Motorsport: New Australian team to compete in Toyota Racing Series

Minda Motorsport protege Macauley Jones at NZGP. Photo / Bruce Jenkins

A new team, MTEC Motorsport, has been announced in Australia to contest the 2017 Toyota Racing Series.

Trevor Scheumack's respected ETEC Motorsport team, long a stalwart of the annual Toyota Racing Series, has joined forces with Bruin Beasley's Minda Motorsport to create MTEC Motorsport.

ETEC team has run a string of fast young Australians in Toyota Racing Series over the years, and has also brought high profile internationals to New Zealand to race in TRS including Damon Hill's son Josh (TRS 2011, 13th; and 2012, 4th) and Singaporean Andrew Tang (TRS 2013, 15th and 2014, 1st) to the championship.

With more than 20 years' experience, long-time team principal Bruin Beasley has been associated with the careers of some of Australia's leading drivers including Tim Slade, James Moffat, Nick Percat and Matthew Brabham.

Beasley formed Minda Motorsport in 2002 and won no less than seven Formula Ford titles, two Australian GT titles including the 2012 Australian Championship with Jack Le Brocq and runner-up the following year with Liam Sager. Minda Motorsport also ran the CAMS Rising Star program from 2009-2013. Minda also ran Macauley Jones (TRS 2014) in Australian Formula Ford in 2012 (5th) and 2013 (4th).

Toyota Racing Series Category Manager Barrie Thomason said MTEC will mount a strong challenge to the New Zealand teams.

"Bruin is no stranger to us at TRS having managed Trevor's ETEC team over the past two seasons, so it seems a natural progression that he now steps up to take over the reins and to launch the MTEC team."

"We are pleased that Trevor has found a person of Bruin's experience to take ETEC into the future. We know that Bruin's years as a team owner of Minda Motorsport will ensure his new venture will challenge the established TRS teams," said Thomlinson.

Bruin Beasley says his first love is single-seater racing and he is excited by the opportunities the new venture presents to him and to rising drivers.

"We won in every category that we entered under Minda Motorsport. Now MTEC is the way forward and clearly so is the Toyota Racing Series, which is all about the driver. It exists to develop and nurture the next generation of world class drivers."

"As everyone that knows me will attest to, I love motorsport. So I am always going to be involved at some level. Competing in open wheel racing and assisting in shaping superstar drivers of the future is what I have been able to do in the past and it's what I plan to do again with MTEC Motorsport."

Trevor Sheumack says the merger creates a blend of history, experience and success that will be "formidable".

"Winning is what we all want to do in motor sport no doubt, but we want more than that. We want an environment and era of excitement, close racing and young drivers shining on their way to the world stage. The popularity of the Toyota Racing Series is certainly the place for that," he said.

TRS, he added, is the only class in New Zealand motorsport that offers aspiring racers vital experience with wings, slicks and composite technologies. The series attracts Premier Gold Star status and includes as its final round the New Zealand Grand Prix - one of only two FIA-sanctioned Grand Prix race events outside of Formula One, making it a truly world class motor sport event.