2021 Toyota Racing Series

The 2021 Castrol Toyota Racing Series was the seventeenth running of the Toyota Racing Series, the premier open-wheel motorsport category held in New Zealand. The series consisted of nine races at three meetings. It began on 24 January at Hampton Downs, in Waikato, and concluded on 14 February at Manfeild, Feilding.[1] The season opener also hosted the 66th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix.[2] The 2021 Toyota Racing Series was the first season in which no individual race teams were running and all drivers were under a Toyota Racing banner. This was due to the COVID situation. [3]

Teams and drivers

Team No. Driver Rounds
M2 Competition 3 New Zealand Chris Vlok[4] All
7 New Zealand Matthew Payne[5] All
14 New Zealand Billy Frazer[6] All
15 New Zealand Kaleb Ngatoa[7] All
32 New Zealand Josh Bethune[8] 1
97 New Zealand Shane van Gisbergen[9] 1
TGR NZ 11 New Zealand Conrad Clark[10] All
Giles Motorsport 22 New Zealand Tom Alexander[11] 1–2
24 New Zealand Andre Heimgartner[12] 1
50 New Zealand Ken Smith[13] 1
84 New Zealand Peter Vodanovich[14] All
Tasman Motorsports 27 New Zealand Daniel Gaunt[15] 1
31 New Zealand Chris van der Drift[16] 1
Kiwi Motorsport 51 New Zealand Greg Murphy[17] 1
86 New Zealand Brendon Leitch[18] 1
87 New Zealand Damon Leitch[19] 1

Changes

Sporting

To compensate for the shortened calendar, the race distances were increased, from 50 and 70 kilometers to 70 and 80 kilometers respectively.[20]

Race calendar

The 2021 calendar was announced on 17 November 2020. Heavy border restrictions in New Zealand because of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shortened calendar compared to traditional seasons, with only three race weekends at two circuits, limited to the North Island.[21]

Round Circuit Date Pole Position Fastest Lap Race Winner
1 R1 Hampton Downs Motorsport Park
(Hampton Downs, North Waikato) 		23 January New Zealand Chris van der Drift New Zealand Shane van Gisbergen New Zealand Shane van Gisbergen
R2 24 January New Zealand Shane van Gisbergen New Zealand Shane van Gisbergen New Zealand Shane van Gisbergen
R3 New Zealand Kaleb Ngatoa New Zealand Shane van Gisbergen New Zealand Shane van Gisbergen
2 R1 Hampton Downs Motorsport Park
(Hampton Downs, North Waikato) 		30 January New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Peter Vodanovich New Zealand Matthew Payne
R2 New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Matthew Payne
3 R1 Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon
(Feilding, Manawatū District) 		13 February New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Matthew Payne
R2 New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Matthew Payne
R3 14 February New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Billy Frazer [a]
R4 New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Matthew Payne New Zealand Matthew Payne
Source:[21]

Championship standings

Drivers' championship

Pos. Driver HD1 HD2 MAN Points
1 New Zealand Matthew Payne 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 287
2 New Zealand Kaleb Ngatoa 5 4 4 4 2 2 3 4 5 229
3 New Zealand Billy Frazer 10 9 8 3 6 4 5 1 2 201
4 New Zealand Conrad Clark 12 6 10 6 5 3 4 5 3 183
5 New Zealand Peter Vodanovich 9 7 Ret 2 DSQ 5 2 3 4 167
6 New Zealand Chris Vlok 14 10 13 7 4 6 6 6 6 149
7 New Zealand Shane van Gisbergen 1 1 1 105
8 New Zealand Tom Alexander 8 Ret 11 5 3 75
9 New Zealand Chris van der Drift 2 2 12 71
10 New Zealand Damon Leitch 11 5 5 54
11 New Zealand Andre Heimgartner 6 Ret 2 51
12 New Zealand Brendon Leitch 4 Ret 6 44
13 New Zealand Daniel Gaunt 7 Ret 7 36
14 New Zealand Josh Bethune Ret 8 14 23
15 New Zealand Greg Murphy 13 Ret 9 22
16 New Zealand Ken Smith 15 Ret 15 12
Pos. Driver HD1 HD2 MAN Points
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

Notes

  1. ^ Matthew Payne finished first but received two five-second time penalties for separate infringements (lining up outside of grid box and safety car restart procedure).

References

  1. ^ "Confirmed: Three round TRS calendar for 2021, no South Island circuits". VelocityNews. 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  2. ^ Wood, Elliot (2020-11-24). "New Zealand GP to run at TRS season opener at Hampton Downs". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  3. ^ "Unique New Zealand Grand Prix set to make history this weekend". Toyota New Zealand. 2020-11-21. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  4. ^ "Stars align for Vlok for second TRS campaign, eight years after first". Toyota NZ. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  5. ^ "Top Kiwi karter confirms full Castrol TRS campaign". Toyota NZ. December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  6. ^ "Frazer secures his spot for Castrol TRS". Toyota NZ. December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  7. ^ "Ngatoa confirms full Castrol TRS campaign". Toyota NZ. December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  8. ^ "2021 Castrol TRS championship set to intensify as Bethune confirmed". Toyota NZ. December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  9. ^ "Bathurst winner and first champion wildcard to enter New Zealand Grand Prix". Toyota NZ. December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  10. ^ "Clark completes GP and TRS line up". Toyota NZ. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  11. ^ Wood, Elliot (2021-01-15). "Two more Kiwi racing stars join New Zealand GP grid". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  12. ^ "Kiwi Supercars star Andre Heimgartner to race at NZ Grand Prix". Stuff. 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  13. ^ "Kiwi legend confirms 50th New Zealand Grand Prix drive". Toyota NZ. December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  14. ^ "Peter Vodanovich graduates to full Toyota Racing Series season". Motorsport NZ. January 18, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  15. ^ "Gaunt gunning to join elite group in 2021 New Zealand Grand Prix". Toyota NZ. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  16. ^ "Chris van der Drift and Tasman Motorsports Group back for New Zealand Grand Prix". Toyota NZ. December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  17. ^ "Four time Bathurst winner Greg Murphy is a GP starter". Toyota NZ. December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  18. ^ "Leitch a real factor for GP honours". Toyota NZ. January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  19. ^ "Damon confirmation makes it two Leitch brothers in the 2021 NZ Grand Prix". Toyota NZ. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  20. ^ "TRS season shortened to three rounds". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  21. ^ a b "TRS TO GO AHEAD IN 2021". Auto Action. 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-17.