Cowboys cars on show at this years Townsville 400

The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys have welcomed the inclusion of two Cowboys-branded cars to this year’s Toyota 86 Racing Series race at the Townsville 400 on July 6-8.

Supercars enduro drivers Steve Owen and Warren Luff will sport the club’s home strip and the other the away, carrying the names of co-captains Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott.

For the second-year running, the NRL side will have a starring presence in the one-make series at Reid Park, through sponsor Toyota.

Head coach Paul Green praised Toyota’s support for a series that attracts talented youngsters seeking to establish their national circuit-racing careers.

“There’s great synergy between us and our major sponsor,” Green said.

“Toyota is doing a great job in encouraging the development of new talent, and that’s something we always try to do at the Cowboys.

“Matt thinks his car will have the advantage on the straights, while JT’s expecting to have the edge in the corners.”

The split round in the NRL means that the Cowboys have a bye during the event, freeing members of the squad to be trackside.

The Toyota 86 Racing Series is designed to provide an entry point and training ground for up-and-coming drivers, offering a confirmed prize pool of $150,000.

In 2018, the Toyota 86 Racing Series is being run over six events: Phillip Island 500 (April 20-22), Townsville 400 (July 6-8), The Bend Supersprint (August 24-26), Sandown 500 (September 14-16), Bathurst 1000 (October 4-7) and Newcastle 500 (November 23-25).