT A JOKE !!!!!!!!
And the “Aurion look-a-like” placing: 16th.
These are like full blow race versions of a Tara Nano,World No 1 car maker racing nano’s,LOL