BLCKBOX ~ BTCC 1991 Toyota Carina

With factory backing once again, Kaliber ICS Team Toyota entered the 1991 BTCC with the Toyota Carina, run by Andy Rouse’s in-house team. The team had BTCC legend Rouse behind the wheel alongside Gary Ayles as was expected to fight from the title right from the get-go. The season was a reasonable success, as Rouse scored three race victories at Donington Park and Brands Hatch to finish 3rd in the standings. Ayles would struggle to 14th, and Toyota finished 3rd in the constructor’s championship.

More success would follow for the team in 1992. With a change of title sponsor and name to Team Securicor ICS Toyota, Ayles left the team and was replaced by Will Hoy. Toyota also ran a third Carina for Thorkild Thyrring and Julian Bailey but neither would enjoy any significant results. The season was a good one however as the team won four times on their way to another 3rd place in the constructor’s standings. Will Hoy finished the year 2nd in the championship whilst Andy Rouse finished 5th.

It was all change in 1993 as Andy Rouse’s team lost the contract to field Toyota’s works BTCC effort. Rouse left the team, and Tom’s GB took over the running of the cars split over a senior and junior team. The senior outfit was named Team Securicor Toyota and the junior team called Park Lane Toyota Junior Team. Both teams ran the new shape Carina E GTi. Rouse was replaced in the senior squad by Bailey whilst Hoy was retained, and James Kaye and Bobby Verdon-Roe drove for the junior team. The new-look side struggled to match the dominant BMWs, and Toyota picked up just one race win all season courtesy of Bailey at Knockhill. Bailey would finish 5th in the standings with Hoy in 7th, Toyota finished 3rd in the constructor’s standings for the third year in a row.

The BTCC continued to grow from strength to strength in 1994 as the structure of the Toyota team remained largely the same from the previous season. Now called the Toyota Castrol Team, Bailey and Hoy were retained and a third car was built for Tim Sugden. The team struggled all season in the wake of the dominant Alfa Romeos and failed to win a race or finish on the podium. Bailey, Hoy and Sudgen finished 12th, 13th and 19th respectively and Toyota slipped to 7th in the constructor’s standings.