After a busy year juggling Toyota 86 and TCR commitments, Bailey Sweeny is pleased to have finished the year 4th in the Toyota 86 Championship after a season of personal best results. 

How would you rate your season overall?

BS: My 86 results were a bit up and down but overall it was a pretty solid season. We started the year on a high at SMSP and then throughout the season we had a few car issues but we finished the year off strong at Bathurst.

What would you say the highlight of your season was?

BS: The highlight of the season was definitely the last race at Bathurst. We had great pace and to finish the year off with a second place podium and a personal best finish was a highlight. It was definitely the performance I was most proud of and a great way to finish off my Toyota 86 career. 

You always tend to perform well at Bathurst, why do you think that is?

BS: Bathurst is a track that I’m used to in the 86’s so I think that definitely contributed to my results there.  We had also just replaced the motor in my car ahead of the round, which helped a lot after all the car troubles we had throughout the year.

There were some ups and downs this season, what was the most challenging aspect of the year?

BS: Mid season was definitely the most challenging part of the year. We were continuing to have car troubles and unfortunately had a DNF in Townsville so that was really tough. 

You still managed to finish 4th in this year’s championship, were you happy with that result?

BS: I was hoping for higher in the championship. I really wanted to be in that top three but after a couple of bad results, I was happy to be able to recover and still remain in the top five. 

What are your current plans for next year?

BS: Moving forward I’m going to be focusing on TCR. After debuting in the category this year and seeing some good results, that’s what I want to focus on in 2023.