Toyota Racing & Timo Glock has experienced a unique view of Melbourne in the lead-up to this Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix by driving a Toyota Hilux on two wheels. Glock spent the day at Calder Park Raceway north of Melbourne where he learned the secrets of stunt driving from the renowned Toyota V6 Hilux Heroes stunt driving team. Check out more in the video above and official press release below!

Toyota Hilux Stunt Team Press Release:

GLOCK ROCKS ON TWO WHEELS

Panasonic Toyota Racing driver Timo Glock has experienced a unique view of Melbourne in the lead-up to this Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix by driving a Toyota Hilux on two wheels.

Glock spent the day at Calder Park Raceway north of Melbourne where he learned the secrets of stunt driving from the renowned Toyota V6 Hilux Heroes stunt driving team.

The team, which performs nationally at leading metro, regional and rural shows in slightly modified versions of the 4×2 V6-powered Toyota Hilux, is made up of Australia’s leading professional drivers.

Glock was tutored by Guinness World Record holder, Lawrence ‘The Legend’ Ryan, and the team’s lead driver Jack Monkhouse, who showed off the finer points of two-wheel driving before unleashing the F1 pilot behind the wheel.

The 27-year-old German was fearless in his approach. Using the determination that took him to second place in last season’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Glock mastered the extremely difficult trick at just his third attempt.

The Toyota F1 pilot then repeated the feat a number of times – piloting the near-standard Hilux a staggering 60 metres on two wheels on his final run.

He then moved on to doughnuts and formation driving where he entertained a large group of invited media with his prowess behind the wheel.

Despite adapting quickly to the driving technique required to perform the tricks, the man who finished 10th last year in his first full season of Formula 1 has his eyes firmly fixed on this weekend’s season-opening race.

“This was a lot of fun,” Glock said of his stunt driving cameo. “Although, I think it would be a little hard to drive a Formula 1 car on two wheels.”

Glock believes the team can succeed if it transfers its testing pace to the races.

“We did strong development in the latter half of last season and my dream was to take this development curve over into 2009. It looks like we have done this with the pace the car has had from the beginning,” Glock said.

“In all conditions the car looks strong. But testing is different to racing, so we have to see how the car performs in qualifying, but my perfect dream would be to win the first race of the season.”

Glock topped the time sheets twice during the final pre-season test in the team’s new TF109 race car, proving both he and the team will be a threat at Albert Park this weekend.

- Vehicles provide support for scientists, teams and officials for the Amundsen Omega3 South Pole Race

- Achievement follows successful 2007 Top Gear expedition to the Magnetic North Pole

- Hilux outperforms snowcats as a faster, more comfortable and fuel-efficient means of transport

Is there no driving challenge beyond the scope of Toyota’s mighty Hilux? The legendary pick-up has completed a journey across Antarctica to the South Pole, further proving the go-anywhere qualities that helped it become the first car to be driven to the Magnetic North Pole in the 2007 Top Gear Polar Challenge.

The expedition also demonstrated that Hilux has advantages over snowcats when it comes to being a sensible transport choice. It can travel much faster, uses significantly less fuel and can carry more passengers – in more comfort, to boot. And thanks to the quality of Toyota’s 3.0 D-4D engine, CO2 emissions are lower.

Hilux models were requested as support vehicles for the Amundsen Omega3 South Pole Race, a 483-mile skiing challenge celebrating the historic rival expeditions of explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott. The Hilux Double Cabs were prepared for the extreme conditions by Arctic Trucks, the Reykjavik-based company which also fettled the Top Gear challenge machines.

Towing custom-built trailers, the Hilux at times had to cope with loads up to 2.5 tonnes – 1.5 tonnes more than their specified capacity, and were also newly fitted with a system to melt snow while on the move, using heat from the engine. Pressed into service to ferry supplies, scientists and team support groups and to carry out reconnaissance duties, the four Hilux have covered more than 2,000 miles each across the rough, frozen terrain in temperatures as low as -30C.

Hilux has already proved its worth as a workhorse of choice for scientists based at Camp Novo and other Antarctic research stations, and is being reviewed as the solution for future transport requirements in the area, demonstrating beyond doubt its ability to tackle the world’s toughest environments.