How WTWGR defied the odds amid ownership, Toyota project juggle

While best known for its exploits on track, Walkinshaw TWG Racing’s latest news has furthered how strong it is off it.

Announced Tuesday, Walkinshaw TWG Racing welcomed Kiwi businessman Scott O'Donnell and OFDI Ltd to the team. O'Donnell joins as Director, with ODFI Ltd purchasing shares in what is now the spearhead Toyota team in Supercars.

While it continues a line of Supercars team ownership changes in recent years, Tuesday's news also demonstrates further might in WTWGR’s all-round strengths.

Amid Zak Brown and United Autosport’s exit, the team was pursuing a drought-breaking championship, while also putting together its Toyota project and moving into a new headquarters.

In a nutshell, while trying to win a championship, the organisation suddenly juggled the departure of current ownership, the pursuit of new ownership, building new Toyotas, and changing homes.

And yet, the team delivered on each challenge, while also claiming the title it so sorely craved.

Behind the scenes, Brown opted to step away from the team, leading to discussions with O’Donnell, a long-time backer of the team and driver Ryan Wood.

Brown said it was an "incredibly difficult decision" to step away from the team, but with McLaren's impending WEC program and other racing commitments "growing rapidly", he said the time was right to move on.

That decision kicked the incoming Toyota team into gear, and chats with O'Donnell began as the 2025 season reached the business end. As discussions continued, Chaz Mostert marched to the 2025 crown in dramatic fashion.

All the while, two new Toyota GR Supras were being put together, alongside developing a complex engine program. Add to that, Walkinshaw Automotive Group welcoming its new staff from October.

All told, while a simple announcement in theory, WTWGR struck a balance between on track and off track business to bring O’Donnell into the fold.

“It’s fantastic to be joining Walkinshaw TWG Racing, a place and a team I know very well," O'Donnell said.

“The opportunity came up late last year with United Autosports moving on, and it caught our interest once the team reached out. It was all pretty seamless from there really.”

In its ownership structure, WTWGR gains an astute businessman in O’Donnell, who is also a Director of HW Richardson Group. The group owns 46 companies, and employs 2000 people across six sectors including road freight.

What also makes the new ownership so seamless, is that O’Donnell already had ties to the team. HW Richardson Group is the Mobil 1 Lubricants distributor in New Zealand, through its Allied Petroleum business. Mobil 1 has taken pride of place on Walkinshaw Supercars for over 30 years.

Importantly, O’Donnell is a racer at heart. Last year, he purchased Wood's 2025 Ford Mustang, which is now based in Invercargill. In 2024, he raced a Ford Mondeo at Mount Panorama.

While Supercars team ownership wasn’t previously on his radar, O’Donnell — a proud Kiwi, like Wood and WTWGR CEO Bruce Stewart — was excited to buy into a re-emerging powerhouse on the up.

"Motorsport has always been a huge passion of mine, and while I hadn’t considered a role like this before, I am genuinely excited to be involved,” O’Donnell continued.

“There are so many positives around the team. There are two great drivers in Chaz and Ryan, the team has such a proud and successful history, and the new era with Toyota is fantastic."

O'Donnell will be trackside with his team in New Zealand next month.