Big guns in Supercars react to Toyota's surprise entry

This week’s bombshell announcement that Toyota will join the Supercars Championship from 2026 caught many by surprise, as the Japanese car giant had pushed back on joining the top-flight racing category for decades.

It’s committed to racing for at least five years, with Walkinshaw Andretti United – long known as the Holden Racing Team – moving from its brief tenure with Ford to act as Toyota’s homologation team for its V8-powered Supra racer.

Another team is being scouted to join the fray to give Toyota at least four cars on the grid in its inaugural season, and while it’s not yet known who is in that discussion, it’s expected to be a Chevrolet team so as to not reduce Ford’s already minority stake in the series.

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While the category is undoubtedly the biggest winner of the news – finally securing what many believed would be its white whale – Ford arguably has the biggest reason to be sour about Toyota’s involvement in poaching one of its top teams.

So far this year, Walkinshaw Andretti United has won three races with its Mustang, all at the hands of Chaz Mostert who sits second in points with just three rounds remaining.

Despite this, Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook welcomed Toyota to Supercars, saying he hoped the two brands could continue their rivalry which currently stretches across more than half a dozen categories worldwide.

“While we’re disappointed to lose such a strong competitor in Walkinshaw Andretti United, we welcome the additional competition that comes with the addition of a third manufacturer to the Supercars Championship,” said Mr Rushbrook.

“Ford Performance always welcomes competition, and we race against Toyota in many series across the world including Dakar, NASCAR and sports car racing.

“We look forward to competing against them in the Supercars Championship from 2026.”

Chevrolet Racing also welcomed Toyota’s announcement with open arms, believing the addition of another carmaker will only strengthen the competitiveness of racing, currently limited to its Camaro and the Ford Mustang.

“Chevrolet Racing welcomes the news today that Toyota will be joining the Supercars Championship from 2026,” the brand said on Facebook

“Toyota is a formidable competitor to GM in many race series around the world. Their involvement in Supercars will elevate the profile of our fantastic racing series both here and internationally.

“The Chevrolet Racing teams, and the Camaro ZL1 Supercar will be ready for the competition.”

Unsurprisingly, Supercars CEO Shane Howard was not only welcoming of Toyota’s decision to join the sport, but also its five-year commitment to racing.

“This is an incredible honour, to welcome Toyota to the Repco Supercars Championship from 2026,” Mr Howard said at the announcement.

“This is a landmark moment for Supercars, solidifying an iconic global automotive brand on our grid from 2026.

“It’s a testament to the immense popularity and international appeal of our sport that a powerhouse like Toyota has chosen to join our grid.

“We congratulate Toyota on its commitment to Supercars and are proud to be in such esteemed company as it continues its global motorsport legacy.”

Toyota has never raced under the Supercars Championship or better-known V8 Supercars banner, having last competed through privateers in the 1993 Australian Touring Car Championship with the front-wheel drive Corolla SX.

Supercars last had more than two brands – Ford and Holden/Chevrolet – on the grid in 2019, when Kelly Racing continued to race its Nissan Altimas for a season following the carmaker pulling its sponsorship.

Nissan had rejoined the sport in 2013 when the then-new Car of the Future regulations came into effect, alongside a trio of Mercedes-AMG E 63s campaigned by Erebus Motorsport.

The E 63s only lasted three years and were uncompetitive, unlike the pair of Volvo S60s run by Garry Rogers Motorsport which achieved six wins between 2014 and 2016 – becoming the most successful non-Ford or Holden brand throughout the period.

However, while Toyota hasn’t been present in the sport for more than three decades and largely competed for class wins prior to that, it’s still without an outright victory in the series, a statistic it’ll no doubt be looking to change.

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