MOTORSPORT: Car-makers watching closely as TCR Series fires up

Some of Australia's favourite car-makers are circling the fledgling TCR Australia touring car racing series as it prepares for its first race in less than a week.

Australia’s inaugural TCR series has attracted a promising field of 18 cars without a single Ford or Holden in the line-up for the season opener next weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The series is a spin-off from similar and successful TCR championships in Europe and Asia and began as a competition for production-based, but heavily modified turbocharged 2.0-litre front-wheel drive cars.

The pinnacle of the category is the World Touring Car Cup competition.

Honda has already committed to the championship, Hyundai is investigating, Subaru is playing a waiting game and Renault is also rumoured to be interested in the series.

“We are just dipping our toe in the water,” the director of Honda Australia, Stephen Collins, told carsales.com.au.

Honda is pivoting its support around Tony D’Alberto, one of the best drivers in the new series and a proven performer in Supercars at Bathurst, as it stretches its marketing into new areas including the surprisingly-successful Lego Masters television show and a road-car lap-record run at Mount Panorama with former F1 racer Jenson Button in a Civic Type R.

“We are trying hard to do some really cool stuff. We are looking to use it as another marketing opportunity for Civic Type R,” Collins said.

The TCR formula is built around compact front-wheel drive production models and the cars already committed for competition in Australia are the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Audi RS 3, Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai i30 N, Opel Astra, Renault Megane RS, Subaru WRX and Volkswagen Golf GTI.

TCR rules forbid car companies from owning teams or direct factory participation, but the series has attracted massive interest from the customer sport divisions of a growing number of brands.

Hyundai has the biggest contingent for SMP with four cars from two teams, including the HMO Customer Racing outfit that was set up by Barry Morcom and David Cameron for the series, and Hyundai Australia says it sees potential in the championship.

“Hyundai is eager to see the Australian TCR series launching successfully. It has the right formula to be a very exciting and well-supported championship. All you have to do is look how well the category is doing overseas and how it is popular with fans and manufacturers alike,” Hyundai Australia marketing director, Bill Thomas, told carsales.com.au.

“We also expect the Hyundai i30 N TCR to be battling right up the front for race victories, given it won both the drivers’ and teams’ championships in last year’s inaugural FIA World Touring Car Cup.”

As yet it is holding fire on support for teams or the series, but that could change quickly.

“Motorsport will play an integral part of Hyundai’s local plans going forward, especially as our N high-performance brand continues to expand with the launch of exciting new models over the next few years,” said Thomas.

“We’re still in the early stages of rolling out our Hyundai motorsport strategy for Australia, and TCR racing is something we’ll be looking further into, but at this stage there are no firm plans.”

Among the rookie racers in the TCR series is the spearhead for Subaru’s efforts in Australian rallying and former national champion, Molly Taylor. She is one of three fast females who have just been confirmed for the series, joining Chelsea Angelo and New Zealander Alexandra Whitley.

There is no factory backing yet for Taylor’s move from forests to racetracks but Subaru Australia is monitoring her effort and the championship.

“At the moment our commitment in motorsport is to the Australian Rally Championship,” Subaru spokesman, David Rowley, told carsales.com.au.

“We will probably keep an eye on it and see how it goes. We wish them, and Molly, all the best with the series. Molly is a great talent and a great representative for us.”

It’s a similar story for Renault Australia, although the company has opened the door for Garry Rogers Motorsport as it fields a pair of Megane RS hot hatches.

“We are keen to see how TCR Australia goes and looking forward to seeing how the Renault Meganes go next weekend,” the marketing director for Renault Australia, Emma Pinwill, told carsales.com.au.

While it’s mostly watch-and-wait for car-makers, TCR organisers have locked down key details for the seven-round series, with veteran commentators Greg Rust and Aaron Noonan to lead the broadcast team as SBS commits to live coverage on each race weekend with live streaming also available.