But the race wasn't just a chance for Cassidy to get some practice in trouncing another driver. Instead, TRS was testing the new FT50 at Hampton Downs before the new season - and a few blasts past a Yaris was all in good fun.
The new FT50 race car will make its debut in the 2015 Toyota Racing Series, with the five-week championship kicking off at Ruapuna in January and finishing with the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild, near Feilding, in February.
The Toyota Racing Series pits the fastest-rising stars of New Zealand motorsport against top international drivers in a 15-race Gold Star championship that offers the chance to win some of the most prestigious and historic trophies in New Zealand motor racing.
Learning a lesson at Hampton Downs
Mathieu Day
Driven's Mathieu Day is usually more comfortable on two wheels
It's not all that often I get the privilege of leaving the office and heading to Hampton Downs, even less so that I get to drive on the track itself.
So when the invitation came to go and have a race against the new FT50 Toyota Racing Series car I leapt at it.
Arriving to find my weapon to take on the FT50 would be a 2015 Toyota Yaris ZR with full TRD trim package and 1.5 litres of fury meant that if I would have any chance I'd need some instruction in driving four wheels around the track.
TRS driver Sam MacNeill and Mathieu Day before some quick instruction on how to drive Hampton Downs
Lucky for me former TRS driver Sam MacNeill was on hand to give me an impromptu lesson on how to take the six major corners and most importantly not crash the brand-new Toyota.
After a session sitting in the passenger seat with MacNeill it was my turn to nervously take the wheel. Lucky for me the little Yaris was a gem to cruise around the track with its upspecced interior, including quite supportive seats preventing me falling out and the nice wide TRD alloy wheels producing plenty of grip to the track.
Within a few laps my confidence was at an all-time high.
Once the TRS car was ready and we were lined up on the start line, though, all hope of stealing a win went out the window.
The Toyota Yaris ZR lined up against the FT-50
The new FT50 with its 2ZZ-GE 1.8-litre engine howling through a side exhaust was both frightening and awe-inspiring to be lined up next to.
With no form of launch control on the little Toyota I attempted to get off the line faster by a bit of DIY launch control. Sadly, though, the sub-500kg FT50 shot off the line and as I rounded turn one and looked ahead it carved around turn two and was gone.
Being overtaken by an FT-50 at full noise was certainly an experience for Mathieu Day
The rest, as they say, is history.
