TCR Australia 2023

[one five five]

Too early to start a roll call for next year?

Honda/Wall Racing:
Tony D’Alberto? (If the new cars won’t be delivered until April, does Honda Australia have any incentive to back an old model for half a year)
Any takers for the ex-STAN car?
What ever happened to John Martin?

Zac Souter - Presumably back again

Hyundai/HMO
3x Elantra’s or still an i30?
Nathan Morcom - ran at the front at Bathurst in Race 2, presumably has a drive as long as he wants it
Josh Buchan - setup for a championship challenge
Bailey Sweeney - Super2?

Luke King - Presumably back again?

Audi/MPC
Jay Hanson - Super 2?
Will Brown - Probably depends on liqui Moly
Michael Clemente - a one off at Bathurst or now a full year with them?
Lachlan Mineef - found form at Bathurst , back again?
Any more new spec Audi’s coming?

Peugeot:
Aaron Cameron - made noises on the parked up podcast he was moving to super 2 next year
Dylan O’Keefe - concentrate on Porsches?
Jordan Cox - setup to chase the title next year
Ben Bargwanna - presumably back again

Renault:
Are they still going to press on with them?
Does Moffat want a quicker car?
Kody Garland again or does another graduate of the Ambrose combine take the spot?

ASM - only a one car effort and only team with an Alfa, would they move on next year?
Michael Caruso - does he want to still run mid-pack? Does he need a full season drive to stay relevant for Supercars co-driving duties?

Brad Shiels/Tilton?
The ex-Mineef Volkswagons
Braydon Willmington
Toyota?
Lynk & Co?
Cupra?

Not a lot of news yet and not really that long until round 1 next year. Is that a worry? Next year is supposed to be the biggest yet for TCR Australia with two rounds of the World Series after all

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

My understanding is that the car used, previously carried the Stan livery.

Was definitely the Clemente car, had all his sponsor signage and his name still on the passenger dashboard area

[cavvy]

'Cyan Racing will make its Australian debut when it competes in this year’s TCR World Tour round at Bathurst.

The Swedish squad will compete in the inaugural nine-round world series, which includes an outing at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International, which is set to be held at Mount Panorama on November 10-12.

In addition to the Bathurst outing, a second TCR World Tour round is expected to be held in Australia this year, with discussions underway with circuit owners about hosting opportunities.'

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/01/07...an-racing-tcr/

I was fortunate to be around in 1987.

My only concern is support the coverage on Stan will generate.

[GTRMagic]

When the FIA mob were officiating technical scrutineers in each of 1987 and 1988, they seemed to be interested in measuring race car dimensions with representative road cars. From memory it meant a quorum of road going Ford Sierras, and a large number of HSV TWR VL Group A Commodores were unofficially barred from the circuit, lest the cars get measured..

Now to do that with a CYAN, a road going version might need to actually exist…

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Now to do that with a CYAN, a road going version might need to actually exist…

Or someone might want to see a car sold at an agreed price, and a genuine factory team not actually operating?

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Or someone might want to see a car sold at an agreed price, and a genuine factory team not actually operating?

Mattias Andersson

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Mattias Andersson

Where?

The only other cars are the cars "sold" and running in China... by Geely Motorsport

So not sold at all.

Should have been DQ'd from their first WTCR for noncompliance within 90 days, but organisers have no balls.

[pimmy]

There are Lynk & Co's in South America too.

[JMeissner]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Where?

The only other cars are the cars "sold" and running in China... by Geely Motorsport

So not sold at all.

Should have been DQ'd from their first WTCR for noncompliance within 90 days, but organisers have no balls.

Let's stick to facts, please.

No rules were broken by them.

Cars are being independently run in South America: https://www.tcr-series.com/news/item...e-lynk-co-cars
And Scandinavia: https://www.stcc.se/team-stcc/tba-4/

The 03 is Lynk & Co's most sold model in China, launched in 2018: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynk_%26_Co_03
And the 01 model is available in Europe since 2021: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynk_%26_Co_01

[Umai Naa]

Hence the majority of the WTCR paddock being happy to see the back of them when they stomped out.

[FIRE]

Correct me if I am wrong but the Lynk & Co 03 is only on sale in China.
In two years time the 01 is sold almost 4000 times in The Netherlands.

[FIRE]

Kody Garland with Peugeot of GRM confirmed.

[V8 Fireworks]

Hopefully with ARG confirming at least 3 hours free to air coverage for every round, there will be more entries!

I don't think the upfront or running costs in TCR are any higher than something like Carrera Cup, and the latter seems to find a strong grid. Granted Carrera Cup cars are faster and more exotic, which may be more attractive to amateur racers looking for something at a high level but more cost effective than full-blown GT3?

[FIRE]

Bailey Sweeny - HMO Customer Racing - Hyundai i30
Kody Garland - GRM - Peugeot 308
Aaron Cameron - GRM - Peugeot 308
Zac Soutar - Team Soutar - Audi RS 3 LMS

Source: touringcartimes.com

[Umai Naa]

Ben Bargwanna in a Busrons Peugeot.
Jordan Cox in a Schaeffler Peugeot.
Tony D'Alberto in a Wall Racing Honda.

[GTRMagic]

Where to for Mr Caruso or Mr O'Keeffe?

And where did the Soutar and Clemente Hondas end up? They were each marked as 'sold' on my105.com, as was the Morcom i30

There are at least 2 Alfas without a home, 2 Renaults..

[Umai Naa]

One of the GRM Alfas is in the Bathurst museum.

Ex BTCC racer Tom Oliphant is set to appear in an ASM Alfa this year. Said to have connections within Ch9.

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Ex BTCC racer Tom Oliphant is set to appear in an ASM Alfa this year.

Great stuff!

[Umai Naa]

Now they've split from Supercars Media.

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Now they've split from Supercars Media.

Budget obviously an issue, the $20m from Stan not enough...

AVE will do a job for the budget, but not the same as Supercars Media.

Given the criticism of the package locked away on pay-TV I'm not sure this is the right move.

[one five five]

Any chance ARG might give us an entry list, not long till round 1.

What’s happening with the Renaults?
Caruso?
Brown secured a budget yet?
Announcement of the 8th round held with TCR World Tour?

Originally Posted by Mixer

Budget obviously an issue, the $20m from Stan not enough...

AVE will do a job for the budget, but not the same as Supercars Media.

Given the criticism of the package locked away on pay-TV I'm not sure this is the right move.

Given the dramas last year between Supercars & ARG, I’d say this love is more about distancing themselves from eachother than Stan $$

[Umai Naa]

Panta Fuels out.

Elf Fuels in.

[Umai Naa]

No word from Liqui Moly at this stage on continuing with Mr Brown.

Changes in upper management in the Australian subsidiary may have knocked it on the head.

[chavez]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

No word from Liqui Moly at this stage on continuing with Mr Brown.

Changes in upper management in the Australian subsidiary may have knocked it on the head.

Their ears must have been burning.

Brown and Liqui Moly are back for 2023.

[GTRMagic]

Still feels very much like SuperTouring when TOCA left the building..

How many race finishes do you get out of an Alfa Romeo in a 2 year deal?
History might suggest.. not many

[one five five]

ASM say that Caruso is out….. one assumes either his new home announcement is imminent or he’s just not doing anything.

If drivers like Brown, Caruso, Coulthard and Moffat can’t put deals together, what hope is there going forward?

Tom Olyphant is a cool get, but ARG don’t seem to be hyping up the run into the season