2022 Toyota GR 86 named official pace car for National Auto Sport Association championship races at Daytona

PLANO, Texas, Sept. 14, 2021 / PRNewswire / – The all-new GR 86 2022 is coming to Toyota dealerships soon, but racing fans don’t have to wait. They can see him in action this weekend as he paces the National Auto Sport Association national championships. The pace car role will begin this Thursday, September 16, as Toyota’s latest Gazoo Racing sports coupe leads the riders at Daytona International Speedway. Championship races for the winner will take place on Sunday, September 19.

“We are delighted that the new GR 86 has been selected as the official race car for the NASA National Championships,” said Michael Tripp, vice president of Toyota Vehicle Marketing and Communications. “This car is perfectly at home on a road circuit, and it will be great to see it lead all classes on the track.”

Sporting custom red, white and black graphics, the new GR 86 will proudly lead each of the more than 25 classes and nearly 400 competitors from across the country at the prestigious National Championship event. Championship races will take place on the 3.81 mile road racing circuit made famous by the 24 Hours of Daytona.

The NASA Championships will begin with two qualifying races, where competitors will earn points based on their final position in both races. These points then defined the grid (and stage) for Sunday’s final. Specific classes require competitors to drive nearly identical cars with a specific tire, while more modified classes will see different vehicles compete head-to-head on the tire of their choice.

Toyota and NASA first teamed up in 2019 to offer all GR Supra owners a free one-year NASA membership as well as a free day of on-track instruction. The program expanded earlier this year to include all GR sports cars, like the GR 86, so owners can learn precision driving skills from expert instructors in a track environment.

“It is truly an honor to have Toyota with the GR 86 as the pace car of our renowned championship event,” said Jeremey Croiset, NASA vice president. “I can’t think of a more perfect car for this, and I know a ton of our competitors will be looking at it for their next road or track car!”

The 2021 NASA Championships will welcome fans in person from September 16 to 19 and will also be broadcast live. The show and more information can be found at www.NASAChampionships.com.

The all-new 2022 Toyota GR 86 features a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine producing 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft. of couple. It will be available in two grades, GR 86 and GR 86 Premium, and a choice of manual or automatic transmission. More information about the all-new Toyota GR 86 2022 can be found at https://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicles/gr86.

For customer inquiries, please call: 800-331-4331.

Note to editors: B-roll photos and additional specifications are available at ToyotaNewsroom.com.

About Toyota Toyota (NYSE: TM) has been part of the cultural fabric of North America for over 60 years and is committed to advancing next-generation sustainable mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands as well as our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a formidable value chain and directly employs over 47,000 people in North America. The company has been instrumental in the world-class design, engineering and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, including 15 including our joint venture in Alabama starting production. in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota is highlighting how it partners with community, civic, academic and government organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information on Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

About NASAThe National Auto Sport Association (NASA) was formed in 1991 to provide high quality motorsport events to enthusiasts at major racing venues across the country. NASA has created programs that allow owners of high-performance racing cars and road vehicles to enjoy the full performance capabilities of their cars in a safe and controlled environment. NASA offers many different programs that will allow you to enjoy motorsports at different levels, including our High Performance Driving Events (HPDE), Rally Sport, Time Trial, NASA-X and Competition Racing programs. For more information on NASA, visit conduitasa.com.

Media contacts:Paul Hogard469-292-6791paul.hogard@toyota.com

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SOURCE Toyota