Toyota GAZOO Racing NZ’s announcement that US driver Spike Kohlbecker will be joining the 2020 Castrol Toyota Racing Series field is an exciting addition to the competition. Kohlbecker comes back to NZ with experience, having competed here last summer in the NZ Formula 1600 Championship and proved to be both quick and and able to adapt well to our circuits.
Kohlbecker competed in four of the five national F1600 rounds (Ruapuna, Teretonga, Manfeild and Pukekohe) finishing seventh overall. In the 13-races he entered he always finished in the top five other than three retirements. Though he never won a race, he stood on the podium four times in his first six races.
Not only did he compete here but he also spent the summer working with John Crawford from Motorsport Solutions in Christchurch. He gained a thorough understanding of Kiwi motorsport and established a network of friends and Kiwi contacts.
He heads into the 2020 TRS season with experience and knowledge of three of the five circuits. He will adapt quickly to the new FT60 TRS single seater so don’t be surprised at how competitive he will prove to be.
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