The new-for-2020 GR Supra GT4 made an immediate impact in its first year of racing. In its debut season, Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe’s latest customer race car competed in 84 races, earning 25 class podiums, 11 class wins and its first title: Wilfried Cazalbon and Caesar Gazeau secured the Am Cup title at the FFSA GT – GT4 France season finale at Paul Ricard on 22 November.
The GR Supra GT4, which is powered by a 424bhp six-cylinder, in-line turbocharged engine, was homologated in March 2020 but, due to global circumstances, only made its competition debut on 27 June at the first round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS), formerly known as VLN. An intense second half of the year ensued for all of the first GR Supra GT4 customer teams, with 142 hours of racing between 21 different drivers. These included newly crowned FIA World Endurance Champion José María López and former Formula 1 driver Olivier Panis.
In its debut year, the GR Supra GT4 competed in four of the most important GT4 championships across Europe. The CMR team took part in the European GT4 Series and the FFSA GT – GT4 France with two cars entered in each. Speedworks Motorsport competed with a single car in the British GT Championship, while in Germany, Ring Racing entered two Supra in the new DTM Trophy and competed in selected NLS rounds and the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
At the endurance race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, Ring Racing’s GR Supra GT4 took the chequered flag third in its class but was not classified due to a violation of the driver time regulations. Over in Japan, the first 24-hour racing attempt was more successful with Rookie Racing, who participate in the Super Taikyu Series, winning their class in the Fuji 24 Hours.
The GR Supra GT4’s debut season in numbers
84 races with a total duration of 142 hours
21 different drivers
11 class wins, 25 class podiums
Winner of the FFSA GT – GT4 France Am Cup
While the GR Supra GT4 was new in 2020, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Trophy was held for the third time this year. The Europe-wide one-make series allows drivers of the GR Supra GT4, GT86 CS-R3, GT86 CS-Cup and GT86 CS-V3 to take part in races and rallies across Europe and compete for points and prize money.
The overall winner of the 2020 Toyota Gazoo Racing Trophy and a €25,000 cash prize goes to “Flying Finn” Alec Arho-Havrén who scored consistently in his GT86 CS-Cup car, scoring 349 points in total. The Finn, and Swedish team-mate Ortwin Herterich, benefited from the 50-point Champions Bonus introduced this season thanks to winning their class in the Swedish Touring Endurance Championship (STEC). Herterich also earned second place in the Trophy with 323 points and receives €15,000 in prize money.
Third, fourth and fifth places were occupied by the Nürburgring experts from the Belgian Team Pit Lane. Olivier Muytjens and Jacques Derenne won the title in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Series’s SP3 class and also collected the 50-point Champions Bonus. While Muytjens (212 points) finished the season in third with €7,500 prize money, Derenne came fourth receiving €5,000. Their team-mate “Brody” was fifth (156 points) and is rewarded with €2,500. Behind them, German Alexander Müller (136 points) took sixth place in the Trophy standings. He was also successful in his GT86 CS-Cup in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) and Rundstrecken Challenge Nürburgring (RCN).
A virtual award ceremony with all participants and representatives from Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe will take place this Friday, 4 December.
Rob Leupen, Managing Director Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, said: “We would like to thank all participants in this year’s Toyota Gazoo Racing Trophy for their trust in us and our customer motorsport vehicles. Congratulations go to the overall winner Alec Arho-Havrén. Despite 2020 being a challenging year due to the global situation, the GR Supra GT4 had an impressive first season bringing home several wins and even its first championship title. We are looking forward to a very promising future with the GR Supra GT4 and our GT86 customer cars.”
The 2020 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Trophy 2020 in numbers
14 participants from seven different countries
17 class wins, five class titles
47 results submitted
This year a total of 14 drivers from seven European countries were registered for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Trophy. The lubricant specialists RAVENOL equipped all the GT86 and the GR Supra GT4 carss built by TGR-E with the initial oil filling, while all GR Supra GT4 models were finished in partnership with coatings experts Axalta. PFC Brakes again supplied all participants with inexpensive high-performance brakes.
Points were once again awarded in relation to the size of the grid and length of the race. This year, however, every driver who saw the chequered flag won points. As before, those interested could register for the Trophy without a fee and compete for a prize money pot of €55,000. Toyota Germany offered additional prize money for all drivers who raced in Germany
Source. Toyota
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