Grammer adds Toyota 86 Trophy Series to 2025 campaign

Rising karting star Nathan Grammer will join the field for the forthcoming Toyota 86 Trophy Series as he begins what he hopes will be a successful journey to a major international ‘tin top’ championship.

Grammer – a protégé of Kiwi karting star Mason Armstrong and experienced Kiwi racer Kaleb Ngatoa – is aiming to join the long list of Kiwi drivers who have made it to big international championships like Supercars, the German Touring car Championship or the World Endurance Championship.

Fifteen year old Nathan began his journey through the New Zealand motorsport scene in 2023 in a Rotax Junior Kart at Kartsport Auckland with Urban Performance. He competed for the whole Rotax Max Junior 2024 season finishing fourth overall in what is always a highly competitive field.

For 2025 he has made the jump up to Rotax Senior Lights with Energy Corse NZ and is now the youngest Rotax Senior Lights driver in the country. The Toyota 86 Trophy Series will be his first campaign in a single model four round category, although he has run his exceptionally well-presented TR86 at an Auckland Car Club meeting earlier this month.

The St Kentigern student is a racing fanatic and spends most of his spare time in the car, in the kart or practicing and competing in sim racing, although he’s also a big skateboard fan too.

“I’ve chosen the Toyota 86 Trophy Series as I would love longer term to have a future in tin top racing and at a high level like Supercars, the DTM in Germany or the WEC,” he said.

“This is a great way to begin and I have tested the car a few times at Hampton Downs and really enjoyed it. It’s very quick and you can push it hard on the brakes.

“I have been preparing for this series by doing lots of heat and endurance training to help me perform better in high temperature conditions like being in a race car. I have also been spending a lot of time in the kart and sim trying to improve my race craft better and learning how to put what I’m being told by my coaches onto the track.

“I want to show to everybody what I can do behind the wheel and prove that hard work pays off and can lead to great things being accomplished. Position wise I don’t have a good idea of the field so I don’t know where to set my goals but as of right now I would be happy going home with a few trophies.”

The young racer – who will be looked after by Mackenzie Motorsport – has attracted plenty of significant support for his first circuit campaign including Mason Armstrong, Ryan Urban and Ryan Crombie at Team Energy Corse New Zealand and Urban Performance, Gus Lam Performance NZ J.A. Russell Ltd, Stang Media NZ Ltd, Valiant Electrical, Shutter Media Group, Marley, Track Vision and Black Diamond Graphics.