Toyota GR 86 to pace 400 racers at NASA Championships in Daytona

The 2022 Toyota GR 86 will pace the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) National Championships in the USA, with the first round of the races starting this September at the Daytona International Speedway. 

Sporting custom red, white and black graphics, the GR 86 pace car will proudly lead each of the 25-plus classes and nearly 400 NASA competitors from all around the US. The championship races will take place on the racing circuit made famous by the 24 Hours of Daytona.

The NASA Championships will start with two qualifying races, where competitors earn points based on their finishing position in both races. Those points then set the grid for the finals.

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

The GR 86 features a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter, horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine with 228hp, and a choice of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. 

According to Toyota, the “original 86 (was developed) with the goal of delivering the dreams and the joy of driving inherent in sports cars” to customers, and this second iteration is set to continue that goal. 

“We are thrilled to have the new GR 86 selected as the official pace car of NASA’s National Championships,” said Toyota Vehicle Marketing and Communications Vice President Michael Tripp said. “This car is perfectly at home on a road course, and it will be great to see it lead all the classes out onto the track.”

Photos from Toyota 

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