TimesLIVE teaming up with Toyota Gazoo Racing at 2022 Killarney 9-Hour

If you are a regular reader of TimesLIVE Motoring you will no doubt be aware of my racing exploits in this year's Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) Cup: a one make series in which I and five other lucky motoring writers chosen to represent our titles contested the 2022 National Extreme Tour behind the wheels of identical track-prepped GR Yaris hatchbacks. 

Suffice to say it was one helluva experience: an experimental seven-round championship that played out at circuits around South Africa and showcased to the public – and other racers – just how capable this little homologation special really is when driven in anger.

Now when the final race of the season was run and done at Zwartkops Raceway at the end of October I firmly believed I would never strap into a GR Yaris cup car again – I had my chance behind the wheel and it was up to somebody else to give it go. Turns out I was wrong because a few weeks ago I received a call from Gazoo Racing South Africa asking if I would like to get back into the driver's seat and take part in December's Killarney 9-Hour.

The last round of the 2022 Southern African Endurance Series (Saes), this gruelling finale will field a diverse grid of machinery: everything from open-seat sportsters and purpose built FIA-homologated GT3 racers right through to modified saloon cars. Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa will be competing in the latter – Class D – with a pair of GR Yaris cup cars each piloted by a lineup of four drivers. Joining me in the No 33 car will be fellow scribes Ashley Oldfield (cars.co.za), Mark Jones (Citizen Motoring) and Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger (Wiele2Wiele). Sean Nurse (SN Automotive) will be sharing driving duties in the sister car, No 95, with Toyota executives Leon Theron, Mario de Sousa and Anand Pather. 

As the official entry list stands we will be locking horns with competitive rival machines including a handful of rapid Volkswagen Polo SupaCup cars, a brace of BMW F30 340i sedans as well as a V8-powered Backdraft Cobra Roadster. While these whips will no doubt hold a top-speed speed advantage, our GR Yaris should be able to fight back with superior traction and (hopefully) better fuel consumption with only three cylinders to feed. If this is the case our newly fitted long-range petrol tanks will certainly help matters.

Whatever happens the Killarney 9-Hour should be a total blast and I have high hopes  the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa outfit will be up there fighting for a podium finish. We have a fantastic car backed by an excellent support crew and solid drivers. 

Official practice and qualifying commences on December 9 between 8am to 1pm. A night time practice session is scheduled to run from 7pm to 8pm. The race will start on December 10 at 12pm and end at 9pm. 

Watch this space (or follow me on Instagram) for updates as and when they happen.