MOTORSPORT: TCR family feud renewed
Young guns and Tander parents ready to renew racing rivalries as TCR heads to AdelaideChampionship challenger Dylan O’Keefe has finally made a rock-solid commitment to the carsales TCR Australia Series as he looks to rebound from a massive crash at Phillip Island.
O’Keefe has been the closest challenger to series leader Will Brown heading to The Bend this weekend, but will also face a renewed threat from Garth and Leanne Tander.
He planned a race-by-race approach to the TCR series but now says he is all-out for the crown as he jumps into an Alfa Romeo Giulietta that has been repaired after a massive crash at The Island.
“Originally, for me, the deal was round-by round. And I was only going to do the first couple,” O’Keefe admitted to carsales.
“Now I really want to continue for the whole series. I need to be there to do myself a favour and try to win the championship, but also to stop Will winning it.”
O’Keefe is focussed on Brown but, based on his win-or-bust guest drive in an Audi RS3 at Phillip Island, Garth Tander could be the one to beat. And Leanne will also be quick after improving with every lap in a similar Audi at the previous event.
“There were some cool battles along the way, and some really great racing, but it wasn’t until the last race that I felt like we maximised the car,” Garth says of his first TCR start.
“I know The Bend circuit really well because I raced there last year – both in Australian GT and the Supercars round. I feel that the TCR cars will suit the track quite well.”
O’Keefe is also familiar with the Adelaide layout and believes it could give him an edge over Brown and his pace-setting Hyundai i30 N.
“I like it. I’ve been there with Australian GT and Carrera Cup. It’s a nice flowing track, similar to Phillip Island,” O’Keefe said.
“I’m excited to go there. I'm keen to see how much it has improved. I need to rein Will in for the championship. That is the plan.”
But Brown is not intimidated and, even with a solid championship lead, is not winding anything back.
“It’s never time to relax. You never relax until the trophy is in your hands,” Brown said.
“I’m feeling good, and confident. I think we have the goods to win the championship. So long as we have a bit of luck, and we keep executing, we should be able to do the job.
“I have quite a good understanding of the car and I don’t think it will take too long to learn the track. I’m expecting a pretty even playing field.”
Tander is looking to shake things up and has his own views on The Bend after racing a Supercar at the circuit in 2018.
“The big long front straight will make slip streaming very interesting. I reckon they’ll be some big passing moves at Turn 1. And the fast section over the back will be exciting – the triple right-hander will mean there’ll be a lot of action there,” he said.
Leanne is less confident, but still planning to move into the leading battle pack.
“I’m excited to get another opportunity in TCR because, at Phillip Island, there was a lot of potential that I just couldn’t maximise,” she says.
“I didn’t get the most out of my car in qualifying, so that will be my main focus to get the ball rolling for the weekend.
“I’ve been working hard behind the scenes to get more drives in TCR. My focus has been on putting together a full program for next year, so to get these extra laps this weekend is very valuable for the future.”
But, for O’Keefe, it’s all about here and now.
“I reckon the Alfa will be pretty quick out of the box. We had a very good weekend at Phillip Island and I reckon we’ll run with a similar base-line set-up,” he said.
“After two rounds I reckon the championship is already pretty spread out. Maybe the Hondas could be a threat at The Bend. They were quick in Sydney when they got the package right.
“I think there is every chance there could be closer competition. It could be a bit of mixed bag. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“But I’d like to think that I’ll be quick.”
But Brown is still the driver to beat and pumped ahead of leg three of the TCR series.
“Confidence is high. And enthusiasm is high. I’m loving the TCR racing,” he said.
“We're all having a good time. And you always have a better time if you’re winning.”
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