FROM COUCH TO COMPETITION

In this opening entry to the diary of an aspiring racer, Kyle Kock faces his first-ever race in the opening round of the GR Cup

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Have you ever wanted to be a racing driver? Barring occasional moments of living-room glory in the Gran Turismo daily races, or seasonal manufacturer's cup, I would never have entertained such a thought.

Realistically, I should have started karting at a pre-adolescent age or, in more recent years, possibly got noticed as a sim-racing talent both of which are achingly absent on my resumé. But those dormant racing dreams have finally been answered in the shape of a sought-after seat in this year's Toyota GR Cup competition.

Over the course of the year, I will take readers through my journey from the couch to being (hopefully) competitive on track.

The aim is to make steady, progressive and with a little luck, still competitively paced improvement throughout the season. More importantly, if there is anyone among CAR's readership who has been toying with the idea of starting their own racing career for some time, may this serve as a how-to guide.

GR Cup

This is a one-make series comprising Toyota's hot-blooded GR cars in order to showcase the talents of the model range. On a separate grid in the front of the field seven development drivers with a karting background in the GR86. Then there are five Toyota dealers piloting Corolla GRs thrown into the mix. Two of the GR Academy instructors will share the last GR Corolla throughout the season. Lastly, for the Media Challenge, there are the same six GR Yaris manuals that debuted in the GR Cup's maiden season in 2022, all piloted by journalists with limited racing experience.

Although there are 19 cars to begin with, rumours in the paddock suggest there will be another dealership car joining the fray for the series' second round at Kyalami.