Brendon Leitch, one of three New Zealanders in the 2017 TRS, crosses the line for the only Kiwi win in the 2016 TRS series.

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Three Kiwis will be among a strong grid of up-and-coming drivers for the Toyota Racing Series and New Zealand Grand Prix in 2017.

The competition, which gets underway on January 14 at Ruapuna in Christchurch, will feature 20 young drivers looking to advance their single-seater racing careers.

Cromwell's Brendon Leitch and Pukekohe's Taylor Cockerton return after both racing in 2016.

Leitch was the best placed Kiwi in 2016 finishing third overall and was the sole Kiwi with a race win.

The duo will be joined by Christchurch's Marcus Armstrong.

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But they will have an uphill battle with a strong international field.

Included is defending TRS and New Zealand Grand Prix champion Lando Norris.

The British teenager, who was 16 at the time, proved his class as he wrapped up the series with a race in hand.

But he went on to win the final race, the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild, to assert his dominance.

Brazil's Pedro Piquet, India's Jehan Daruvala, Austria's Ferdinand Habsburg and Leitch were Norris' biggest competitors in 2016 and all are returning for the 2017 event.

The 2017 field includes five 16-year-olds - Armstrong, England's Enaam Ahmed, American Keyvan Andres, Australian Luis Leeds and Dutchman Richard Verschoor.

​Verschoor only just qualified for the series with his birthday on December 16 just making it inside the age restriction.

The oldest drivers are American Shelby Blackstock, who is son of country music legend Reba McEntire, and Russian Nikita Lastochkin.

Both are 26.

All drivers compete in the same Tatuus single-seaters, powered by a 1.8L Toyota engine.

They all have the same tyres, gearbox, suspension and brakes with the hope to provide close driving where the driver's talent is the main factor.

The series starts at Ruapuna in Christchurch and has stops at Teretonga in Invercargill, Hampton Downs south of Auckland and Taupo.

The final round is at Manfeild in Feilding near Palmerston North on February 11-12

There is three races at each stop.

The last race of the series doubles at the New Zealand Grand Prix.

Toyota Racing Series drivers: Lando Norris (England), Jehan Daruvala (India), Nikita Lastochkin (USA), Ameya Vaidyanathan (India), Pedro Piquet (Brazil), Ferdinand Habsburg (Austria), Shelby Blackstock (USA), Richard Verschoor (Netherlands), Luis Leeds (Australia), Taylor Cockerton (New Zealand), Brendon Leitch (New Zealand), Marcus Armstrong (New Zealand), Thomas Neubauer (France), Christian Hahn (Brazil), Harry Hayek (Australia), Kory Enders (America), Kami Laliberte (Canada), Thomas Randle (Australia), Keyvan Andres (America), Enaam Ahmed (England).