The Toyota Racing Series has confirmed Brazilian Bruno Bonifacio as the latest in what is expected to be a ‘best ever’ line up of international drivers committing to the championship series.
17-year-old Bonifacio contested the 2012 TRS with champion team Giles Motorsport.
TRS Category manager Barrie Thomlinson says the young Brazilian racer adapted quickly to the challenge of racing on New Zealand’s unfamiliar tracks and scored a podium on his way to 10th place in the 2012 series.
“Bruno showed great speed and promise when he came here last season and went on to demonstrate the benefit of our high intensity championship with race wins, podium positions and top championship results in Europe,” Thomlinson says.
Bonifacio emerged from five high-intensity weeks of TRS competition race-fit and fast. Going into the eight-round Formula Abarth series in Europe with the Prema Powerteam, he was immediately competitive, scoring three pole positions, four race wins, one fastest lap and 13 podium finishes on his way to finishing the series third overall.
The mix of new signings and returning racers sets up an exciting on-track rivalry as TRS enters its ninth season.
The Toyota Racing Series begins at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park Raceway, the southernmost racing circuit in the world, 9-13 January 2013 and concludes five weeks later with the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild near Palmerston North.
