PODCAST: Heimgartner primed for Toyota
Kiwi ace looking forward to driving a Supra in the 2026 Series and on a street race in his adopted hometown in 2027
Brad Jones Racing’s Andre Heimgartner says he is excited about racing a Toyota Supra in next year’s Supercars Championship.
BJR was recently announced as the second team to enter Toyota’s in the 2026 Series behind homologation operation, Walkinshaw Andretti Unitied, meaning all four of the Albury-based team’s entries will be Supras.
Heimgartner, who at the time of publishing is the only BJR driver confirmed to still be at the team next year, spoke with Supercars Travel Race for the Championship podcast’s Allan Edwards this week.
“It’s exciting; the team’s partnership with Toyota. I’m looking forward to the new challenge. It’s something new; something different and it should be exciting to be aligned with such a big brand,” Heimgartner said.
The Kiwi ace said he is just as pumped about the new street race in his adopted hometown of Perth from 2027.
“I think everyone’s looking forward to it. It’s a great city. You know people don’t really know about the main city because we (the Supercars circus) basically fly straight in and then go to the track which is in a bit of a desert area… the street race I think will bring a lot to the city,” he enthused.
Meanwhile, the Supercars show is heading north towards Darwin for this weekend’s triple crown.
The Triple Eight Chevy teammates will be hoping to continue their good form at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway. Will Brown and Broc Feeney head the Championship table as the Series heads into round six, with the latter having the upper hand by 72 points. New Zealand youngster Matt Payne is the best of the Fords in third. He heads a quartet of Blue Oval stars – Cam Waters, Chaz Mostert, Thomas Randle and Brodie Kostecki. In fact, the first non-Red Bull Chev is Matt Stone Racing’s Cam Hill in eighth. Kiwis Heimgartner and Ryan Wood are sitting on the Finals bubble in ninth and 10th respectively.
Ford teams are hoping that recent adjustments to engine mapping on the Blue Oval powerplant for this weekend’s Hidden Valley event will maintain parity in the expected hot conditions in the top end. Back-to-back dyno testing between the overhead camshaft Ford engine and the push rod Chev engine have shown the Mustangs to be down on power in hot ambient temperatures compared to that of the Camaros, prompting the engine mapping change.
Across the Ditch, Ruapuna this week detailed its plans for upgrades, ahead of the New Zealand tracks first appearance on the Supercars calendar next year. The $10 million works include a new pit lane complex which comprises a corporate suite, race control and a museum. The track also plans to upgrade the barriers and kerbing around the facility.
The return of the Adelaide Sprintcar Invitational was confirmed, boasting an increased prize pool and better spectator viewing, with extra grandstands being added to the track. The Sprintcar invitational adds to the non-Supercar activities at the Grand Final, with the AUSX Supercross returning to the Victoria Park complex, with its grand final set to add to the festivities of the weekend.
Talking of non-Supercar activities, the schedule for the Townsville 500 has been released with off-track happenings including professional bull riding, show ‘n’ shine, burnout competitions, freestyle motocross and a live music stage.
Over in the United States, former Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen cleaned up at the Mexico road course race in NASCAR winning by over 15 seconds. He qualified on pole and beautifully managed the race, which started wet and ended dry. The Kiwi kicked a rugby ball into the crowd after the race giving one punter a great memento. The win sealed a guaranteed place in the NASCAR playoffs for van Gisbergen.
