Top Rookie Robb locked in for Bathurst GR86 weekend

Mount Panorama and the massive weekend that accompanies Supercars’ flagship Bathurst 1000 will be the stage for Hunter Robb’s Toyota GR86 race debut.

Hunter will compete in the Australian GR Cup at the Bathurst round over the weekend of October 11-13 – driving one of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia customer cars. It’s the biggest weekend of the year for the championship and one of the biggest for Australian and New Zealand motorsport fans.

Robb was one of the stars of the 2023-2024 Toyota 86 Championship, winning the Rookie title in a hugely competitive season and being in the fight for the overall honours until the final day of racing.

Robb has already raced a TR86 around the famous track before – in the annual production endurance race with fellow TR86 competitors Tayler Bryant and Summer Rintoule. He went well.

“Back in April this year I competed in the Bathurst 6 hour production race,” he explained.

“It was in a Toyota 86 but the best way to describe that car was a road car with a cage in it, so it was very stock standard. Even so we came away fifth in class. We started in 51st and finished 21st overall, so yes I’ve done plenty of laps around there.”

Robb is also familiar with the GR86 having won a test at Hampton Downs as a result of his victory in the BMW E46 Championship – the prize was a test day in the new GR86 at Hampton Downs.

“Unfortunately it was raining all day, but you never know what the weather could be like come race weekend at Bathurst,” he added.

“Nonetheless I am super excited to be back racing a Toyota 86 and particularly on this track and at this weekend. Obviously I don’t have anywhere near the amount of mileage that the Aussies have in the new GR86 but I reckon it shouldn’t take me too long to adapt to the new car.

“Bathurst is a very important track to get seat time at because so few events happen there, so being able to race there again is awesome.

Opportunities like this don’t happen very often so a massive thanks to TGRNZ for being able to put this together for me, and I’m going to give it my all. It’s the biggest weekend of the year for Australian motorsport and a massive one for me as a driver too.”