Who will be Toyota’s other team?

Intense speculation surrounds the candidates to join Walkinshaw Andretti United as Toyota teams in 2026.

At least one other Supercars squad will be signed to race the WAU-developed GR Supra.

Committed to at least four entries on the grid in ’26, Toyota Australia is open to backing more cars in its debut season and beyond.

How many Supras line up against the existing Gen3 Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Mustangs will likely be influenced by several internal and external factors.

Out to win, Toyota will want the next-best-available teams to support WAU; Supercars will want a near-equitable split between the brands.

As well, challenger teams on both sides will pitch for Toyota backing in a bid to move up the grid.

The current split is six teams running 14 Camaros and five with 10 Mustangs.

As it stands, with WAU defecting, in ’26 it would be eight Fords versus at least 14 Chevs, with two or four undecided.

Neither Ford nor Supercars want Toyota to pillage the Mustang ranks.

Ideally, to start, a 4/8/12 division, with Toyota’s additional team coming from the Chev armada.

Even better, 6/8/10 for Toyota, Ford and GM respectively. 

Of course, it’s not out of the question that Ford will poach a Camaro team to redress the imbalance.

On the surface, though, minor Ford teams are most vulnerable to Toyota’s entreaties.

So where does Toyota go?

It has WAU as its front-running homologation team, developing the GR Supra with factory backing.

Under the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia banner, Australia’s – and the world’s – biggest-selling car maker is only interested in being competitive in Supercars, mainly with a chance to win the Bathurst 1000.

Forget the humble corporate rhetoric – TA is out to contend from the get-go.

Which is why its second team will be so carefully considered.

It will be a strong back-up deemed capable of winning.

Cynics suggest a low-ranked third team will be added as a gesture…

Early speculation has nominated Team 18, on the superficial basis of owner Charlie Schwerkolt’s business ties as a major purchaser of Toyota forklifts.

Despite Schwerkolt’s undying ambition and stocking his team with talent, his team’s results would require a huge leap of faith by Toyota.

More logical targets would be Grove Racing, a well-funded team on the rise, or Erebus Motorsport, ostensibly an independent.

Difficult to see Erebus’s free-form approach working with Toyota’s corporate strictures, though.

Another wild card is Tickford Racing, despite its long history with Ford.

It hasn’t had meaningful Blue Oval backing for several years and has no road car ties any more.

As a business, Tickford would have to look seriously at an assisted switch to Toyota.

Keeping Cam Waters on board in ’26 and beyond would only enhance such a change.

You can rule out Triple Eight (despite previous Toyota overtures) and DJR, wedded to GM and Ford respectively.

Also, neither would accept being secondary to WAU.

Along with Team 18, Chevy teams that could be lured to Toyota are MSR, PremiAir and BJR.

The latter, with four cars, is especially attractive as a one-stop-shop ‘Superteam’.

Owner Brad Jones is open to offers as he nears retirement and a Toyota-assisted takeover would be a great investment.

It’s all conjecture until Toyota Australia makes its second (or third) team decision mid-next year.

In the meantime, every available operation will be campaigning.

Don’t be surprised if in 2026, there are six Supras on the Supercars grid.