Toyota Team Australia was the name of two allied Australian motor racing teams. One competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship between 1985 and 1990. The other was a rally team in the Australian Rally Championship that competed from 1988 and continues today the identity of Neal Bates Motorsport as a historic rally team.
| Manufacturer | Toyota |
|---|---|
| Team Manager | Tony Niovanni |
| Race Drivers | John Smith (1985-90) Drew Price (1985-89) John Faulkner (1985-90) Ray Cutchie (1985) Mike Quinn (1986-87) Mike Freeman (1988) Peter McKay (1988-90) Mike Oliver (1988) Brett Riley (1988) Neal Bates (1989-90) Mike Dowson (1989-90) Mark Poole (1990) Paul Stokell (1990) |
| Chassis | Sprinter Corolla E80 Corolla E90 Supra |
| Debut | 1985 |
| Drivers' Championships | 5 (1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990) |
History
editToyota Team Australia was founded in 1985 as the factory team of Toyota. The team competed in the under two litre category of the Australian Touring Car Championship with Sprinters and Corollas winning the category in most years.[1]
In 1989 the team commenced competing in the outright class with a Supra, however because of the weight regulations of the time was not competitive. The team closed at the end of 1990, although much of the team's personnel and equipment were reassembled by lead driver John Smith for the 1991 and 1992 Bathurst 1000s.[2][3]