The Citizen ready to put pedal to the metal in Toyota GR Cup

Saturday sees the 2023 race season kick off for the Toyota GR Cup at the Zwartkops Raceway as part of the Regional Extreme Series for this first outing.

After a great year in 2022 with the GR Yaris cars, it’s time for SA’s motoring media to do battle in the GR 86 cars this time around and The Citizen Motoring will be represented once again.

Based on what I saw at the shakedown days, I have no doubt that this year’s group are going to be just as competitive as last years’ group.

With one little difference; they will be gunning for the win just as hard as they will for the guy who has returned for a second year – and that is me.

The contenders

Setshaba Mashigo, a highly experienced and top-notch gamer, is going to test if gaming translates directly to the track. Chad Lückhoff is going to put his time behind the wheel of powerful drift cars to good use. Reuben van Niekerk is hypercompetitive, races anything with wheels and he is not going to give anybody an easy time.

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Denis Droppa, the wily old fox and ex-Polo Cup man from many years ago, who has not lost any of his competitiveness, will be missing this first round, but his seat will be filled by Thomas Falkiner, the rear-wheel-drive specialist who finished second in last year’s championship.

Wrapping up the competitors is Brendon Staniforth. He might not come with a race pedigree, but dispatched fancied competition in the shootout round to earn his place. One would be daft to underestimate him.

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Toyota GR86 the weapon

The format this year will see the six 2022 turbocharged all-wheel-drive GR Yaris cars up front, now in the hands of superfast karting kids and privateers, with the six 2023 naturally aspirated GR 86 media cars just behind them on the grid.

While the Toyota GR 86 might not produce the same outright power as the GR Yaris, a 174 kW of power and 250 Nm of torque driving through the rear wheels should provide for its fair share of thrills and spills on the track.