Parker Thomspon knows a thing or two about going fast, having scored wins, podiums, and pole positions at the most prestigious and challenging race tracks across North America. At just 27 years old, the Canadian has already firmly cemented himself as a highly valued member of the Toyota family, further adding to the manufacturer’s ever-expanding international success in motorsports.
This season, he returns to Pirelli GT4 America competition, racing in the Pro-Am class alongside co-driver Anthony McIntosh in the No. 69 JTR Motorsports Engineering Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra GT4 EVO2. Although the program is new for 2025, the duo have big plans coming ahead.
“Anthony came to me and laid out his racing goals,” explained Thompson. “He eventually wants to be competing at the highest levels of GT3 racing, which would also include European series in the future. At this moment, with his current skill level, our focus is on improving and refining his racecraft.”
“Anthony's really good over one lap,” he elaborated. “He's also got really good race pace, but I think what a lot of Am drivers miss early in their careers is the importance of getting the racecraft right. There's really no better place in the world to learn and grow as a driver than in a field of thirty cars that are all in a very similar parameter in GT4 here in SRO America.”
Thompson shared that although McIntosh was initially slightly apprehensive about returning to GT4 competition, all it took was one test with the Toyota GR Supra to get him hooked: “He realized right away that it’s a really fun car, and now we’re off to the races!”
Evidently, Thompson has become extremely well acquainted with the Supra, both professionally and personally. Beyond its performance on track, he has a deep admiration for the level of adoration he has witnessed for the model firsthand.
“The Toyota GR Supra GT4 obviously looks just like the street car,” he stated. “We go to races all across the United States, and we tend to get a lot of Toyota Supra super fans, which is awesome. Out of any brand I've ever raced with across my career, I've probably seen more fans for the GR Supra than any other car I’ve driven. The diehard Toyota fans are such a standout at SRO events.”
“The race car itself has a lot of similarities to what you would find behind the wheel of the street car,” he continued. “Growing up, I was a real fan of the Toyota Mark IV. We've since moved away from that platform quite a bit, now it's a different engine and drivetrain, but for the most part it still looks like the old Supra we all know and love.”
Beyond the enthusiasm from the fans, Thompson also noted the great deal of support and involvement from the manufacturer, adding: “There are plenty of things that Mr. Steve Hallam, the manager of vehicle support and team engineering for Toyota Racing Development, and all the wonderful folks at Toyota have been very helpful with. For example, there’s always a Toyota parts truck on site stocked with more parts than we quite frankly probably know what to do with. Our team doesn't have to carry that stress, and we have the ability to purchase parts as we need them thanks to Toyota and the great staff at Toyota Gazoo Racing that continue to come out to the races.”
At the previous event at Circuit of The Americas, Thompson secured pole position ahead of the three-hour endurance round. With a lap time of 2:12.170, he put himself 0.143 seconds ahead of the next closest competitor, which just so happened to be another Supra entry.
Although the race did not unfold quite as he had hoped it would, with a full course caution and subsequent pit stop sequence landing him and McIntosh just shy of a podium finish, Thompson emphasized the value of mixing up the calendar with a longer format race, and the extra elements and lessons it teaches drivers.
“The Lone Star Enduro is special because every other race this year is a one hour sprint,” he said. “Whereas in this case, you have to focus on saving the brakes and taking care of the car in general. Track limits are always a big talking point at COTA, and part of that involves the big curbs that can take a beating on the cars. It doesn't matter what manufacturer you’re with, you have to be careful with those curbs. In a one hour race, we could get away with hitting just about all of them, but in a three hour race, there's definitely a level at which we have to be conscious of trying to find that balance.”
When looking ahead to the rest of the season, as he and McIntosh strive to reach the top of the standings, Thompson is especially looking forward to one venue in particular.
“One of my favorite tracks in the United States is Barber Motorsports Park,” he shared. “I am so happy that SRO has made the decision to return there. I think it's a fantastic venue, and I really like Alabama as a whole. I have not gotten the opportunity to drive the Toyota GR Supra there yet, so I can’t wait until we get to go there later this year. If I could win at any place this year, it would be that one.”
Parker Thompson will be back in action with JTR Motorsports Engineering in the Pirelli GT4 America championship at Sebring International Raceway from May 16th to 18th. Get your tickets now!